NIOSH Wants You to Know...

Does the Safety Intervention Really Work?

Promoted by an effective salesman, some things seem like they could solve your safety problems, but, it later turns out, they really aren't worth it or don't really make a difference.

How often do you make changes to improve safety in the workplace but never go back to see if the changes made a real difference?

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has just published a short booklet for employers called Does It Really Work? The booklet talks about the importance of evaluating safety and health changes, describes simple steps to take to see if changes work and identifies pitfalls to watch out for. It also has several case studies to show how other employers examined safety changes and learned if they were helpful or not.

The message of this publication is that evaluation can be very useful, and it doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. "This simple guide," says LHSFNA Occupational Safety and Health Division Director Scott Schneider, "should be read by every employer who is concerned about improving safety on its jobsites."

Practicing what it preaches, the booklet even includes a card for evaluating the publication. A web version with even more case studies will also be available soon. This publication is available at: Does It Really Work?.

[Steve Clark]