Safe Work Australia has published a new suite of reports mapping the national work health and safety (WHS) and workers' compensation research landscape. The reports identify areas of strength and opportunities, supporting coordinated and impactful research for safe and healthy work.
Commissioned by Safe Work Australia and delivered by the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, the project mapped existing research across the 5 initial focus areas of Safe Work Australia's Research and Evaluation Strategy. It identified where the evidence base is well established, where it is emerging, and where there are opportunities to strengthen the evidence through future research.
The project supports delivery of Safe Work Australia's Research and Evaluation Strategy and supports Safe Work Australia's leadership role in strengthening Australia's WHS and workers' compensation evidence base.
Findings are presented in a comprehensive suite of reports, including an executive summary and technical overview, 5 focus area reports and methodology reports, supporting broad use across government, academia and industry.
The findings deepen understanding of WHS and workers' compensation research in Australia. They confirm significant research activity in psychosocial harm prevention and recovery, while identifying comparatively limited research on and evaluation of organisational and system‑level approaches. Despite rapid technological change reshaping work across many industries, the findings also show limited research on the WHS impacts of new and emerging technologies.
These insights will guide future research priorities, partnership opportunities and policy development for Safe Work Australia and the broader WHS and workers' compensation research community.
Read the reports and learn more about Safe Work Australia's national role in WHS and workers' compensation research through the Research and Evaluation Strategy.
