Commercials, is there a place for them in EHS?
Have you thought at all about using commercials to convey information on health and safety topics and to alter the behavior of workers? I recently developed one to see how people would respond to it. The short clip demonstrates what can happen when liquid chemicals are transported by hand rather than in bump buckets. So far I have just used it in training when introducing the topic of chemical transport. However, this might be something that could play periodically on a screen in an area accessible to many employees (such as a cafeteria). The initial response to my “commercial” has been positive. To view my clip go to http://www.oehs2.com/clips.html. The clip can be downloaded and played on your computer (and inserted into PowerPoint) from the second row of the “Sample Videos” table.
Canada’s Worker & Safety Insurance Board has been creating very graphic TV commercials as well as other products such as posters and “interactive spots.” If you have not seen these materials, I would encourage you to take a look. Be aware that the commercials are very graphic. You can view these materials at http://www.prevent-it.ca/.
Is there a place for commercials in an EHS program? Have you found an effective way to use this type material? Can material be too graphic and therefore loose its effectiveness? How might we use this in our profession?