Assessment of Compatibility of Training Materials with Reading Skills of Railroad Tank Car Loaders

Abstract

Proper training of shipper personnel who load railroad tank cars with hazardous materials is a factor in preventing non-accident release of the substances during transport. This paper presents the results of a study to determine the extent to which written materials used in training hazmat loaders are consistent with the trainees' reading skills. Data from four case study sites was used to conduct the analysis. The reading skills of the trainees was assessed through self-reporting of years of education completed and through the administration of a verbal skills aptitude test. The Fry Readability Index was used to determine the educational level of the written training materials from each site. Three metrics for measuring reading skills were computed. Each program had some degree of incompatibility between reading level of the materials and skills of the trainees. Overall, regardless of the means of assessment, the reading level of the materials appears excessively high.