Let’s get something straight right off. Fun is not the same as play. Yes, play is fun, or at least it’s supposed to be. But that doesn’t mean that if something is fun it is play. No. The word fun in this context is the meaning (as listed in the Cambridge Dictionary) “Fun is an uncountable noun meaning ‘pleasure and enjoyment.’” I particularly like the “energetic enjoyment” definition of the word.
Now that we got that straight. Making safety something that’s “enjoyable or pleasurable” is a powerful way to get people to like it. That is especially important during safety meetings, pre-job briefings, and when your employees are experiencing any safety and health marketing you put out. Making something fun is way more likely to capture someone’s attention and stir them to action than your typical bland safety fare.
Here are three simple ways to Make Safety Fun (“enjoyable,” “pleasurable”)
1) Don’t do the same thing repeatedly. Try introducing new stuff, like unusual examples, during your safety and health presentations. Instead of “if you don’t wear a hard hat, you could injure your head,” show a picture of a turtle with a bowling ball on its shell and ask how much force can a tortoise’s shell handle before it breaks and make it a guessing contest.
2) Make your safety and health written material more pleasing to the eyes (and mind). Don’t cram a bunch of small font text onto a page just because you have the room. Space things out. Use white space (it’s a good thing!).
3) Have your safety committee(s) include “How can we make safety here at Acme Products more fun (enjoyable, pleasurable)? The committee should also spend time now and again coming up with ways to make the committee meeting more fun.
Yes, “safety” is a serious subject. But that doesn’t mean it has to be boring. In fact, because it is so serious and vital, it makes it all the more reason it deserves to be fun!
