■安全数据表(SDS)是工作场所中伴随化学品/危险产品的危险通讯材料。许多SDS包含密集的,技术文本,这对工人提出了相当大的理解要求,尤其是识字能力较低的人。这项研究的目的是评估SDS的可读性,可理解性,和适用性(即,适合目标受众)。
■材料适宜性评估(SAM)工具评估了SDS的适宜性和可读性。然后,我们修改了SAM工具,以进一步评估SDS的可理解性因素。使用原始和修改后的SAM工具对45个随机选择的SDS进行内容评分,识字需求,图形,和布局/排版。
■SDS在可读性方面表现不佳,适用性,和可理解性。平均可读性分数为Flesch-Kincaid等级(9.6),GunningFogindex(11.0),科尔曼-里奥指数(13.7),和Gobbledygook指数的简单测量(10.7),高于推荐的阅读水平。由于适用性和可读性,原始SAM将SDS分级为“不适合”。当使用修改后的SAM时,平均总SAM得分增加,但在添加可理解性考虑时,SDS仍然被认为“不适合”。修改后的SAM工具更好地识别了特定于SDS的内容相关问题,这些问题使读者难以理解材料。
■在可读性方面,可理解性,和适用性,SDSs作为危险沟通工具的主要作用表现不佳,因此,把工人置于危险之中。在编写SDS时,可以使用修改后的SAM工具,以确保所有受众更容易理解信息。
UNASSIGNED: Safety data sheets (SDSs) are hazard communication materials that accompany chemicals/hazardous products in the workplace. Many SDSs contain dense, technical text, which places considerable comprehension demands on workers, especially those with lower literacy skills. The goal of this study was to assess SDSs for readability, comprehensibility, and
suitability (i.e., fit to the target audience).
UNASSIGNED: The
Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) tool assessed SDSs for
suitability and readability. We then amended the SAM tool to further assess SDSs for comprehensibility factors. Both the original and amended SAM tool were used to score 45 randomly selected SDSs for content, literacy demand, graphics, and layout/typography.
UNASSIGNED: SDSs performed poorly in terms of readability,
suitability, and comprehensibility. The mean readability scores were Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (9.6), Gunning Fog index (11.0), Coleman-Liau index (13.7), and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook index (10.7), all above the recommended reading level. The original SAM graded SDSs as \"not suitable\" for
suitability and readability. When the amended SAM was used, the mean total SAM score increased, but the SDSs were still considered \"not suitable\" when adding comprehensibility considerations. The amended SAM tool better identified content-related issues specific to SDSs that make it difficult for a reader to understand the material.
UNASSIGNED: In terms of readability, comprehensibility, and
suitability, SDSs perform poorly in their primary role as a hazard communication tool, therefore, putting workers at risk. The amended SAM tool could be used when writing SDSs to ensure that the information is more easily understandable for all audiences.