Review Article

The Importance and Role of Health Literacy in Workplace Safety: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Background: Health literacy is crucial for improving workplace safety, particularly as the complexity and variety of workplace hazards increase. Employees need the appropriate information and skills to assess risks and make informed decisions. This review highlights the role of health literacy in enhancing workplace safety and reducing accidents.
Methods: This narrative review examines studies published between 2010 and 2022 in both Persian and English scientific journals. Searches were conducted across databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, SID, MagIran, and Google Scholar, using keywords including “health literacy,” “workplace safety,” “safety culture,” “health behaviors,” and “solutions.” Articles containing these keywords in their titles or abstracts were selected. From an initial pool of 76 articles, 7 met the study’s inclusion criteria.
Results: Health literacy helps employees understand safety and health information, recognize hazards, and make informed decisions in critical situations. It contributes to hazard awareness, effective communication, productivity, occupational disease prevention, stress management, and a stronger safety culture. Employees with higher health literacy are better equipped to protect themselves and their colleagues, resulting in fewer accidents and reduced healthcare costs. Additionally, health literacy enhances organizational decision-making and overall performance.
Conclusion: To improve workplace safety and productivity, organizations should implement regular health literacy programs and promote a safety-oriented culture. These efforts can reduce healthcare costs and foster a healthier work environment.

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IssueVol 16 No 4 (2024) QRcode
SectionReview Article(s)
Published2025-08-30
Keywords
Health Literacy Workplace Safety Review
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Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
1.
Kazemi S, Jadgal MS, Fattahi Ardakani M, Zareipuor MA. The Importance and Role of Health Literacy in Workplace Safety: A Narrative Review. Int J Occup Hyg. 2025;16(4):57-65.