Some employers are placing too much confidence in the ability of employees to understand written health and safety policies, possibly placing themselves and their workers at risk, according to a Conference Board of Canada report.
Survey results published in the report What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You: Literacy’s Impact on Workplace Health and Safety describe how many employers create manuals and other documents to set out health and safety practices. However, relying solely on these written materials leaves organizations open to the risk that their employees may not be able to read and understand them. And when incidents occur, employers tend to review policies and practices, rather than verify that the individuals involved have the literacy and basic skills to fully understand or follow set procedures.
“This gap in perception creates the potential for accidents in the workplace to occur,” says Alison Campbell, principal research associate with the Conference Board of Canada. “Because employers are confident in their workers’ literacy levels, they are less likely to see the need for training to upgrade employees’ knowledge and understanding of health and safety practices. Without even realizing it, some individuals with low literacy skills put themselves, their co-workers and the public at risk.”
The report summarizes the results of a two-year project for Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, including a literature review, national survey, interviews with stakeholders and case studies.
A total of 319 respondents were surveyed for the report, including 136 employers, 126 workers, 26 union representatives, 19 immigrant service providers, and 12 Aboriginal service providers. A majority of employer respondents (64%) felt that health and safety practices were understood fully or to a large extent, while only 40% of workers and 50% of labour respondents agreed. Immigrant service providers and Aboriginal service agencies also expressed concerns about worker understanding of health and safety policies.
Respondents indicated that they view skills such as listening to instruction, reading printed information and applying information as very important, but roughly half said that training to build these skills was available through their workplaces.
The report outlines seven steps to take as an organizational action plan:
1. Review past incidents through “a literacy lens”
2. Review organizational health and safety policies and practices
3. Examine policies and practices from the perspective of an individual with lower literacy levels
4. Brainstorm solutions to help users understand health and safety documents
5. Measure and track health and safety incidents and improvements
6. Recognize outcomes
7. Reward efforts to improve literacy skills.
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