title: A systematic review of the effectiveness of occupational health and safety training.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Training is regarded as an important component of occupational health and safety (OHS) programs.         This paper primarily addresses whether OHS training has a beneficial effect on workers. The paper also examines whether         higher engagement OHS training has a greater effect than lower engagement training.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten bibliographic         databases were searched for pre-post randomized trial studies published in journals between 1996 and November 2007.         Training interventions were included if they were delivered to workers and were concerned with primary prevention of         occupational illness or injury. The methodological quality of each relevant study was assessed and data was extracted.         The impacts of OHS training in each study were summarized by calculating the standardized mean differences. The         strength of the evidence on training's effectiveness was assessed for (i) knowledge, (ii) attitudes and beliefs,         (iIi) behaviors, and (iv) health using the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Guide to Community         Preventive Services, a qualitative evidence synthesis method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-two studies met the relevance criteria of         the review. They involved a variety of study populations, occupational hazards, and types of training. Strong evidence         was found for the effectiveness of training on worker OHS behaviors, but insufficient evidence was found of its         effectiveness on health (ie, symptoms, injuries, illnesses).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The review team recommends that workplaces         continue to deliver OHS training to employees because training positively affects worker practices. However, large         impacts of training on health cannot be expected, based on research evidence.
authors: Institute for Work & Health, Toronto, ON M5G 2E9, Canada. lrobson@iwh.on.ca
authors: Lynda S
authors: LS
authors: Robson
authors: Carol M
authors: CM
authors: Stephenson
authors: Paul A
authors: PA
authors: Schulte
authors: Benjamin C
authors: BC
authors: Amick
authors: Emma L
authors: EL
authors: Irvin
authors: Donald E
authors: DE
authors: Eggerth
authors: Stella
authors: S
authors: Chan
authors: Amber R
authors: AR
authors: Bielecky
authors: Anna M
authors: AM
authors: Wang
authors: Terri L
authors: TL
authors: Heidotting
authors: Robert H
authors: RH
authors: Peters
authors: Judith A
authors: JA
authors: Clarke
authors: Kimberley
authors: K
authors: Cullen
authors: Cathy J
authors: CJ
authors: Rotunda
authors: Paula L
authors: PL
authors: Grubb
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D016206:Databases, Bibliographic; D004496:Education, Continuing; D004522:Educational Status; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000193:education*; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods; D017132:Workplace