Australian Work Exposures Study
(AWES)
About AWES
- AWES is a national research project which aims to identify how many people come into contact with chemicals and dusts in their everyday workplace. It is being coordinated by the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR) at the University of Western Australia (UWA).
- AWES will involve approximately 5000 Australian workers. We will collect information about the jobs people do and the main tasks that they carry out when doing those jobs. All information will be collected over the phone.
- The information we collect will help us to determine how many people in Australia are exposed to chemicals and dusts in their workplace. We can then use these results to help us to develop programs and health promotion messages aimed at lowering the number of people who are exposed at work, and, in the long term, to improve the health of workers.
- This study is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), a national government organisation that supports health and medical research and provides advice on all aspects of health care and research in Australia.
- Approval to conduct this research has been provided by the University of Western Australia, in accordance with its ethics review and approval procedures. Any person considering participation in this research project, or agreeing to participate, may raise any questions or issues with the researchers at any time. If you would like to speak to an independent person about this project, please contact the Human Research Ethics Committee at the University of Western Australia on (08) 6488 3703 or by email to hreo-research@uwa.edu.au.
Information for Participants - Frequently Asked Questions
Who is doing the study?
Researchers at the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, in conjunction with universities across Australia, are conducting this study. The researchers are:
The project coordinator responsible for the day-to-day management of the study is Renee Carey (pictured left).
All telephone interviews will be carried out by the Survey Research Centre based at Edith Cowan University.
How is the information from this study going to be used?
After the study is completed, results of the research will be made in to a summary report. Individual people will not be able to be identified from this report. You, as a participant, can request to receive a copy of this report.
We will use the information we gather from this study to work out how many people are exposed to chemicals and dusts in their workplace in Australia. This information will also help us to prevent or control any exposure.
What will I have to do for this study?
We ask you to complete an interview over the telephone with one of our trained interviewers. We will ask you about your current job and the tasks that you carry out when you do that job. This should take between 5 and 15 minutes, depending on your answers.
What questions will I be asked?
You will be asked some basic questions such as how old you are and what country you were born in. We will then ask you about your current job and the things that you do in that job.
How long will it take?
It usually takes between 5 and 15 minutes, depending on your answers. There is a small possibility that we will seek your permission to call you back, but in most cases we won't be contacting you again once you have completed the questions.
How was I chosen?
Your household was randomly selected from a database of Australian households. We are phoning around 5000 households from every state and territory across Australia, and the information that you provide us will be combined with the information from all of the other people who answer our questions.
Why should I help?
If we know how many people are exposed to chemicals and dusts at work, as well as how they are exposed and what they are exposed to, we can try to prevent or control this exposure and so lower the number of people who are exposed. In the long term, this may help us to improve the health of workers.
Do I have to do the interview?
No, participation in this survey is entirely voluntary. You can also skip any questions that you don't want to answer.
What if I choose to participate and then change my mind?
You can stop answering questions at any point you like. Participation in this study is completely voluntary. If you decide to stop participating, you can choose to let us use the information you have provided so far, or for it to be destroyed. You just need to let the interviewer know.
How do I know that this information is confidential?
All of our interviewers have signed confidentiality agreements not to reveal information about the people that they interview, and public laws ensure that all information that you give is kept confidential. The information you give us will be combined with information from many other people participating in this study, and will be reported only in statistics and tables without any identifying information.
Will anyone else know I'm taking part in this survey?
We will not inform anybody that you have chosen to participate in this study.
What if I'm busy when you call?
We understand that your time is limited, and we can schedule the interview for any time that is convenient for you, if you prefer. We're more than happy to call you back at a more suitable time. We can also do the survey over two or more phone calls, if you prefer.
How do I contact the study team?
You can contact the project officer, Renee Carey, on (08) 9346 1801 or email rcarey@waimr.uwa.edu.au. If you would like to speak to an independent person, you can contact the University of Western Australia Human Research Ethics Committee on (08) 6488 3703 or email hreo-research@uwa.edu.au. If you have a question about the interview, you can also contact the Survey Research Centre directly on 1800 993 310.
Contact Information
If you have any questions about AWES, you can contact the study team in any of the following ways:
Address: | ATTN: AWES
Epidemiology Group
Western Australian Institute for Medical Research
B Block, Ground Floor
QEII Medical Centre
Hospital Ave
NEDLANDS WA 6009 |
Phone: | (08) 9346 1801 |
Email: | rcarey@waimr.uwa.edu.au |
