How to Conduct a Training Needs Analysis to Improve Health and Safety Outcomes

Introduction to Training Needs Analysis

Nobody wants to create ineffective training, especially when it comes to training that should improve health and safety outcomes. A careful Training needs analysis (TNA) can go a long way to helping avoid such an issue. According to HRZone, a TNA is “the process of identifying the gap between the organisation’s desired skills and the employee’s actual skillset, then determining suitable interventions to bridge the gap”. Through the lens of health and safety training, TNA can play an important role in ensuring ongoing compliance with regulatory standards and employee safety.

A TNA is a systematic process that involves identifying the desired performance, analysing the current performance to pinpoint gaps, and breaking down the tasks and learner characteristics to inform the development of targeted learning objectives, required content and methods of assessing performance. It concludes with a clear evaluation strategy to measure the effectiveness of the intervention.

Getting the TNA right is critical because it ensures that the training intervention is relevant and effective. It leads to the development of training programs that are aligned with organisational goals, address actual performance gaps, and meet the specific needs of the learners. A well-executed TNA can lead to outputs that improve employee performance, enhance productivity, reduce errors and accidents, and contribute to the overall success of the organisation. 

It is important to note that the evaluation element of the TNA, which we cover later, shows that there is a continuous improvement element to the intervention identified through the TNA. Instead of training being something that has a start and finish, training should be treated as cyclical and ongoing. As stated by Dinah Gould in her paper Training needs analysis. A literature review and reappraisal “training needs analysis is the initial step in a cyclical process which contributes to the overall training and educational strategy of staff in an organisation”. 

How do you conduct a Training Needs Analysis?

To help understand how a training needs analysis (TNA) is conducted let’s consider a hypothetical situation. Imagine that we are doing the TNA with a view to develop interventions that reduce the number of musculoskeletal injuries (MSI) in a factory that produces ready-to-eat meals. The current MSI rate is 10 per 100 employees which is deemed unacceptable, and the business has set a goal of reducing the rate by 25% in the next financial year as the first step to addressing the issue. 

A quick note: The outcome of the TNA may not always show that training is the answer. There may be other approaches to addressing the issue such as methods of communication (written and visual), revising operating procedures or working instructions.   

Let’s now consider the steps in a TNA using the example of the factory:

Phase 1: Identifying the Business Need & Performance Gap

1. Define the Desired Performance: Clearly articulate the organisation’s goals and the desired level of performance for the specific area being analysed. What should employees be able to do after training?

​​Example: Reduce the number of reported MSIs by 25% within the next year. Achieve a 0% incidence rate of preventable back injuries related to lifting.

2. Analyse Current Performance: Evaluate the current performance level. This involves gathering data to understand the gap between the desired and actual performance. Methods include:

• Performance Reviews: Examine employee performance records.
• Surveys: Collect feedback from employees, managers, and customers.
• Observations: Observe employees performing their tasks.
• Interviews: Conduct one-on-one discussions with key stakeholders.
• Data Analysis: Analyse relevant metrics 

Example: Reviewed the past year’s injury logs. Interviewed workers in the packaging area and discovered that many report experiencing shoulder pain after repeated reaching motions. Observe workers on the assembly line and note that they often lift boxes of ingredients using improper lifting techniques.

3. Identify the Performance Gap: Clearly define the difference between the desired and current performance. Quantify the gap whenever possible.

Example: The current MSI rate is 10 per 100 employees annually. The goal is to reduce this to 7.5 per 100 employees. A specific gap is the lack of proper lifting techniques among packaging line workers, despite the existing safety training manual covering this topic. Similar manual handling issues are identified among workers in other departments in the factory. Workers report that they haven’t received refresher training in over a year and that some lifting aids are frequently unavailable due to lack of maintenance.

Phase 2: Analysing the Task and the Learner

1. Task Analysis: Break down the job or task into its component parts. Identify the specific knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) required to perform the task successfully. This is a critical step for determining training content.

Example: Break down the tasks of ‘loading boxes onto pallets’ and ‘operating the conveyor belt’ into their component parts, analyzing the ergonomic stressors associated with each component (e.g., bending, lifting, reaching, twisting). Identify the required KSAOs for each role: knowledge of proper lifting techniques, ability to assess load weight, physical strength and endurance, hand-eye coordination, and awareness of machine guarding.

2. Learner Analysis: Identify the target audience for the training. Consider their existing knowledge, skills, experience, learning preferences, and motivation levels. This helps tailor the training to their needs.

Example: The target audience includes new hires and existing employees across various departments (packaging, assembly, forklift operation, ingredient preparation). Assess their current understanding of ergonomics and safe practices. Consider their physical fitness levels and any pre-existing health conditions. Language barriers and varying levels of education are identified among the target audience. The impact of the factory environment (temperature, humidity, noise) on worker fatigue and potential for MSIs has also been considered.

Phase 3: Defining Learning Objectives and Content

1. Develop Learning Objectives: Based on the task and learner analyses, define specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) learning objectives. These objectives should describe what learners will be able to do after the intervention.

Example: After training, employees will be able to:

• Demonstrate proper lifting techniques for various load sizes and shapes.
• Identify and report ergonomic hazards in their specific work areas.
• Correctly use and maintain lifting aids and equipment (e.g., hand trucks, pallet jacks).
• Perform stretching and exercise routines designed to improve flexibility and strength relevant to their job tasks.
• Understand and follow procedures for reporting discomfort and early signs of MSIs.

2. Determine Content: Select the content that will help learners achieve the learning objectives. This may include knowledge, skills, procedures, or behaviours.

Example: Training will be modular and tailored to specific job roles. It will include:

• Ergonomics principles and their application to the specific tasks within the factory.
• Safe lifting techniques (proper posture, load assessment, use of team lifting when necessary).
• Hands-on practice with lifting aids and equipment, including maintenance procedures.
• Job-specific stretching and exercise programs demonstrated through videos and in-person training.
• Hazard recognition and reporting procedures, including clear communication channels.
• Equipment selection and use related to MSI prevention.

Phase 4: Evaluating the Intervention

1. Develop Evaluation Strategy: Plan how you will evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. This may include pre- and post-tests, surveys, observations, performance or incident data. This is critical to demonstrate the value and impact i.e. return on investment (ROI) of the intervention.

Example: Training effectiveness will be evaluated through multiple methods:

• Direct observation of workers’ lifting techniques and adherence to safe practices in the workplace.
• Pre- and post-training assessments to measure knowledge of ergonomics and safe practices.
• Follow-up surveys to gather worker feedback on the training’s relevance and effectiveness.
• Analysis of injury logs and workers’ compensation claims to track the reduction in MSI incidence rates after training implementation.
• Regular review and updates to the training program based on ongoing evaluation data and worker feedback.

In their paper Emerging Issues of Health and Safety Training Delivery in Australia: Quality and Transferability, Susan Bahn and Llandis Barratt-Pugh argued that “if organisations are unable to substantiate the value adding achieved through safety training they might restrict their resources for such mechanisms and generate less supportive discourses about the value of safety training within their organisations”. This emphasises the importance of proving the value of safety training as without clear evidence of the benefits, less money and fewer resources will be allocated to training which would undoubtedly yield adverse effects;  ultimately downplaying the significance of safety training altogether. 

Final Thoughts

Bob Shiers made an astute observation when he said, “If you think health and safety training is expensive, try ignorance.” While it is tempting for employers and employees to view health and safety training as a mere compliance obligation, it yields real and tangible benefits, such as increased workplace safety and a reduction in workplace accidents. The reality is that employees spend a large portion of their lives at work. Subsequently, it’s critical to guarantee a sufficient degree of safety and increase their knowledge of potential risks at work. 

Training in workplace safety can accomplish the latter. Given the current issues in the field of occupational safety, such as the pursuit of employee well-being, work-life balance, or the integration of cutting-edge technology, the effectiveness and quality of training become even more crucial. As a result, training ought to be a crucial element of workplace safety and an ongoing one at that.

Recommended Resources

Books

“Made to Stick” by Chip and Dan Heath, a book exploring effective communication and creating memorable ideas.

“Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Training Evaluation” by James D. Kirkpatrick and Wendy Kayser Kirkpatrick, a book about using the Kirkpatrick model for evaluating training.

“A Practical Guide to Needs Assessment” by Catherine M. Sleezer, Darlene F. Russ-Eft and Kavita Gupta, a book on conducting training needs assessment featuring case studies, tools and templates.

Workshops and Courses

Explore a wide range of Health,Safety, and Environmental (HSE)  courses provided by RRC. For more information, visit RRC Corporate Training.