Effectiveness of training and education for the protection of workers: a systematic review

Reasons for the study

Occupational health and safety (OHS) training is an important part of managing workplace hazards and risks. Such training may involve instruction on identifying occupational risks and how to control them, learning about safe workplace practices and how to properly use personal protective equipment.

Businesses want to know whether training can meet the goals of decreasing workplace injuries and illness, and whether the cost of training programs can be justified. This systematic review was conducted to determine whether OHS training and education programs have a beneficial effect on workers and firms.

Progress

The results of this systematic review were published in 2010. The review showed that workplace education and training programs have a positive impact on OHS practices of workers. However, OHS training on its own was not shown, in this review, to have an impact on health (for example, by reducing injuries or symptoms). The review also found insufficient evidence to determine whether a single session of high engagement training has a greater impact compared to a single session of low/medium engagement training.