Safety training evaluation: The case of construction induction training and the impact on work-related injuries in the Western Australian construction sector

Abstract

This paper presents the findings of an evaluation of the mandatory Construction Induction Training initiative (CIT). The paper details a pilot study conducted in 2010 with the commercial construction sector and a subsequent study in 2011 of the housing and civil sectors conducting business in the metropolitan area of Perth and in regional Western Australia. The international literature on safety training evaluations and the impact on safety performance is reviewed. We argue that formal evaluation of safety training and evidence of a link with safety culture improvement is limited. The analysis of the study includes discussion of the transfer of safety knowledge through training participation into the construction safety culture. The findings include evidence of a decreasing trend in work-related injuries and significant support for the CIT. Participants were supportive of the mandatory nature of the CIT and believed that the training had not only increased their personal safety awareness but had also contributed to a positive improvement in the safety culture in construction worksites and in the industry. Although the training has been designed for construction workers there is evidence of extended uptake of the CIT as a generic safety course for preparation for those wishing to work in the other industry sectors.

Keywords:

• safety culture
• mandatory training
• safety training
• construction industry
• work-related injury
• evaluation