A Qualitative Study of Situated Learning in Occupational Safety

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand how learning occupational safety practices occurred for employees outside of and in addition to, what was taught through planned, intentional safety training. The participants reflected upon their personal experiences regarding the work safety practices that they chose to incorporate into their lives during a semi-structured audio taped interview. Data were analyzed using qualitative phenomenological methods to distill the multi-page interview transcriptions into manageable and comparable elements. Theoretical constructs underlying the analysis drew from occupational safety literature and situated learning theories. The analysis found that learning occupational safety practices occur through experience with equipment and within various environments. These safe work practices are easily transferred to other settings where they are negotiated and become part of the workplace repertoire of safety. The participants did not discern non-workplace and workplace safe practices, but saw safe work practices as a conceptual tool that was applied to all settings. The participants used stories as a vehicle for both learning and sharing safe work practices with co-workers. These stories provided a rich, meaningful way to share safety concepts. The participants learned safe practices through the interaction with co-workers, self-selecting mentors who would provide learning opportunities, and they in turn would become mentors for other co-workers. This learning occurred during and within the daily activities of performing their work within communities of practice.