Challenges for implementing research in practice in health

and safetyDr Luise Vassie

ESRC LFI Seminar 5British Safety Council, London

11 June 2015

Historical rule-based approach Developing a culture of evidence based

practice Identification of priority areas and knowledge

gaps Way forward Some examples

Introduction

Practice historically driven by rules, customs and practice

Goal-setting regulation allows scope for organisations to develop approaches to risk control

Arguably codes and guides shape practice rather than stimulate the rational search for better protection

Tendency to train health and safety practitioners to learn rules or facts to apply in certain situation

Historical rule-based approach

Knowledge of nature and scale of risks and effectiveness of interventions is only provisional

Good/best practice can only be founded on best currently available knowledge

Offers opportunities for improved quality in risk control and quality assured information

Strengthens the role of the professional practitioner

Rule-based vs evidence-based approach

Evidence base required in two areas: What matters? What works?

Quality of evidence-base is mixed - some adds little to knowledge base commissioning process evaluates poorly designed interventions interventions with minimal impact

Evidence-base

Circumstances for EB approach rarely met in organisational settings

Rational approach to prevention through systematic examination of organisational data

Input vs output performance measures Intervention evaluation - planning

implementation and evaluation at the outset

Developing of culture of evidence-based (informed) practice

Academic vs practitioner view Leverage for individual and corporate

behaviour change Changing worker behaviour, importance of

safety culture, supply chain influence, impact of economic incentives and effects of sanctions

Priority areas and knowledge gaps

Appreciating how evidence is used by stakeholders what’s good enough dissemination channels

Generating research evidence rigour in commissioning process closer working between stakeholders longitudinal assessment of sustainability of change Secondary reviews of ‘what works’

Way forward…

Developing professional practice practitioner education continuing professional development (CPD) ethical practice

Way forward…

IOSH, UK, research summaries (‘research lite’)

IRSST, Canada, code of practice on knowledge transfer

Some examples…

IOSH research summaries

What’s the problem? What did our

researchers do? What did our

researchers find out What does the

research mean? Don’t forget… What’s next?

Anchoring of the need for the research project

Conducting the research Translating the knowledge Evaluating the impacts

IRSST code of practice on knowledge transfer

‘But more than that we want you to leave here feeling that we all could make very real difference to the world we live in if we could work together. In a world of –isms and –ologies, of expertise so refined that only experts understand it, we have brought together scientists, artists and technologists to create a distinctive culture, one that makes the possibilities of the future come to life in a way that we can all comprehend’ T.Smit, The Eden Project: The Guide 2001

Finally…

Any questions?luise@tnlconsulting.co.uk