Evaluating the Effectiveness of Your Industrial Hygiene

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Evaluating the Effectiveness of Your Industrial
Hygiene Safety Training Programs

• Operation Outreach
• American Industrial Hygiene Association

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Basic Steps in Training

• Assessment
• Development
• Delivery
• Evaluation

For best results, evaluation techniques must be
planned at the same time the program is being
developed.
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Why Measure Effectiveness?

• Is the program achieving its purpose of
  increasing the knowledge and skills of the
  employees?
• What is management's return on investment -
  Increased production? Decreased workers
  compensation claims? Regulatory compliance?
  Adherence to company policies?
• Are employees comfortable in the facilities and
  with the training methods?
• Are employees satisfied with the overall program?

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Measures of Training Effectiveness

• Employee Reaction to the Training
• Learning Tests
• Changes in Employee Behavior
• Organizational Results

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How to Use Evaluation Results

• Gather the information - then use it!
• Comments on physical comfort or other room
  considerations or training techniques
• Change the information provided to employees who
  do not demonstrate learning of the material based
  on the knowledge test or where safety and health
  program parameters do not improve.

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How Far Should You Go?

• All training programs should have some level of
  evaluation.
• Stay in compliance.
• If resources are short - concentrate on the
  learning first, behavioral changes and results
  next.
• Apply resources first to employee groups or types
  of hazards associated with high risk groups.
• Where possible, use accident investigation that
  point to inadequate training

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Further Reading

• American Society for Training and Development
  More Evaluating Training Programs. Compiled by
  Donald J. Kirkpatrick, Ph.D. Alexandria, VA 1987
• Gotsch, A.R. , et al Strategies for Evaluating
  the Effectiveness of Training Programs. Occup.
  Med. 9(2) p 171-187 (1994).

• Kirkpatrick, D.L. Evaluating Training Programs,
  The Four Levels. San Francisco Barrett-Koehler
  Publishers, 1994.
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration
  Training Requirements and OSHA Standards and
  Training Guidelines (OSHA 2254), Washington,
  D.C. 1995 (Revised)

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For more information

• American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA),
  [phone], www.aiha.org
• National Safety Council (NSC),
  [phone]
• American Society for Training Development,
  [phone]
• Occupational Safety Health Administration
  (OSHA)