Dr Don Dingsdag

• Biography
• Areas of Research / Teaching Expertise
• Grants / Current Projects
• Awards and Recognition
• Publications
• Optional
• Contact Details

Biography

Dr Don Dingsdag has a PhD informing OHS and industrial relations which he attained in 1989 at the University of Wollongong and he is currently research active in the broader OHS area. In research, he has won in career total, as a team leader/member or as a principal researcher, 13 competitive grants totalling more than $ 1.9 million. In his role in the OHS discipline in the School of Natural Sciences since 1999, as well as his teaching and administrative functions, he has been able to fulfil his key research and project management interests. He has been successful in attracting research candidates and winning substantial competitive research funds, (more than $1.54 million for 1999/ 2009), developing a prominent presence through invited presentations at significant events and establishing and leading interdisciplinary research teams in OHS, safety management, safety culture and safety leadership as well as in the fields of learning development and information technology transfer for SMEs.

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Areas of Research / Teaching Expertise

OHS, risk management, safety management, safety culture and safety leadership

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Grants / Current Projects

Chan, A., Chan, D., Wong, F., Yam, M. (Hong Kong PolyU) Dingsdag, D. and Biggs, B. (QUT) (June 2008-July 2009) Amount granted, $ HK 391,050: Project; Safety climate and its impacts on safety performance of repair, maintenance, minor alteration and addition (RMAA) works. Competitive Earmarked Research Grant; Funding organisation; Research Grants Council, SAR, Hong Kong.

Cipolla, D., Dingsdag, D. and Biggs, B. (July 2007-March 2009) Amount granted, $533,277; ($200,000 cash and $333,277 in-kind): Project; Safety Effectiveness Indicators for the construction industry; Funding organisations; Construction Innovation CRC, Leighton Contractors, John Holland Group, Thiess Contractors and Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner (OFSC).

Biggs, B. and Dingsdag, D. (2007) Amount granted, $94,560; Implementing A Construction Safety Competency Framework; Funding organisations; OFSC and Construction Innovation CRC.

Owen, L., Dingsdag, D., Grantham, H. and Wassertheil, J. (2006) Amount granted, $21,000; Project; Cardiac Arrest Survivor Support Community - (CASSC); Funding organisation; The Laerdahl Foundation for Acute Medicine, Stavanger, Norway.

Cipolla, D., Dingsdag, D., Biggs, B. and McFadyen, T. (2004-2006) Amount granted, $344,500; Project; Construction Site Safety Culture: a Safety Management Competency System for the Construction Industry; Funding organisation; Construction Innovation CRC, John Holland Group and Bovis Lendlease.

Armstrong, B., Biggs, B., Dingsdag, D. and O’Brien, D. (SCU) (2002) Amount granted $135,000; Project; Mid North Coast E-commerce and business information portal; Funding organisation; Federal Department of Communications and the Arts, ITOL Program, DEST Category 24.3.2; Category 2; Other Public Sector Competitive and Non-Competitive Research Funding.

Armstrong, B., Biggs, B., Dingsdag, D. and O’Brien, D. (SCU) (1999-2000-01) Amount granted, $385,750; Project; Networking the Nation, A project to promote, develop and evaluate a technology, information and social infrastructure for the Mid North Coast Region of New South Wales, Regional Telecommunication Infrastructure Fund; Funding organisation; Federal Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. DEST Category 24.3.2; Category 2; Other Public Sector Competitive and Non-Competitive Research Funding.

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Awards and Recognition

Service to Industry and Government: Recognition and Awards
Dingsdag, D. and Biggs, H. (2008) Fully funded overseas chief investigator/ collaborator, Department of Building and Real Estate, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Hong Kong Department of Labour, 6 July to 12 July.

Cipolla, D., Dingsdag, D., Biggs, H., Sheahan, V. (2007) Project; Construction Site Safety Culture. Australian Institute of Building, National Professional Awards, Excellence Award, Category, Research and Development, Melbourne.

Cipolla, D., Dingsdag, D., Biggs, H., Sheahan, V. (2007) Project; Construction Site Safety Culture. Judges’ High Commendation, Project Management Achievement Awards, Victorian Chapter Australian Institute of Project Management, the Point, Albert Park, 30 August.

Cipolla, D., Dingsdag, D., Biggs, H., Sheahan, V. (2007) Project; Construction Site Safety Culture. Australian Institute of Building, Victorian Chapter Professional Awards, Excellence Award, Category, Research and Development, Hilton on the park, Melbourne, 22 June.

Cipolla, D., Dingsdag, D., Biggs, H., Sheahan, V. (2006) National Symposium; launching of A Construction Safety Competency Framework, by the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Mr Kevin Andrews, The Innovation Building, Docklands, Melbourne, 22 September.

Dingsdag, D. (2006-current) Occupational Health and Safety Advisor, Contractors’ Authorised Signatory Association of Hong Kong.

Dingsdag, D. and Biggs, H. (2006) The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), Hong Kong Chapter, Presentation: Utilising a safety culture approach in the Australian construction industry for management and employees, 26 June.

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Publications

Books
Biggs, Herbert C., Dingsdag, Donald P. and Roos, Colette R. (2008) A Practical Guide to Safety Leadership: Implementing A Construction Safety Competency Framework, Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation, Icon.net Pty Ltd, Brisbane, 54 pp., ISBN 978-0-9804262-4-3.

Dingsdag, Donald P., Biggs, Herbert C., Sheahan, Vaughn L., Cipolla, Dean J.  (2006) A Construction Safety Competency Framework: Improving OH&S performance by creating and maintaining a safety culture, Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation, Icon.net Pty Ltd, Brisbane, 66 pp., ISBN–978-0-9775282-9-5.

Dingsdag, Donald P. (1993) The Bulli Mining Disaster 1887: Lessons from the Past. Sydney, St Louis Press, 121 pp. ISBN 0 646 13673 9

Book Chapters
Dingsdag, Donald P., Biggs, Herbert C., (2008) Chapter 23, ‘The use of Lead Indicators in Safety Culture Research: Measuring Construction Industry Safety Performance’, K. Brown, K. Hampson, P. Brandon and J. Pillay (eds.),Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation, Brisbane, Icon.net Pty Ltd, Brisbane, 17 pp.

Biggs, Herbert C., Dingsdag, Donald P. and Roos, Colette R. (2008) Chapter 24, ‘Development of a Practical Guide to Safety Leadership: Industry Based Applications,’ K. Brown, K. Hampson, P. Brandon and J. Pillay (eds.), Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation, Brisbane, Icon.net Pty Ltd, Brisbane, 11 pp. 154-157, ISBN 978–1–74107–156–6.

Dingsdag, Donald P., Biggs, Herbert C. and Sheahan, Vaughan (2006) Chapter 24, ‘Changing Safety Behaviour in the Construction Industry, Using Enforcement and Education as the Stick and Carrot to Improve Safety Culture Culture’, K. Brown, K. Hampson and P. Brandon (eds.),Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation, Brisbane, Icon.net Pty Ltd, Brisbane, pp. 214-223, ISBN 1-7410712-8-3.

Biggs, Herbert C., Dingsdag, Donald P., Sheahan, Vaughan L. and Cipolla, Dean J. (2006) Chapter 23, ‘Using Safety Culture to Overcome Market Force Influence on Construction Site Safety,’ K. Brown, K. Hampson and P. Brandon (eds.), Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation, Brisbane, Icon.net Pty Ltd, Brisbane, pp. 201-213, ISBN 1-7410712-8-3.

Dingsdag, Donald P. (1992) Technologischer Wandel im Kohlenbergbau in New South Wales (Australien) 1903-1982: Die wirtschaftlichen, sozialen und politischen Folgen der Restrukturierung, K. Tenfelde (ed), Socialgeschichte des Bergbaus im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert. Beck Verlag, Munchen, pp. 504-519, ISBN 3 406351182.

Refereed Journal Articles and Refereed Conference Proceedings
Biggs, H., Dingsdag, D. and Stenson, N. (2009) ‘Fatigue factors affecting metropolitan bus drivers: A qualitative investigation,’ Work, Volume 32, Number 1.

Biggs, H., Dingsdag, D., Roos, C. and Cipolla, D. (2008) ‘Industry Application of the Construction Safety Competency Framework,’ Proceedings, Third International Conference Clients Driving Innovation: Benefiting from Innovation, J. Thomas, A. Piekkala-Fletcher (eds), 12-14 March 2008,(CD-ROM), pp. 1-8.

Dingsdag, D., Biggs, H. and Cipolla, D. (2008) ‘Safety Effectiveness Indicators (SEIs): Measuring Construction Industry Safety Performance,’ Proceedings, Third International Conference Clients Driving Innovation: Benefiting from Innovation, J. Thomas, A. Piekkala-Fletcher (eds), 12-14 March 2008,(CD-ROM), pp. 1-11.

Dingsdag, D., Biggs, H. and Sheahan, V. (2008) ‘Understanding and defining OH&S competency for construction site roles: Worker perceptions,’ Safety Science, 46, pp. 619–633, ISSN: 0925-7535.

Armstrong, B., Fogarty, G. and Dingsdag, D. (2007) Scales Measuring Characteristics of Small Businesses Information Systems, Proceedings,18th Australasian Conference on Information Systems (ACIS) Conference, Research, Relevance and Rigour - Coming of Age, USQ, Toowoomba, Australia, 5-7 December, (CD-ROM), pp. 163-171, ISBN: 9-7809-0975-6963.

Biggs, H., Sheahan, V. and Dingsdag, D. (2007) ‘Risk Management and Injury Prevention: Competencies, Behaviours, and Attitudes to Safety in the Construction Industry,’ Australian Journal of Rehabilitation Counselling, 13, (2), pp. 63-67, ISSN: 1323-8922.

Dingsdag, D., Sheahan, V. and Biggs, H. (2006) ‘Siteworker perceptions of safety critical roles and their actions: Implications for culture change in construction organisations’, Proceedings, Global Unity for Safety & Health in Construction Conference, International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction, Dongping Fang, R.M Chaudry, J.W. Hinze (eds), Tsinghua University Press, Beijing 28-30 June, pp. 173-180, ISBN: 010-62776969.

Biggs, H., Sheahan, V. and Dingsdag, D. (2006) ‘Improving Industry Safety Culture: The tasks in which safety critical positions holders must be competent,’ Proceedings, Global Unity for Safety & Health in Construction Conference, International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction, Tsinghua University Press, Dongping Fang, R.M Chaudry, J.W. Hinze (eds), Beijing 28-30 June, pp. 181-187, ISBN: 010-62776969.

Cipolla, D., Sheahan, V., Biggs, H. and Dingsdag, D. (2006) ‘Using Safety Culture to Overcome Market Force Influence on Construction Site Safety,’ Invited Keynote Address, Proceedings, Second International Conference Construction Innovation CRC, Clients Driving Innovation: Moving Ideas into Practice, L. Adams, K. Guest (eds), Gold Coast, Australia, 12-14 March, (CD-ROM), pp. 1-13.

Dingsdag, D., Biggs, H. and Sheahan, V. (2006) ‘Safety culture in the construction industry: enforcement or education?’ Proceedings, Second International Conference Construction Innovation CRC, Clients Driving Innovation: Moving Ideas into Practice, L. Adams, K. Guest (eds), Gold Coast, Australia, 12-14 March, (CD-ROM), pp. 1-9.

Cipolla, D., Biggs, H., Dingsdag, D., Sheahan, V., Sokolich, L. and Artuso, W. (2005) The role of the project manager in safety leadership. Proceedings, Australian Institute of Project Management 2005 Conference, Hilton on the Park, Melbourne, 9-11 October, pp. 23-32, ISBN: 1 877040 39 8.

Biggs, H., Sheahan, V. and Dingsdag, D. (2005) A study of construction site safety culture and implications for safe and responsive workplaces, The Australian Journal of Rehabilitation Counselling, 11 (1), pp. 1-7, ISSN: 1323-8922.

Biggs, H., Dingsdag, D., Sheahan, V. and Stenson, N. (2005) ‘The Role of Collaboration in Defining and Maintaining a Safety Culture: Australian Perspectives in the Construction Sector’, Association Of Researchers in Construction Management, Proceedings, 21st Annual ARCOM Conference, SOAS London, pp. 137-146, ISBN: 0 902896 93 8 (2 vols).

Sheehan, V., Biggs, H. and Dingsdag, D. (2005) “A pilot study into the effectiveness of the Vigil Vanguard in bus drivers’ training”, The Journal of Occupational Health and Safety, Australia, New Zealand, February, Vol. 21 (1). pp. 67-76.

Armstrong, B., Fogarty, G., Dingsdag, D., and Dimbleby, J. (2005) Validation of a Computer User Satisfaction Questionnaire to Measure IS Success in Small Business, Journal of Research and Practice in Information Technology, Vol. 37, No 1, February 2005, pp. 27-42.

Brennan, M., Dingsdag, D. (2004) “Triple Bottom Line: Its Relevance to the Construction Industry”, K. Hampson (ed) Clients Driving Innovation, Proceedings of the Construction Innovation CRC International Conference, October, Gold Coast (CD-ROM), pp. 1-10.

Fogarty, G., Armstrong, D., Dimbleby, J., Dingsdag, D. (2003) “Exploring User Satisfaction with Information Systems in a Regional Small Business Context”, Delivering IT and e-Business Value in a Networked Environment, Proceedings of 14th Australasian Conference on Information Systems, Perth: Western Australia (CD-ROM), pp. 1-9.

Armstrong, D., Comber, T., Dingsdag, D., Fogarty, G. (2003) “Internet and Computer Usage: Comparisons among Metropolitan Centres, Coastal Regional Centres and Inland Regional Centres”, Delivering IT and e-Business Value in a Networked Environment, Proceedings of 14th Australasian Conference on Information Systems, Perth: Western Australia (CD-ROM), pp. 1-8.

Biggs, H. and Dingsdag, D. (2003) The challenging environments of injury management in construction and coalmining in New South Wales, Australian Journal of Rehabilitation Counselling, Issue 9 (1), pp. 40-45.

Brennan, M., Dingsdag, D., Burgin, S. (2003) Wetlands – Water: an eco currency?, On-site '03 Conference, Future Directions for On-site Systems: Best Management Practice, 29 September 2 October 2003, UNE, Armidale, pp. 85-92.

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Optional

Dingsdag, D. and Biggs, H. and Cipolla, D. (2007) Safety Effectiveness Indicators, Construction Innovation CRC-Australian Industry Group OHS Research Symposium, Safety Innovation and Integrated Digital Modelling, Veritas House, Kent St, Sydney, 4 June.

Biggs, H., Dingsdag, D. and Roos, C. (2007) Construction safety competency framework implementation, CRC Innovation Research Symposium, Safety Innovation and Integrated Digital Modelling, Veritas House, Kent St, Sydney. 4 June.

Dingsdag, D. and Biggs, H. (2007) Site worker perceptions of safety culture on site. CRC Innovation Research Symposium, Safety Innovation and Integrated Digital Modelling, Veritas House, Kent St, Sydney. 4 June.

Cipolla, D., Dingsdag, D. and Artuso, W. (2006) Queensland Symposium; launching of A Construction Safety Competency Framework, QUT, Brisbane, 6 December.

Cipolla, D., Dingsdag, D., Biggs, H. and Artuso, W. (2006) WA Symposium; launching of A Construction Safety Competency Framework, Perth, 27 November.

Sheahan, V., Dingsdag, D. and Biggs, H. (2006), ‘Site Safety Culture’, Master Builder, Master Builders’ Association, NSW, CCH, Issue Three, June- July, pp 30, 31, ISSN 1443 9638.

Dingsdag, D. (2006) Federal Safety Commissioner, Development of Senior Management Commitment to safety behaviour leadership competencies for principal contractors in the Australian construction industry; publication, Leadership in Safety.

Stenson, N., Dingsdag, D. and Biggs, H. (2005) Assessing the Effects of Fatigue in Metropolitan Bus Drivers, Presentation of findings and recommendation to Executive Management and Senior Management, STA, Strawberry Hills, Sydney, 28, 29 November.

Dingsdag, D. (2005) Arthritis Australia Roundtable: Development of national action plan for the management and treatment of arthritis at the workplace.

Dingsdag, D. (2005 - current) Director and Co-founder, Cardiac Arrest Survival Foundation, St Leonards, Sydney.

Cipolla, D., Biggs, B., Dingsdag, D. and Sheehan, V. (2005) Safety Behavioural Competencies as drivers of Construction Industry Safety Culture, Leighton Contractors National Safety Health and Environment Day, Rydges Hotel, Sydney.

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