Language and Literacy Problems could be deadly for business
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has warned that literacy problems in the workforce could have deadly consequences in the health and safety context. The safety body was quoting recent figures which indicate that over a million people aged over 16 in England do not have the reading age expected of seven-year-olds. This, IOSH says, could have major implications for employees’ safety.
Following International Literacy Day, which took place in September, IOSH urged
businesses not to assume that written down health and safety instructions will be
understood by all. The safety body says the key is to always make sure employees
understand before letting them get on with work, and to encourage workers to not be
embarrassed to ask questions if they do not understand something.
Nattasha Freeman, President of IOSH, said, “Being able to read is something many of us
take for granted. But there are many people in the workplace with low levels of literacy,
which means we must not just rely on written information or even verbal instructions.”