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Testing as a measure of worker health and safety training: Perspectives from a hazardous materials program
Author(s) -
Weidner B. Louise
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0274(200002)37:2<221::aid-ajim8>3.0.co;2-w
Subject(s) - documentation , medicine , hazardous waste , workforce , relevance (law) , occupational safety and health , training (meteorology) , quality (philosophy) , test (biology) , public health , medical education , nursing , engineering , computer science , paleontology , philosophy , physics , epistemology , pathology , meteorology , law , political science , economics , biology , programming language , economic growth , waste management
Background Health and safety training for hazardous materials workers is among OSHA's major policies. A large and growing workforce in this area, and the resulting risks for these workers and the public, make quality training critical. Measuring trainees' individual knowledge following training is a common but controversial practice. Methods Technical issues and benefits in testing, strategies for mitigating the limitations of testing, and the relevance of testing at a broader policy level were examined from the perspective of a large and diverse program. Results Knowledge data from individuals greatly aided in evaluating program effectiveness at the time of training and in assessing workplace impact later. Use of sound testing principles and creative examination methods and materials, and collaboration across programs, all helped to address concerns for individual programs and the field generally. Conclusions Programs would benefit from fully considering the benefits and options related to knowledge assessment in training. Those who choose to assess individual knowledge could move the process forward through added rigor, collaboration, and documentation of efforts. Am. J. Ind. Med. 37:221–228, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.