The objective of this article was to investigate the effectiveness of occupational safety and health’s (OSH) compulsory training since it has never been addressed before. Although previous researchers find that OSH training is very important as an intervention to create safety climate; however, some researchers find that compulsory training is ineffective as compared to optional training. Hence, findings of this current research offers original contribution by determining whether OSH’s compulsory training could stimulate OSH implementation using a quasi-experimental design. An amount of 287 Malaysian participants attended 21 OSH’s compulsory training organized by the Malaysian’s National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in 2015 was taken for sample. A paired sample t-test indicates a significant implementation of OSH among respondents. In fact, 88.5% respondents passed learning examination at the end of training and majority or 98.3% respondents used what they learned in training at their respective workplaces after training completion. Additionally, using independent sample t-test, it is indicated that there is no significant different between respondents that felt they are mandated and voluntary to attend the OSH’s compulsory training. Hence, it is verified that compulsory training could also be effective; in which, the NIOSH’s compulsory training had stimulate OSH implementation among the Malaysian. Implications for future research and practice were also discussed.

Introduction

Safety training is very important as a part of safety climate (Ajslev et al., 2017; Christian et al., 2009); this is why most of countries around the globe, such as Malaysia required their people to attend safety training especially for those holding high risk hazard occupations. Unfortunately, some of research findings including by Tharenou (2001), Curado et al. (2015), and Aziz and Selamat (2016) reported that compulsory training would not be as effective as optional training. Since, this issue was not addressed using sample from trainees that attended safety training; there is a need to determine the effect of compulsory safety training on training effectiveness. In fact, this issue is significant to be investigated because it would determine whether safety training should be mandated because of its importance; otherwise, alternative intervention should be considered if compulsory safety training is ineffective. For example, Ngah et al. (2016) reported that the number of occupational accidents and injuries in Malaysia have increased by years. Ironically, the government has been initiating occupational safety and health (OSH) implementation through laws and regulations. For instance, under the Malaysian Occupational Safety and Health Act/OSHA (1994) revised in 2006, a list of job tasks that is dealing with high risk hazard is mandated to obtain certificate of practice by the Malaysian Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH). This means that those employees involved should attend compulsory training organized by the Malaysian’s National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) or other training organizations that approved by DOSH in order to get the certificate of practice. Nevertheless, there are some employers that still unconvinced about the importance of OSH’s compulsory training. For example, Ilham (2016) reported that a Malaysian contractor is dead after inhaling methane gas when cleaning a tank at PETRONAS plant in Kertih, Terengganu. The incident demonstrates the lack of specific knowledge and skills to prevent occupational accidents; it also provides lesson for employers and top management to be aware of complying the government’s laws and rules especially to provide OSH’s compulsory training for employees. Unfortunately, some researchers, such as Curado et al. (2015) found that compulsory training is ineffective as compared to optional training. Hence, there is a need to determine whether OSH’s compulsory training is effective to improve safety performance since previous researches have neglected this issue.