Psychometric testing is used to assess new recruits' safety risk and training potential. Tests measure cognitive ability, personality traits like conscientiousness, and other factors related to safety. A case study found recruits identified as higher safety risks by a Health and Safety Indicator test had 6 times more performance issues and accidents within the first year. The company saw a 10% reduction in injuries and $130,000 savings in workers compensation after using the assessments to manage apprentice risk and training. Three years later, a validation study found 75% of safety accidents occurred within 5 months, confirming the value of early risk screening for new hires.

1. Excellence in Business.
Excellence in People.
Assessing Safety Risk
and Training Potential
Amongst New Recruits
Ben Hainsworth
Managing Psychologist

2. Overview
Why use psychometric assessment?
 Health and Safety Indicator – Overview
 Case Study: HVTC

3. Why Use Psychometric Testing?
0.02
0.10
0.10
0.18
0.18
0.26
0.35
0.37
0.40
0.48
0.51
0.51
0.54
0.63
0.65
Graphology
Years of Education
Interests
Years of Job Experience
Unstructured Interviews
References
Biodata
Assessment Centres
Personality Questionnaires
Job Knowledge Test
Structured Interviews
Ability Tests
Work Sample Tests
Ability Tests and Structured Interview
Ability Tests and Personality Questionnaires
Correlation with Job Performance

4. Why Use Psychometric Testing?
Safety Research…
20% staff are responsible for
80% of workplace accidents

5. Why Use Psychometric Testing?
i. Demographics:
(a) Injured workers per 1000 people who worked sometime in the 12 months to June 2006
Source: Work-Related Injuries, Australia, 2005-06 (ABS cat No. 6324.0).

6. Why Use Psychometric Testing?
ii. Cognitive Ability as a function of Safety Risk:
Higher cognitive ability is correlated with:
• ↓ Accidents (Blasco, 1994; Carty et.al, 1999)
• ↓ Lower mortality rates (Hemmingsson et.al 2006)
• ↓ Fewer deliberate safety violations (Carty et al, 1999)

7. Why Use Psychometric Testing?
iii. Personality & Safety
• High levels of conscientiousness, agreeableness and low
neuroticism are reliably associated with fewer workplace accidents
• High Safety Aware people, are 7x less likely to have an accident at
work (Testgrid, 2010)

8. Why Use Psychometric Testing?
iv. Costs:
• Workplace injury in 08/09’ cost the Australian economy $56 Billion
• Costs to organisations:
• High Risk’ vs ‘Low Risk’ employees…
• x6 more paid leave
• Averaged $1,643.00 per person in work cover payments
• 63% of ‘High Risk’ employees filed a compensation claim
• Costs to the individual, family, community…

9. Why Use Psychometric Testing?
v. Legislation:
• Coal Industry Act 2001, Order No. 41
• Psychometric testing is scientific,
objective and defensible

10. When Should Pre-Employment
Testing be Conducted?
5. Preferred Candidates undertake Pre-employment Medical
Assessments
- Medical History, Spirometry, Urinalysis etc.
1. Job Advertised
2. Receipt and Screening of Job Applications
4. Interview of the ‘Short List’
- Structured Behavioural Interview
6. Results to help drive L&D programs
- Candidate Feedback
- Customise individual and team
development programs
3. ‘Long List’ undertake Pre-Employment Assessments:
- Psychometric Testing & Assessment Centres

11. Health and Safety Indicator (HSI)
• International reputation
• Cognitive Ability
• Personality
• 3 Reports
• Profile
• Professional
• Feedback Report
• Online administration

12. Health and Safety Indicator (HSI)
HSI Scale Subcomponent Definition
Ability Understanding Instructions & Safety Related
Information
Ability to read English, both written and in tables
Checking & Attention to Detail Ability to be careful, fast and accurate when checking
information
Understanding the Safety Environment Non verbal test of problem solving and learning
potential
Personality Safety Motivation Preference for behaving safely and avoiding risk.
Safety Diligence Conscientiousness
Adherence to Rules Preference for following rules
Openness to Guidance Willingness to participate in training
Safety Confidence Self confidence
Safety Composure Resilience & stress management

13. Sample Question –
Understanding Instructions

14. Sample Question –
Checking & Attention to Detail

15. Sample Question –
Understanding the Safety Environment

16. Sample Question –
Personality

17. Sample Question –
Personality

18. Interpreting Results

19. Health and Safety Indicator
(HSI) Profile

20. • Hunter Valley Training Company:
• 34 years old
• 1200 apprentices
• Competitive GTO market – NSW/QLD
• Innovate and respond to client demand
• Improve completion rates
• Changes to WHS Laws 2012
• Modified recruitment process – focus on assessment
and management of mental health risk factors
Case Study – Hunter Valley
Training Company

21. Case Study – Hunter Valley Training Company
Candidate HSI
Safety
Score
Literacy Checking Problem
Solving
Motivation Diligence Rule
Follow
Open to
Guidance
Confidence Composure
David 9 10 8 9 8 8 7 7 6 8
Hamish 8 8 7 8 7 6 8 9 7 8
Sam 7 8 7 7 6 5 9 9 6 6
Peter 4 5 6 4 6 5 6 6 4 4
Kelly 3 5 4 3 6 7 8 6 5 3
Michael 3 4 5 4 6 5 5 4 6 4
HSI Order of Merit

22. Best Practice Recruitment Decisions
Case Study – Hunter Valley Training Company
Candidate Safety Score
(1-10)
Medical Functional
Assessment
Interview Score
(1-10)
Assessment
Centre
(1-10)
Reference
Checks
(1-10)
David 9   7 7 8
Hamish 8   8 7 8
Sam 8   7 8 6
Divesh 6   6 6 5
Peter 4   6 6 4
Kelly 3   5 6 3
Michael 3   4 4 4

23. Sandvik Case Study
• Multiple LTI’s, MTI’s
• Assessed post placement
• Stakeholder meeting
• HSI Staff Management Report
• Implemented Strategies
• Results: Compliance, Performance
“HVTC & OPRA demonstrated a simple yet effective management plan underpinned by
innovative psychometric assessment results and subsequent consultation. The result has been a
clear improvement in safety performance and compliance”
Case Study – Manage the Risk

24. Case Study – The Pilot Program Results
Pilot Program
• 89 Apprentices
• Completed HSI
• 3 Groups
• % Suspensions
• Critical Score
0.0%
3.5%
13.0%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
Low Risk
(n = 20)
Moderate Risk
(n = 41)
High Risk
(n = 28)
Percentage(%)ofPerformance
Issues

25. ATS Integration

26. Case Study – The Pilot Program Results
Within the first 12 months:
• Workers compensation - $130,000 & reduction in premium
• Reducing apprentice management costs
• LTIFR – 10% reduction
• Assessment of mental health indicators
• Performance & talent management
• Consistent recruitment process – all field staff receive training in
psychometric testing

27. Three 3 Years Later
• Inherently difficult to measure safety
• Conducted 2 Validation Studies in this period
• Identified that 75% of Safety Accidents occur within 2 - 8 months
• 5 months presents as a Critical Period of Safety Risk

28. Three 3 Years Later
Relationship between HSI Assessment and
Severity of Safety Accidents

29. Impact on Claims
$-
$20,000.00
$40,000.00
$60,000.00
$80,000.00
$100,000.00
$120,000.00
$140,000.00
2011/12 2012/13 2014/15
Workers Compensation Claims Costs
Claims Costs

30. Key Learnings
• Robust Assessment of Physical and Psychological Risk Factors
• Psychological: Literacy, Abstract, Conscientiousness & Resilience
• Invested in Workforce Training
• Matching Apprentices with Host Employers – ‘Openness to Guidance’
• Frequency and timing of monitoring visits and safety audits and inspections
• Alignment of Human Capital solutions – ATS
• Commitment from Stakeholders to conduct Validation Studies / Reviews
• Continuous improvement

31. Example Reports – HVTC Results

32. For more information..
www.opragroup.com/contact-us