Research Project Summary

Year Funded: 2012 Budget: Funding Agency: Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario
Title: Assessing the Feasibility of an Occupational Health and Safety Training Program that would Embed Curriculum for Enhancing Literacy and Other Essential Skills (IWH Project 1225)
Category: Occupational Disease, Injury and Health Services
Subcategory: Occupational Health Services
Keywords: occupational health & safety, prevention, health care
Link to research website: www.iwh.on.ca

Issue:

This project will examine the feasibility of developing, implementing and evaluating a training program that would improve literacy and other essential skills (LES) as part of occupational health and safety (OHS) training. Research has shown that as little as 10 to 40 hours of training in areas such as oral communications, using documents or basic numeracy functions (e.g., percentages) can improve skills. However, there is little or no research on whether adding literacy curriculum to OHS training would make it more effective.

Objectives:

To modify the curriculum of an OHS training program so as to enhance literacy and other essential skills and thereby enhance the effectiveness of the training in realizing OHS outcomes such as improved worker knowledge, worker and organizational actions that reduce injury risk, and reduced illness and injury rates.
To explore the feasibility of developing and evaluating a pilot program, in consultation with OHS trainers, LES trainers, Health and Safety Associations (HSAs) and key stakeholders.

Anticipated Results:

If a pilot program is successfully implemented (with beneficial effects on OHS outcomes) there could be wide-ranging interest from training providers, employer and labour organizations, and policy-makers.

Investigators:

Ron Saunders, Curtis Breslin, Lynda Robson, Karen Myers (Institute for Work & Health, Social Research and Demonstration Corporation)