What might indicate that safety training is not effective?

The identification of a high rate of incidents or near misses following training sessions suggests that the training provided may not be effective. Effective safety training should lead to increased awareness and understanding of safety protocols among employees, subsequently reducing the likelihood of accidents and near misses. If the rate of incidents remains high or even increases, it signals that the training did not adequately convey the necessary knowledge or skills for safe practices. This could be due to various factors such as poor training methods, lack of engagement from participants, or an inability to relate the training to real-life scenarios applicable to their work environment. When such incidents continue unabated, it quantitatively demonstrates a failure in achieving the intended outcomes of safety training.

In contrast, improvements in employee morale, higher productivity levels, and a decrease in absenteeism can be indicators of positive outcomes from training but do not directly correlate with the effectiveness of safety training itself. These factors can arise independently of safety training initiatives. For instance, morale might improve due to other workplace improvements, and productivity could increase for reasons unrelated to safety practices. Thus, they do not serve as reliable indications of whether safety training has achieved its goal.