Do Safety Posters Really Help Prevent Accidents? Share Your Thoughts and Experiences

Dear friends,

Do you consider safety posters and other publicity materials to have any impact on accident prevention? If so, what is the percentage of their effectiveness in accident prevention?

Regards,

Kesava Pillai

Yes, of course, it helps in preventing accidents as at least a person is aware of how one could get injured. Even if a person is doing something wrong intentionally, no one can stop them from doing so. Moreover, if employers implement safety measures, they are also covered by statutory criteria as they provide full instructions and guidelines on how to use the machines. Actually, it affects...

Thank you.

In my view, the answer is YES. The percentage is not certain; however, I expect it to be more than 15%.

Reasons for the Effectiveness of Safety Posters

1. By placing posters at vantage locations, employees always have eye contact with them. This helps in refreshing things they learned through training or just reminds them about the Site Safety Norms.

2. We need to check the effectiveness of the visuals displayed—whether anybody glances through them or not. What we have done is include this in Safety Quizzes for workers and toolbox talks. We ask them to recall two safety slogans displayed at the Site, and those who do are given token prizes.

3. Visuals can create a positive image for visitors or anyone coming to the plant for the first time. The first impression is the best impression, so all newcomers start following the existing system.

4. Mandatory use of PPEs, Safe Work Procedures, can all be visually displayed at the site. This plays a vital role. Anyone who violates them does not need to spend more time understanding what our site needs; they just need to be pointed towards the visuals.

I cannot think of anything else at the moment. I look forward to hearing more views from your side.

Regards,
Dipil Kumar V

Safety posters do help a lot in preventing accidents. It is difficult to quantify, as the benefits are not tangible. They certainly go a long way in creating safety awareness in employees, which will definitely help in the long run by improving the safety culture. The same thing can be said for safety education, training, safety competitions, and awards, etc.

There are instances where an organization that won the 'safety award' in one year finished last the next year! Safety professionals have to put in their best in all spheres of activities to reap the benefits and sustain them over a period of time to bring in a good safety culture.

The Impact of Safety Posters on Accident Prevention

Safety posters can certainly create some awareness and lead to a reduction in the accident rate during that period. However, this effect is temporary. Even when the posters are present, Plant Managers and Supervisors often focus solely on quantity and quality, neglecting the safety of the workers and machines, rendering the money spent as waste. Essentially, the behavior patterns of all employees, from top to bottom, need to change.

Besides posters and other threat or punitive methods, workers are concerned about their wages. At the beginning and end of the shift, everyone is focused on the numbers. Workers may engage in "At Risk" behaviors during the shift, leading to accidents. If a plant manager disregards a machine guard, supervisors are likely to follow suit. Workers may feel confused and drawn to incentives, prioritizing numbers over safety, ultimately working in an "At Risk" environment.

In my experience, at one unit, a well-defined maintenance and safety procedure based on corporate and unit policies in the US was in place. The policy required a "line clear" before maintenance or tool change, involving multiple approvals. However, the implementation lacked as operators were reluctant to document or seek approvals due to the prevailing work culture.

I strongly believe that negative work behaviors by employees are often a result of management system and procedural failures rather than personal factors. For instance, if an electrical worker requests a face shield or goggles and is denied due to stock issues or dismissive responses, the worker cannot be blamed for working without proper safety gear. The responsibility lies with the flawed system and procedures set by the management.

Fostering a behavior-level approach is the most effective method for promoting safe practices at work.

Regards,
Babu Alexander
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Dear Kesava Pillai Sir, can you please let us know your comments on the topic? Does the visual display really help in accident prevention? If so, to make it more effective, what should we suggest to management to achieve the desired outcome from these efforts? As of today, our management is placing a lot of emphasis on this front and has even contracted with a visual management consultancy. We are looking forward to receiving your advice on the topic. We also request your active participation in our forum as before, helping us learn many new things. We hope you will consider my request.

Thanks in advance.