Companies across all industries invest in creating and promoting a safe workplace for employees. From training to building a safety culture, time and money is invested to ensure that all employees understand how to stay safe and healthy while at work. Keep reading to learn seven ideas for safety content on digital signage.
For many employees, their first interaction with safety information is when they are first hired and onboarded. Some organizations have a safety calendar – sharing information at key moments throughout the year. Others require annual training or refresher courses. Still others share safety information and reminders on a nearly daily basis.
Is there ever such a thing as too much safety information? No. But, how do you keep your employees engaged in the information they may have seen multiple times throughout the course of a day, month or year?
Digital Signage Offers a Medium for Dynamic Content
Digital signage can bring new life to your safety messaging. You may very well have screens throughout your offices and facilities. And, perhaps you are already sharing safety messages via these screens to keep employees up-to-date. But, have you considered how often you are changing those messages, updating the visuals, using video or motion graphics, or even displaying safety metrics through data dashboards?
Safety Content on Digital Signage
We are often asked, what kind of content is best for digital signage. Generally speaking, you want to plan your content for your audience. Safety content is no different. Consider where your screens are and what the safety issues may be in those locations. You can be very direct in your messaging in each location to ensure that employees get the content they need. And, as digital signage is a very visual medium, don’t leave out the images or videos.
- Video examples:
Bring safety messages and examples to life by leveraging short video clips. A simple clip about avoiding falls, showing the areas most prone to them, can help bring the situation to life. If you have your screens set to low or no volume, you’ll want to make sure you have subtitles included. - Headlines:
Many safety programs include regular updates to staff, usually via email. These emails are a great place to find content ideas for your safety messaging. But, remember that email lends itself to many more words than digital screens do. Think of your digital signage as a billboard – limit the words to the most important ones and include visuals to truly tell the story. - Meet the safety team:
Companies and facilities often designate employees or teams to help spread the word about safety. Introduce these employees regularly via digital signage, sharing their company contact information and perhaps a quote about why safety is important to them. This helps personalize your safety program. - Safety celebrations:
Maybe your facility hasn’t had a safety issue in a record amount of time. Or you have a new safety champion or team. Use your digital signage to share that information with all your employees so they can join in the celebration. - New safety information:
Don’t forget to add in new safety rules or guidelines when they are developed. Or, if you live in a part of the country where safety information may change based on seasonality, you’ll want to change your content. For example, in Minnesota (where you’ll find us), winter can be especially difficult and communications about slippery sidewalks or parking lots can serve as a good reminder of weather-related hazards. - Immediate safety alerts:
In the event of an emergency, digital signage can alert your employees and visitors within your location quickly and easily. They do not need to be in front of their computer to get the warning and understand what they need to do to stay safe. - Data points:
Safety managers in many organizations are equipped with key metrics about safety. These may include the number of incidents, lost time, cost, etc. These metrics, when displayed as a data dashboard, can be especially helpful to others within the organization, particularly if they can be used to make quick decisions that positively impact the company.
Creating Safety Information for Digital Signage
Now that you have a few ideas on what kind of safety messaging you may want to share, you’ll need to create that content. Perhaps your organization has a marketing or graphic design department. They would be a great place to start. If not, national safety organizations offer standard content for digital signage that can help you get up and running quickly. Whichever path you choose, you’ll want to make sure you are keeping the content fresh and new to capture your employees’ attention.
