Document Type
Article
Rights
Available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International Licence
Disciplines
Environmental sciences
Abstract
Visual inspection is a core element in hazard identification. However, poorly conducted visual inspections are problematical for workplace inspection practice as observable hazards that should be seen, are often missed. To address this problem, a novel method; systematic visual search, was developed and tested under randomised controlled trial conditions using commercial kitchens as workplaces. A total of 211 participants were recruited and in the control condition, N = 104 conducted their visual inspection as normal. In the experimental condition, N = 107 received training in the use of systematic visual search. Control group participants were only able to identify a circa mean 33% of observable hazards in the kitchens. In contrast experimental group participants, using systematic visual search, observed a circa mean 50% of observable hazards present. This 17% improvement was highly significant, with a large effect size (p ≤ .001, Cohen’s d = 1.85).
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/14773996.2019.1708615
Recommended Citation
Hrymak, V. & DeVries, J. (2020). The Development and Trial of Systematic Visual Search: a visual inspection method designed to improve current workplace risk assessment practice. Policy and Practice in Health and Safety, vol. 18, no. 1, doi:10.1080/14773996.2019.1708615