Systematic review of electrical worker competency interventions: A systems-thinking perspective

Abstract

Around the world, electrical industries implement various systems of regulation to control the inherent risks of working with electricity, including worker licencing. However, being licensed and being competent are not synonymous. Electrical worker competence, specified in this study as including skills, knowledge and attitudes, is crucial to ensuring worker safety. This paper details the results of a systematic review exploring the characteristics and safety outcomes of electrical worker competence interventions. The results are then mapped onto a systems-thinking framework, PreventiMap, to explore the breadth of electrical competence interventions across system levels and what relationships, if any, exist between interventions. Eighteen articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Downs and Black checklist. The PreventiMap showed a predominance of worker competence interventions at the frontline worker. Of the 25 identified interventions, only 2 were mapped in levels outside the frontline worker system level. The quality of the included studies was low reflecting the challenges faced by effectiveness studies of complex interventions in workplace settings. Consistent with previous research, the results of this study highlight electrical worker competency interventions as being reductionist in nature; focusing primarily on the frontline worker level, and with minimal focus on relationships between interventions at different system levels. Accordingly, recommendations are made for research investigating the vertical integration of interventions, particularly those that include interventions at higher system levels.