Preventing railway suicide: An open-systems perspective. Preventing railway suicide: An open-systems perspective. This project aims to develop an automated suicide risk detection system to reduce the incidence and impact of railway suicide, which has a devastating effect on victims’ families, station staff, train drivers, emergency workers, and bystanders. This project will use open-systems theory to develop two complementary information systems for more effective detection and reporting of suic ....Preventing railway suicide: An open-systems perspective. Preventing railway suicide: An open-systems perspective. This project aims to develop an automated suicide risk detection system to reduce the incidence and impact of railway suicide, which has a devastating effect on victims’ families, station staff, train drivers, emergency workers, and bystanders. This project will use open-systems theory to develop two complementary information systems for more effective detection and reporting of suicide risk; use these systems to investigate how different situational factors interact with different combinations of service interventions to influence suicide risk; and share the findings to reduce railway suicide in Australia and overseas.Read moreRead less
Safety in the Heavy Vehicle Industry: A Collaborative Response. The management and regulation of heavy vehicles, particularly in relation to safety, is recognised as an urgent issue at all levels of government across Australia. In the absence of research that identifies the key determinants of heavy vehicle crashes, countermeasures will continue to be based on anecdote. The proposed study will determine the role key risk factors, namely scheduling and sleep-related factors, play in heavy vehicl ....Safety in the Heavy Vehicle Industry: A Collaborative Response. The management and regulation of heavy vehicles, particularly in relation to safety, is recognised as an urgent issue at all levels of government across Australia. In the absence of research that identifies the key determinants of heavy vehicle crashes, countermeasures will continue to be based on anecdote. The proposed study will determine the role key risk factors, namely scheduling and sleep-related factors, play in heavy vehicle crashes and will identify cost-effective strategies to reduce the growing economic burden associated with these crashes.Read moreRead less
Rail Safety And Reliability: A Human Factors/Ergonomics Approach. Recent rail crashes have focussed rail operators and the public on issues of rail safety and reliabilty. The project is a major initiative that will assist the development of safer and more reliable rail operations through the application of human factors and ergonomics methods to the design of train control and management devices and systems.
Understanding mud pumping in heavy haul railroads. This project aims to examine the factors that cause mud pumping and evaluate the effectiveness of sub-surface drainage to prevent rail track instability. Fast heavy haul operations (such as loads used in mining and agriculture) impart repeated loads on the natural formation that can result in mud pumping. If the build-up of water pressure becomes excessive this can cause track failure. Through an experimental program and field study, the mechani ....Understanding mud pumping in heavy haul railroads. This project aims to examine the factors that cause mud pumping and evaluate the effectiveness of sub-surface drainage to prevent rail track instability. Fast heavy haul operations (such as loads used in mining and agriculture) impart repeated loads on the natural formation that can result in mud pumping. If the build-up of water pressure becomes excessive this can cause track failure. Through an experimental program and field study, the mechanisms of mud pumping, incorporating train loads and frequencies, will be studied, and the role of vertically installed drains will be quantified for improved practical design. The project aims to contribute to improved track longevity and reduced maintenance costs, with a corresponding boost in rail productivity.Read moreRead less
New Technologies for Second Generation Search and Rescue. This project aims to improve the Cospas-Sarsat search and rescue system to ensure faster, more reliable, more accurate, and more cost-effective search and rescue operations, ultimately saving lives. The satellite-based Cospas-Sarsat system has assisted with the emergency rescue of more than 35 000 lives worldwide since its introduction in 1982. A second generation of this system is currently under development, promising to significantly i ....New Technologies for Second Generation Search and Rescue. This project aims to improve the Cospas-Sarsat search and rescue system to ensure faster, more reliable, more accurate, and more cost-effective search and rescue operations, ultimately saving lives. The satellite-based Cospas-Sarsat system has assisted with the emergency rescue of more than 35 000 lives worldwide since its introduction in 1982. A second generation of this system is currently under development, promising to significantly improve detection rate and localisation accuracy. However, in an emergency, the system’s performance is often compromised due to interference and atmospheric effects, leading to false detections that waste valuable resources. This project aims to develop novel techniques to improve this performance.Read moreRead less
Socio-psychological factors and compliance with work health and safety regulation – theory, policy and practice. This project will examine and provide an account of the relationship between socio-psychological factors (knowledge, motivations, attitudes, perceptions and norms), and procedural and substantive compliance with work health and safety regulation and lead the way in reducing workplace injuries through improving regulatory effectiveness.
Next-generation ocean current forecasting to improve maritime safety . This project aims to measure upper ocean currents at scales of 10-100 km in Australia's marine estate using pioneering satellite radar technology. The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission will map currents at 10 times the resolution of present-day satellites and revolutionise our understanding of ocean dynamics. Expected outcomes include validation of SWOT data in Australian waters and merging this data into Bure ....Next-generation ocean current forecasting to improve maritime safety . This project aims to measure upper ocean currents at scales of 10-100 km in Australia's marine estate using pioneering satellite radar technology. The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission will map currents at 10 times the resolution of present-day satellites and revolutionise our understanding of ocean dynamics. Expected outcomes include validation of SWOT data in Australian waters and merging this data into Bureau of Meteorology ocean models. Downstream benefits include improved ocean forecasts for maritime safety, search-and-rescue, spill modelling, and marine conservation. At the same time, the project will build sovereign capability in emerging remote sensing technology with a legacy beyond the life of the SWOT mission.Read moreRead less
Investigating Transport Disadvantage, Social Exclusion and Well Being in Metropolitan, Regional and Rural Victoria. This project strengthens national approaches to a pervasive Australian problem; fringe urban and rural communities who are excluded from life opportunities due to lack of transport. Evidence suggests this problem is growing as fuel costs rise, the population ages and rural/fringe urban migration continues. Australia spends Billions annually to address these issues but Australian ....Investigating Transport Disadvantage, Social Exclusion and Well Being in Metropolitan, Regional and Rural Victoria. This project strengthens national approaches to a pervasive Australian problem; fringe urban and rural communities who are excluded from life opportunities due to lack of transport. Evidence suggests this problem is growing as fuel costs rise, the population ages and rural/fringe urban migration continues. Australia spends Billions annually to address these issues but Australian research exploring the nature of behaviours and links between transport problems and life opportunities is limited. This project fills this important knowledge gap in an Australian project that will advance world knowledge in this growing international research field. Findings will better focus Australia's approach to increasingly challenging transport futures.Read moreRead less
Identifying and controlling the source of Campylobacter and Salmonella in Australia. This project will identify the source of foodborne illnesses due to Salmonella and Campylobacter in order to inform food regulatory policy. The ultimate aim is to reduce the amount of foodborne disease in Australia.
Pedal and motor cycle helmet performance study. Cycling is a form of recreation and transport. Both pedal and motor cyclists are exposed to risks of head and neck injury. These injuries occur in young people and can have substantial health and economic impacts on the individuals and society. It is believed that injury rates can be reduced and an active lifestyle encouraged by improving helmet performance and understanding factors that lead to non-use. As helmet use is mandatory it is importa ....Pedal and motor cycle helmet performance study. Cycling is a form of recreation and transport. Both pedal and motor cyclists are exposed to risks of head and neck injury. These injuries occur in young people and can have substantial health and economic impacts on the individuals and society. It is believed that injury rates can be reduced and an active lifestyle encouraged by improving helmet performance and understanding factors that lead to non-use. As helmet use is mandatory it is important that Australians are provided with optimal helmets. The specification of product standards is also relevant for international trade agreements. Read moreRead less