Are Your HSE Policies Written to the Literacy Level of Your Workers?
Posted by proforma on August 4, 2010
The Conference Board of Canada recently published a study that found employers and their workers differ in perception of understanding HSE policies. Sixty-four percent of employers felt their workers understood their policies, while only 40 percent of workers agreed.
Literacy was seen as a primary factor: some companies are not aware their workers have literacy deficiencies. Health and safety manuals and documents that don’t match the workers’ literacy skills will not be absorbed.
The Conference Board outlined seven steps to take as an organizational action plan:
• Review past incidents through “a literacy lens”
• Review organizational health and safety policies and practices
• Examine policies and practices from the perspective of an individual with lower literacy levels
• Brainstorm solutions to help users understand health and safety documents
• Measure and track health and safety incidents and improvements
• Recognize outcomes
• Reward efforts to improve literacy skills.
Tags:HSE policies, literacy, safety manual, worker
Filed Under: Workplace Safety
