Student research

In 2009 the first enforcement case was taken against a design company in Ireland relating to design failings. The case raised important questions about building designers and their ability to produce safe designs as required by best practice and by the statutes. Having experience as a Design Supervisor (PSDP) the researcher was eager to establish the capability of designers in terms of education and training, and their attitudes towards these requirements. It was anticipated that the research would identify key factors which prevent designers from eliminating ‘construction’ risks during design, thus providing valuable information for future intervention programmes.
Quantitative information was collected via questionnaires emailed to 150 designers evenly selected from four design disciplines. Questionnaires were also emailed to the organisations linked in educating and training designers. The response rate from the designers was good at 30% whereas the response rate from the ‘educators’ was poor; this was consistent with later findings. To identify recurring themes, case study interviews were carried out with three designers. All information was analysed and set against the research framework and objectives.
Designers were found to place a high priority on safety but had low confidence in addressing it during design due to a poor understanding of the requirements. The number of designers with formal qualifications was very low and designers seemed to rely on their own experience and reading along with advice from colleagues to inform them on health and safety. The majority perceived there to be no commercial benefits in adopting a safe approach to design due to client’s unwillingness to invest in the safety process.
Despite a low response rate from the educators the study has revealed key factors for this and has highlighted the need to focus on the role of educational institutions linked to designers, in future studies.

The entertainment industry is always striving for bigger and better special effects to enhance performances. This often results in the use of high powered lasers to create complex laser display’s. For the BBC an incident involving the use of a display laser highlighted laser safety risks because of the increasing use of high powered lasers.
Even at low levels, split second exposure from powerful lasers can cause eye damage (BBC 2010, Stewart, 2010, Makhov 2010, NHMRC, 1995).
The research therefore aimed to advance the understanding of current challenges in laser use and used a mixed method approach to compare and contrast adherence to regulatory regimes (Licensing and Safety) to respondent’s perceptions and understanding of laser safety risks. Responses were received from Regulators, Laser Operators, Venue Managers and Safety Professionals.
Data was collected via the use of stratified sampling of freedom of information requests (FOI’s), surveys and interviews. Study response rates were high with 63.3% (229 out of 358) of FOI’s and 50% (33 out of 66) of questionnaires being returned and included information on the interventions undertaken in pubs and clubs as well as event spaces.
The findings identified a lack of suitable and sufficient risk assessments being completed and a lack of understanding of laser risks. Variations were identified in policy standards and controls being applied across sites, this dilutes operator’s perceptions and understanding of safety risks, hence influencing the quality of risk assessments and the application of suitable controls. The study also identified the immergence of a public safety risk from laser use in pubs and clubs. Overall outcomes highlighted a clear need for improved awareness and emphasis on training those involved with display lasers and the development of fit for purpose laser safety policies, given the potential for an increasingly widespread use of lasers.

The research investigated the relationship between workers and supervisors in the offshore oil and gas industry. The objectives were to assess worker-supervisor interaction and explore how personal and organisational factors affect relationships.

The growing consensus in the industry is for a more collaborative approach to supervision and engaging workers on issues such as: behaviours; and hazard perception. The theoretical framework included: workforce perception regarding the level of organisational support received is an important element in safety; agreement on zero tolerance attitude towards rule breaking. The following research questions were raised:

1) What is the motivation for ignoring and/or violating work procedures?
2) Who is involved in work planning?
3) How do workers perceive the level of support from supervisors/management?

A qualitative methodology was chosen, using in-depth semi structured interviews with a purposively selected sample from the offshore sector. The findings which emerged showed a good understanding by supervisors and workers of the need for barriers and controls. Coordination of activities, although well defined, are not always carried out to plan. Evidence from the primary research indicates poor working practices are still being observed regularly. Research suggests safety culture maturity differs in organisations, where two organisations are collaborating this may cause problems that will manifest themselves at supervisor-workforce level. Conclusions can be drawn from the research that: there are opportunities for improvements in how supervisors and workers interact; there is a shift in culture, with new entrant workers demonstrating a higher degree of awareness towards safety than those entering 15-20 years ago. A limitation of the study related to the sample size, which could be considered small. With employers focusing more on behavioural safety, workers and supervisors are increasingly being held accountable for their actions; therefore, understanding the relationship between these two parties has never been more important.