How can you use humor to make safety messages memorable?
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Humor is a powerful tool to capture attention, engage emotions, and enhance memory. When used appropriately, it can also help you deliver effective safety messages that stick with your audience and motivate them to act. In this article, you will learn how to use humor to make safety messages memorable, without compromising your professionalism or credibility.
Humor works because it triggers a positive emotional response that makes your message more memorable and persuasive. According to the humor effect, people tend to remember information better when it is presented in a humorous way, compared to a serious or neutral way. Humor also reduces stress, increases attention, and boosts creativity, which are all beneficial for learning and problem-solving. Moreover, humor can help you build rapport and trust with your audience, as it shows that you are human, friendly, and relatable.
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Tanko Adamu, CSP
ICP Group
I've found the use of humor quite beneficial to my safety messages because they are often relatable. Listeners to my presentations have reminded me of some of the funny things they have heard me say even after 15 years. When otherwise complex and difficult proposals are reduced to more obvious choices, people laugh and often remember the silliness later. It is even more funny when delivered in a foreign accent. I've often mispronounced words and everybody laughs at me, correct my pronunciation and sometimes spend time teaching me the correct way. In doing that, the message gets through and I learn a new vocabulary. Some of the nicknames I have from employees are mispronounced safety words.
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Raana ElKady, HSE
Sr. HSE Engineer / HSE supervisor /QHSE/ Environmental managment/ Consultancy
i found that, humor is valuable tool by incorporating it into safety communications, to pay attention employees and retain the information. Most effective ways are: 1. Visual aids: Use funny illustrations or cartoons to convey instructions or highlight potential hazards to stick in people's minds. 2. Storytelling: Share real-life or fictional anecdotes emphasizing the importance of safety practices with humor sense. 3. Jokes and puns: Sprinkle light-hearted jokes or puns related to safety throughout your communications, while tone is serious. 4. Video content: Create short safety videos with a humorous approach capture attention. However, ensure a balance between humor and seriousness to importance of the information being conveyed.
Using humor effectively requires finding the right balance between being funny and being respectful. You should be aware of your audience's background, culture, preferences, and expectations, and ensure that your jokes are appropriate and relevant. Additionally, consider the purpose of your message and how humor supports it. You should also pick a style of humor that suits your personality and tone. Finally, time your humor correctly; when is the best time to use it? How often should you use it? How do you transition from humor to serious points? Following these tips will help you use humor effectively for safety messages.
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Godwin Chijioke Ebele
Team Lead, Health Safety and Security, Gracefield Island.
In communication, it's more of how you say it than what you say. In my experience of safety trainings, the use subtle humour engages the team more and also brings back their attention to live. I usually begin safety meetings with engaging humour and questions before switching to serious points. It has really worked for the team.
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David McIntosh
CSP, ARM, OHST
When speaking to a new group, sometimes I will poke fun at myself as a sign of humility in order to break the ice. It makes me less intimidating. It sets the tone for a relaxed atmosphere.
If you're looking for a bit of inspiration, here are some humorous safety messages that you can adapt or modify for your own context. For example, you could post a sign that reads: "Safety first. Or second. Whatever. Just don't sue us." Or, you could put up a poster showing someone wearing the necessary safety gear with the caption: "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have." Perhaps you'd like to create a video parodying a famous movie scene, with a twist related to safety hazards or procedures. You could also come up with a slogan that rhymes or uses alliteration such as: "Slip, trip, and fall. It's not fun at all." or "Be aware, don't stare. Watch where you walk and talk." Lastly, you could print out a sticker with a smiling face and band-aid that reads: "I learned about safety the hard way. Don't be like me."
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Chris Gregg
Good to Great
I like the ideas. We actually used a clip from the Office TV Show where Dwight sets up a surprise fire drill and chaos begins. That clip really loosened up the team and also got their attention. We had a fun fire drill experience after that.
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ARUN KUMAR JOSHI
Safety Professional
Humorous safety messages can help in making the atmosphere light and attractive.One liners are very attractive and indicates safety messages.
Humor can be a great way to make safety messages memorable, but it can also backfire if used poorly or excessively. To avoid potential pitfalls, don't make light of serious or sensitive issues, such as injuries, fatalities, or violations. Don't make fun of or blame specific individuals or groups, and don't make jokes that are too complex, obscure, or outdated for your audience to understand. Also, avoid jokes that are too simple, cliché, or repetitive since they might be seen as boring or annoying. Finally, ensure that your jokes don't contradict or undermine your message by implying safety is optional or unimportant.
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ARUN KUMAR JOSHI
Safety Professional
It can distract people.It can divide people.At the end of the day humor is a tool.And just like any tool ,it can be used to create or destroy. you need to be aware of its potential dangers to mitigate them
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David McIntosh
CSP, ARM, OHST
Humor is meant to put people at ease and help them to open their minds to new ways of thinking. Improper humor is offensive and can make people close their minds to the message being presented. Sometimes to the point of being adversarial.
To evaluate the impact of humorous safety messages, you need to measure both the immediate and the long-term effects. You can ask for feedback from your audience by using surveys, interviews, or focus groups. To observe behavior, use observation, inspection, or audit to check if your audience followed your message and adopted the desired behaviors. You can also track outcomes by using data such as accident reports, incident rates, or compliance scores to monitor if your message led to any improvement in safety performance or culture. Comparing the results with a control group that did not receive your message and with previous or expected outcomes can help you see if there was any change.
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ARUN KUMAR JOSHI
Safety Professional
To observe behaviour use checklist of observation, inspections or audits and with previous or expected outcomes can help you see if there was any change .
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Leonardo Silva
Director/Gerente de EHS & Sustentabilidad Procesos Globales
During my professional years in the EHS area, I sought to be assertive with my messages, when I used simple words and satirized attitudes. (humor) the staff is more open to the messages, in fact they are more participatory and they remember their unsafe attitudes and how they have improved and invite their colleagues to meditate and avoid risky attitudes
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ARUN KUMAR JOSHI
Safety Professional
At its best, humour is a positive force for good.At it's worst,it's a tool used to suppress ideas, destroy self esteem and make people feel terrible.