Assessing the understanding of occupational health and safety requirements

[joey311]

Hi all

At work we are looking in assessing the understanding of occupational health and safety requirements of a group of employees and still deciding between written or oral questions, but among the group there are poor english speakers, some with trouble in reading and writing and a memeber who has a mild intellectual disability so he may not understand what is required of him, my question is what would be the preffered method written or oral questions? or to be more specific in my question what is a better way to assess them fairly?

Thanks

[Marc]

Considering the combination, especially the aspect of people with mild intellectual disabilities, I'd say oral by someone who also speaks the language the 'poor English speakers' language.

[Randy]

I've audited people with cognitive disabilities and language issues quite a few times and here's the deal, they only need to know what they need to know and there is no single best approach.

Make sure that you do not ask or seek information that they have no need for such as information about specific safety laws and stuff like that.

If they have to use safety equipment like gloves, eye protection, shoes or whatever limit the questions to those subjects and not the legal requirments governing them. Follow the same train of thought with the other relevant things as well

In all cases they must know about how to report an emergency, and respond to emergencies like fires...A person with "Downs" should be able to recognize fire, understand how it can hurt them and others, understand how to tell people about a fire, how to react (like evacuate)

Keep it simple, keep it reasonable, keep it relevant

[Henria]

Hello.

I suggest two remarks:

1-If certain employees have intellectual limits, initially it is necessary to well determine what they are able to assimilate. They thus should not be questioned on the totality of what a “normal” employee would be able to control. Moreover the instructions of the service must take account of their reduced capacities. Possibly we must reserve certain H&S requirements to certain employees who are able to satisfy it.
2- “Assessing the understanding off OHS requirements between written oral gold questions?”. I propose a third way: to OBSERVE the working activity of these employees! If these employees have “acquired” the need for certain H&S requirements, they should implement it. This implementation must probably be “observable”. We can certainly put these employees in such situation that we want to check asking them to play the game or the role… They will “demonstrate or show” their comprehention of H&S requirements integrated in their working behavior without language difficulty. It is as in first aid: it is much surer to show on a mannequin than with many questions* that I have correctly included/understood how to practise artificial respiration. Moreover this technique of assessment by observation is valid for all of us, some is our physical or intellectual capacities…!
*especially if these questions are not expressed in my natural language (French).

Cordially.