An evaluation of training delivery methods’ effects on construction safety training and knowledge retention - a foundational study

Despite significant efforts to ensure workers’ safety, the construction industry continues to observe high levels of injuries and fatalities. Many research efforts have identified hazard recognition as one of the main factors for a safer work environment, and safety training as its major improvement vehicle. In consideration of this issue, this foundational research is focused on understanding how effective the current training methods are. The training content, confined space safety, was specifically chosen as a more obscure topic than other common safety areas e.g. ladder safety. Participants among two different populations of students and industry professionals were tested to measure their ability to retain prompt safety information through four different training-delivery methods. The results were statistically analyzed to determine if there is a difference in participants’ knowledge retention based on which training-delivery method they received. Other variables were considered and analyzed such as education, construction experience, and safety training. Among the observed results, the study found no significance difference based on the training delivery methods. However, other factors were found significant to the participant’s safety knowledge retention such as long term learning and industry experience. Future studies were identified to build on the current research, and to include different languages.