Does It Really Work?: How to Evaluate Safety and Health Changes in the Workplace

This guide is intended for managers interested in improving their business by ensuring the health and safety of workers. It invites managers to look carefully at changes they have made to improve occupational health and safety in the workplace, and to ask the question, “Does it really work?” When you evaluate safety and health changes, you will find that some are successful, some need to be modified, and some have not positive impact on the workplace. Obtaining this valuable information is vital to any business manager, and is the primary focus of this guide. A systematic process is needed to evaluate both a plan or idea for change as well as any implemented intervention. This requires a collaborative effort by both management and employers that should be celebrated, along with any success in protecting their health and safety at work. The guide is divided into the following three sections: case studies that illustrate the collaborative effort of employers and workers to evaluate occupational safety and health changes in the workplace; four easy steps outlining how to conduct your own evaluation of safety and health changes in the workplace; and a list of additional resources about these evaluations.