Background
The series of Safety Research courses started in the early nineties as there were young people entering the field of safety research and working towards a PhD degree. The Safety Research course was planned for people who either aim to become researchers or who use research results in their work. Well over 100 hundred people have taken the course. About 25 of them have completed their doctoral degrees, so far. The participants are a multidisciplinary group, for example, engineers, psychologists, social scientist, physiologists, medical doctors, etc.
The course covers the research of all kinds of accidents, e.g. occupational, home and leisure, and traffic accidents. The different disciplinary backgrounds have been a clear advantage for the course. The participants represent different types of organisations. This diversity of backgrounds has given strength to the course and we expect a similar mix of people on this course as well.
Objectives
The purpose of the course is to provide the participants with basic knowledge about studying accidents and their prevention. Basic concepts will be explained and discussed. The term accident itself, risks, accident models, safety culture, safety management, etc. are examples of concepts. Therefore, the focus is in methodological issues. Good research practices will be explored.
An important goal of the course is to help participants to network. Especially young people benefit from the contacts they can create during the course. The previous courses have created contacts for life time.
Another important goal is to provide the participants an opportunity to hear senior scientists with good track record. The lecturers are selected so that they represent the best researchers in the area of safety. They also represent different disciplinary angles in safety. The participants get an opportunity to exchange opinions with these senior people, and also to spend leisure time with them. The lecturers have also served as editors in scientific journals and are able to give advice regarding scientific publishing.
Main topics
The first week of the course deals with relevant concepts and theories. Various accident models and theories are explained. The participants will get sufficient knowledge also about the evolution of accident theories. Concepts, such as accident itself, are important for the participants to understand, just as how accidents are caused and how their prevention can be studied. Research methods and study designs are important topics on the first week. Measuring safety and its various facets are also essential in good research. The first week should give the participants a solid base for writing a study protocol.
The second week focuses specifically on presenting means of prevention and on studying preventive strategies. Various intervention studies will be discussed and evaluated. The design aspects of intervention studies are important. The participants will have an opportunity to present their own research work and plans during the second week, and get feedback from other participants and the lecturers. Participants will have a possibility to influence the program of the second week.
Course structure and working method
The course consists of two course weeks. The total work effort for the complete course is five weeks. In addition to the two course weeks, the participants need to read a set of articles and write a study protocol for their own project during the time between the course weeks. They will then have an opportunity to present their protocols on the second week. There is an exam at the end of the second week covering both course weeks and the articles read between the weeks. NIVA will provide a certificate indicating the amount of work the course required. Participants can use the certificate as a part of their PhD studies.
The course is suitable also for people who use the results of safety research. In this case, the participant can choose to take part only in the course weeks. Such people may represent authorities, consulting firms, or safety experts in other companies. These participants will also receive a certificate of attendance on the two course weeks.
Lecturers on the first week:
Professor Gudela Grote
Professor of Work and Organizational Psychology
Department of Management, Technology, and Economics
ETH Zürich, Switzerland
Professor Ragnar Andersson
Karlstad University, Sweden
Dr. Johnny Dyreborg
National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Denmark
Dr. Pete Kines
National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Denmark
Professor Jorma Saari, Course leader
Finland
Professor Saari has retired from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. He has also served as Professor at two Canadian universities and at a technical university in Finland.
Venue and accommodation
The first part of the course will take place at Hotel Frederiksdal, which is situated in a scenic area bordering on the lakes of Bagsværd Sø, Lyngby Sø and Furesøen and is conveniently located 15 minutes outside of Copenhagen. For more information on the hotel, please visit the website: http://www.frederiksdal.dk
The second part of the course will take place at Hotel Urku in Kangasala. The Hotel Urku is a family-owned hotel in a stunning, hundred-year-old organ factory. The old factory has been skilfully converted into a comfortable hotel where you can enjoy a unique atmosphere. The Hotel Urku is located in the centre of Kangasala, only a 20-minute drive from the centre of Tampere; the distance to the Tampere airport is about 30 kilometres. (http://www.hotelli-urku.fi/eng/)
Please check www.niva.org for information on accommodation nearer to the course date, 7-11 March 2011.
Course fee
EUR 480/course, joint price for both courses is EUR 800 (accommodation and meals not included). All teaching and course material are included.