Forward thinking construction management companies need to rethink how they provide health and safety training and documentation to its crews.
An investigative story by the EconoTimes revealed that many workers aren’t even reading the documents, regardless of their complexity, before they commence work at a job. Many workers may not even fully comprehend what is taught in training classes or videos.
There are two reasons this is happening:
Low literacy levels, both in writing and digital media use. If workers aren’t reading the documentation, trainers will often use videos or ‘canned’ classroom programs to convey important safety information. But even in video, language can be a barrier when it comes to the presentation of complex information.
Additionally, the videos tend to be a passive mode of training, which doesn’t make the content tangible and relevant to the viewer. Trainers need to verify that workers understand the documentation provided. They might also consider ‘participatory training’ in which trainees receive digital media training and then collaborate in producing interactive safety training materials. Videos can be distributed to crews via smartphones used at job sites.