Comparing training delivery methods: Impact on learning outcomes and engagement among construction workers

• This study compares five safety training methods using a multi-arm field experiment on construction sites. • Training methods were evaluated for their effect on both learning outcomes and worker engagement levels. • Data were collected from 591 workers using pre- and post-training surveys on safety knowledge and engagement. • Pre-recorded video improved learning at low cost; hands-on interactive lectures boosted both learning and engagement. • Teaching an energy-based hazard definition led to a 26% improvement in workers’ hazard recognition scores. Effective safety training is crucial for enhancing workers’ safety awareness and promoting safer behaviors, yet delivering such training within time and budget constraints remains a challenge. This study assessed the effectiveness of five safety training delivery methods—pre-recorded video, lecture, interactive lecture, flipped lecture (pre-recorded video followed by a hands-on activity after two weeks), and interactive lecture with hands-on activity—on engagement levels and short-term learning outcomes, namely hazard recognition skill, high-energy hazard recognition skill (hazards with the potential to cause serious injuries or fatalities), perception of high-energy hazards, and risk tolerance. A multi-arm parallel-group field experiment was conducted, with data collected through pre- and post-training surveys. The results revealed that while engagement levels increased linearly as the learner-centeredness of the training increased, improvements in hazard recognition skills followed a parabolic trend. Additionally, trainees in all groups except the interactive lecture group perceived high-energy hazards as riskier after the training but risk tolerance did not decrease in any training groups. These findings provide specific guidance on selecting optimal safety training delivery method as it relates to training objectives and resource constraints. These results may help practitioners to select the most appropriate method of safety training delivery based on their specific aims and available resources.