Environmental Health Responses to COVID 19 in Western Australia: Lessons for the Future.

The COVID-19 pandemic tested the health system of Western Australia (WA) and the relatively new overarching legislative framework that guided the state-wide public health response to the pandemic. This study aimed to evaluate the experiences and roles of environmental health officers (EHOs) in WA during the management of COVID-19 and to identify any policy changes that are needed to facilitate the rapid deployment of EHOs during a future public health crisis. An online survey with 78 respondents was administered and analysis was both qualitative and quantitative. It was found that participants believed there was inadequate resourcing, workforce shortages, increased workloads, and a lack of recognition and integration of the profession within the COVID-19 response. Notably, more than 65% of the respondents believed they could have been better utilised during the pandemic. This research has demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic in WA had clear gaps in its processes for managing responses and resilience to pandemics. Policy recommendations outlining a more efficient and integrated delivery of environmental health services throughout the state during emergencies are discussed.

An investigation of the influence of economic cycles on safety performance in Western Australia

This study examined the influence of economic cycles on safety performance in Western Australia. A secondary analysis of 577,778 occupational injuries reported to WorkCover (Western Australia) from 2003 to 2019, was undertaken. Changes to occupational injury rates were compared to fluctuations in macroeconomic and microeconomic indicators sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Economic indicators were compared to injury rates in the industry groups: agriculture, mining, manufacturing and construction, to determine if these industries are more sensitive to changes in economic cycles. Results of multiple linear regression analysis provided evidence of a procyclical trend of occupational injury rates. Macroeconomic analysis for industry groups revealed an association of occupational injury rates with changes in economic cycles for manufacturing and construction, whereby as unemployment increases occupational injuries decrease. Microeconomic factors showed that occupational injuries in mining, manufacturing and construction were strongly associated with changes to economic cycles. During economic growth, mining and construction occupational injury rates decreased and manufacturing occupational injury rates increased. Manufacturing injury rates were more sensitive to changes in economic cycles. This study shows that economic cycles influence occupational injury rates using Western Australia data. Organisations which do not design their injury prevention strategies to be resilient to economic changes such as those brought on by the Global Financial Crisis and COVID19 may be surprised by a reduction in their effectiveness, as there is a legal obligation to maintain a safe workplace at all times.