Research support for the establishment of a global safety evidence centre

Lloyd's Register Foundation has a longstanding commitment to gather evidence and insight to better understand the complex factors that affect safety.

Previous research commissioned by the Foundation on the Role of Evidence in Occupational Health and Safety highlighted a critical issue: the evidence available on safety is often limited and of variable quality. Furthermore, even when robust evidence is available, significant gaps remain in translating this knowledge into practical applications.

Recognising these challenges, the Foundation is working towards establishing a global evidence centre for safety. The value of evidence and knowledge brokering centres has become increasingly recognised in recent years, with aims such as:

• Generating evidence on key questions for policy and practice;
• Providing a ‘one-stop-shop’ for policymakers seeking reliable information; and,
• Bridging the gap between research and practical application, helping relevant evidence to be integrated into policy and practice, often in close collaboration with governments.

A feasibility study for such a centre for safety was published in 2023 and is available online. Building on that work, this research aims to support the establishment of a centre by the Foundation and in particular will:

• Identify potential priorities for the centre by mapping existing evidence and identifying critical gaps, initially focusing on the emerging risks at the interplay between new technologies, climate change, and safety;
• Propose effective methods for evidence brokering and evidence standards that the centre might adopt;
• Engage stakeholders who will contribute as co-producers and beneficiaries of the centre’s outputs.

This research involves diverse methodologies, including rapid evidence assessments, bibliometric and topic modelling analysis, horizon scanning, and interactive sessions with key stakeholders.

This research is being carried out by RAND Europe, an independent not-for-profit research institute that helps to improve policy and decision making through research and analysis. For further details or to contribute to this research, please contact [email protected].