Exploring the potential for using video to communicate safety information to construction workers: case studies of organisational use

Legislation mandates that employers provide sufficient health and safety training and communicate relevant health and safety information to workers. However, the literature suggests that, globally, health and safety management in construction has to deal with a workforce with growing language and literacy barriers. Hence, conventional written and verbal safety communication approaches are of limited effectiveness. Research suggests that traditional safety training methods and the use of overly complicated, lengthy written statements about how work should be conducted are not very effective. A Melbourne-based firm (CodeSafe Solutions) has developed an innovative process for capturing and communicating health and safety training and safe operating procedures to field based workers using digital media (films) that can be accessed using Quick Response (QR) code technology. Two case study organisations in the water resources and home insulation sectors of the Australian construction industry are used to explore the potential of the CodeSafe system in communicating health and safety and technical information to workers. Data collected from the interviews and an examination of incident reports and video usage data were analysed in this study. Managers perceived the CodeSafe system to be beneficial and well received by workers. In one case study organisation, the introduction of the CodeSafe system coincided with a reduction in injury rates. However, without using a robust experimental design, causal inferences about the impact of the system cannot be made. Worker who were involved in making the films believed films would be an effective communication tool. However, the barriers to use the digital/mobile technology revealed from the interviews include limitations to use smart phones to access the material and limitations of internet connectivity to access the material.