Individual Differences in Compliance with Workplace Lifting Training

Abstract

In industries such as manufacturing, warehousing, and transportation, worker safety is often compromised when workers do not use safe lifting methods. However, the track record of training programs that provide information about safe lifting methods is mixed. Individual compliance with workplace lifting training can vary greatly. Many studies have shown that even in programs that lead to high retention of the trained information, workers often do not use the safe methods when they return to their jobs. This study evaluated the effects of several individual characteristics that were hypothesized to affect compliance. Demographic, anthropometric and personality characteristics were related to compliance with a trained safe lifting method. The implications for these differences on future training research are discussed.