SHINe hosted an interactive professional discussion group with leading members of the Australian Institute of Health and Safety focused on understanding the role, capability and effectiveness of health and safety professionals in Australian organisations.
Questions focused on themes from a recent SHINe literature review on the role of health and safety professionals.
Key discussion points centred around:
- What should a health and safety professional's role include?
- What knowledge, skills and abilities do they need?
- What responsibilities and accountabilities should they assume (or not)?
- What mechanisms enable them to exert influence? and
- What is the role of education and certification in enabling professional effectiveness?
The full workshop discussion will be incorporated into the final project report.
The workshop was co-organised by Pam Pryor AO and Kelvin Genn. Speaking after the event, Pam commented on the energy and interest of everyone in the room:
“The level of engagement and discussion showed the benefits of bringing together OHS professionals and researchers to explore topics in a semi-structured way. It not only provided a perspective on the research but encouraged those professionals there to reflect on their approach to their own practice and their relationships in the workplace.” – Pam Pryor AO
This event was part of an ongoing SHINe project funded by Multiplex. This work explores the way Australian health and safety professionals work in the construction industry.
