Research Projects

Our research is funded by the Australian Research Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council, as well as several public and private organisations.

The team is currently conducting five main streams of research:

1. Precarious employment and flexible work

This research is investigating the effects of precarious or flexible employment (e.g. casual, temporary, sub-contract or agency work) on health and safety. We are developing and testing new measures of precariousness and the Pressure, Disorganisation and Regulatory Failure model to explain its effects.

2. The impact of traumatic workplace death

We are working with trade unions, employers and the Workplace Tragedy Support Group on a pilot study in which partners of victims of traumatic workplace death are interviewed about its economic, social and psychological effects. We intend to extend this research to other relatives of victims and to identify appropriate organisational and policy interventions.

3. Working hours, work-life conflict and health

In this long-term stream of research we are investigating individual, organisational and social factors that influence the health impact of shiftwork and long or irregular working hours. Particular interests at present are in the level of worker control over flexible hours and the relationships between control, variability of hours, work-life conflict and health.

4. Health and employment of older workers

With funding from a five-year NHMRC strategic award, we are examining the individual and organisational factors that affect the work attitudes, workforce participation, safety and health of a cohort study of 1,500 workers aged between 45 and 64.

5. OHS regulation and policy

This stream of research examines work and health policy, regulation and enforcement. Current projects include an investigation of the implementation of OHS standards by inspectors and an examination of regulatory responses to recent workplace changes, such as the growth of contingent employment. We are also contributing to a comparative project based in Europe and North America.