AI-Powered Tool Revolutionises Workplace Safety in Australia

The following is an abridgement of an article posted by AHIS.

‍

A groundbreaking, AI-powered tool designed to streamline access to workplace safety information is set to enhance both efficiency and safety in Australian workplaces. The tool, known as the "Safety Professional Assistant and Resource Knowledge-Base" (SPARK), is the first of its kind in Australia, capable of instantly sorting through thousands of pages of legislation and regulations.

Funded by the Australian Institute of Health and Safety (AIHS) SPARK provides OHS practitioners instant access to best practice advice and resources. SPARK is trained on state based legislation and content from the OHS Body of Knowledge, articles from OHS Professional Magazine, and information from the AIHS website thereby enabling OHS professionals to quickly and effectively gain answers to issues they face every day.

As SPARK puts it

"Hi, I am an expert for a vast array of workplace health and safety information. From OHS regulations to OHS best practices and even particular areas of the OHS Body of Knowledge – I am here to help you. They are also looking for career advice, professional development opportunities, or the latest on AIHS news and products. All you have to do is tell me what you want!”

To its 4,000 members, AIHS CEO Julia Whitford highlighted SPARK’s importance stressing that it helped to navigate through basic information.

“Just typing in a question to SPARK makes the members able to get the required information from our vast database. It effectively rules out the chore that is to look for information using document search options such as the OHS Body of Knowledge that is over 3000 pages long.’ Now, they just ask the question, and the answer is ready in the format of an article from SPARK.”

Whitford also stressed on the ease of use of the SPARK tool as applicable for the experience, knowledge and age of users cross-cutting the field of OHS.

This innovation has been developed after listening to what some of our members consider as important. Ms van Heusden said, “It is a pleasure to bring this new revolution in the OHS technology to the OHS sector in Australia and we are very confident it will improve and add more value to the membership of AIHS.”

With this in mind, SPARK is poised to support a key part of AIHS’s mandate of helping safety professionals get the information and resources they need to enhance health, safety, and productivity in workplaces throughout the country.