BACKGROUND: Understanding what influences reporting is critical to underpinning the knowledge base around reporting behaviour and assisting in developing effective strategies to increase reporting levels within an organisation. Universities should investigate reporting behaviour in their own organisation and investigate why differences exist between different job profiles.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate hazard reporting in an Australian University and to assess what factors (employment type, level of safety responsibility and prior injury) influence reporting behaviour.
METHODS: A total of 256 university employees and postgraduate students completed a survey on their hazard reporting.
RESULTS: The study indicated that demographic variables such as department type, role in the organisation, level of safety activity in role, and prior injury effected the reporting of hazards. Issues for non-reporting were also found to support findings in other studies. A unique finding was that while teaching-focused academics were not more likely to have been injured at work they were more likely to have reported a hazard, while researchers were less likely to report despite not being more or less likely to have received an injury.
CONCLUSIONS: Although this study indicates there are differences in an organisations hazard reporting based on demographics and prior injury occurrence further research is required to evaluate the impact across other organisations and sectors.
Australian Government. Higher education standards framework 2014 [June 15]. Available from: http://www.hestandards.gov.au/
3.
Universities Australia. Good practice guidelines for enhancing sudent safety 2011 [June 15]. Available from: https://http://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/news/submissions-and-reports/EnhEnhancing-the-Student-Experience-and-Student-Safetyancing-the-Student-Experience-and-Student-Safety-.VzkAHmSqqko.
4.
TytherleighM, WebbC, CooperC, RickettsC. Occupational stress in UK higher education institutions: A comparative study of all staff categories. Higher Education Research & Development2005;24(1):41–61.
5.
SangX, TeoST, CooperCL, BohleP. Modelling occupational stress and employee health and wellbeing in a Chinese Higher Education Institution. Higher Education Quarterly2013;67(1):15–39.
6.
WuT-C. Safety leadership in the teaching laboratories of electrical and electronic engineering departments at Taiwanese Universities. Journal of Safety Research2008;39(6):599–607.
7.
WuT-C, LiuC-W, LuM-C. Safety climate in university and college laboratories: Impact of organizational and individual factors. Journal of Safety Research2007;38(1):91–102.
8.
LewisD. Workplace bullying-interim findings of a study in further and higher education in Wales. International Journal of Manpower1999;20(1/2):106–19.
9.
SimpsonR, CohenC. Dangerous work: The gendered nature of bullying in the context of higher education. Gender, Work & Organization2004;11(2):163–86.
10.
KeashlyL, NeumanJH. Bullying in the workplace: Its impact and management. Employee Rights & Employment Policy Journal2004;8, 335–523.
11.
CannAP, BakerAM, HansenA, MassieD, VandervoortAA. A five year retrospective analysis of occupational injuries and incidence reported at a research intensive Canadian university. Work (Reading, Mass)2007;30(2):171–84.
12.
JaskolkaJV, AndrewsDM, HaroldL. Occupational injuries reported in a Canadian university setting: A five year retrospective study. Work2009;34(3):273–83.
13.
KonkelRS, FisherTF, HarveyC. Musculoskeletal injuries associated with selected university staff and faculty in an office environment. Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment, & Rehabilitation2004;22(3):195–205.
14.
IjadunolaK, IjadunolaM, OnayadeA, AbionaT. Perceptions of occupational hazards amongst office workers at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. Niger J Med2003;12(3):134–9.
15.
FlumMR, SiqueiraCE, DeCaroA, RedwayS. Photovoice in the workplace: A participatory method to give voice to workers to identify health and safety hazards and promote workplace change—a study of university custodians. American Journal of Industrial Medicine2010;53(11):1150–8.
16.
MulcahyMB, YoungA, GibsonJ, HildrethC, AshbrookP, IzzoR, et al. College and university sector response to the U.S. Chemical Safety Board Texas Tech incident report and UCLA laboratory fatality. Journal of Chemical Health and Safety2013;20(2):6–13.
17.
BrainardJ. Accidents rise on campuses as inspections decline. The Chronicle of Higher Education2007;53(8).
18.
TuckerS, ChmielN, TurnerN, HershcovisMS, StrideCB. Perceived organizational support for safety and employee safety voice: The mediating role of coworker support for safety. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology2008;13(4):319.
19.
GiffordML, AndersonJE. Barriers and motivating factors in reporting incidents of assault in mental health care. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association2010;16(5):288–98.
20.
SanneJM. Incident reporting or storytelling? Competing schemes in a safety-critical and hazardous work setting. Safety Science2008;46(8):1205–22.
21.
WeinerB, HobgoodC, LewisM. The Meaning of Justice in Safety and Incident Reporting. Journal of Social Science and Medicine2008;66(2):403–13.
22.
BienefeldN, GroteG. Silence that may kill: When aircrew members don’t speak up and why. Aviation Psychology and Applied Human Factors2012;2(1):1–10.
23.
ClarkeS. Organizational factors affecting the incident reporting of train drivers. Work & Stress1998;12(1):6–16.
24.
LawtonR, ParkerD. Barriers to Incident Reporting in the Healthcare System. Quality and Safety in Health Care2002;11(1):15–8.
25.
KingstonM, EvansS, SmithB, BerryJ. Attitudes of doctors and nurses towards incident reporting: A qualitative analysis. Medical Journal of Australia2004;181(1):36–9.
26.
EvansS, BerryJ, SmithB, EstermanA, SelimP, O’ShaughnessyJ, et al. Attitudes and barriers to incident reporting: A collaborative hospital study. Quality and Safety in Health Care2006;15(1):39–43.
CooperMD. Towards a model of safety culture. Safety Science2000;36(2):111–36.
29.
VenablesKM, AllenderS. Occupational health needs of universities: A review with an emphasis on the United Kingdom. Occupational and Environmental Medicine2006;63(3):159–67.
