Twenty years ago, I was at a FutureSafe conference in Sydney,
Australia, where Eileen McMahon of WorkSafe Victoria showed
a series of graphic ads.
The audience were impressed and roundly supported the use of
such ads in their own States.
At the time confronting ads were de rigueur as road safety
campaigns had been using the same technique for a while.
Ads from both government authorities won critical acclaim and
many awards.
Confronting workplace safety ads recently ran on Canadian television
to a mixed reception.
WorkSafe Victoria has clearly adapted these ads and their concepts
to the Australian circumstance in its campaign that was launched
on Australian television on 5 October 2008.
WorkSafe Young Workers Campaign
The Australian ads have emphasised the lack of information and
induction provided to young workers. Rather than having the incident
victim talk to the camera, WorkSafe emphasises the confused thought
processes of a young person in a bakery being unsure of how to operate
a machine safely, a young man experiments with a nailgun, and a young
person scalded in a commercial kitchen.
In The Sunday Age, WorkSafe CEO, John Merritt, said that the
graphic content was to gain the attention of young workers:
“It’s confronting, it’s not pleasant, but young workers have challenged
us to confront them with the reality of what happens…”
“The guts of this campaign is to say to young workers: for goodness
sake, if you’re not sure about something, speak up.”
“”It was clear from the research that nothing else would have impact.”
Media reports make no acknowledgement of the Canadian campaign
which seems a little odd given the similarities of the kitchen-based ad,
in particular.
The challenge of this type of ad is to run it for just long enough to make
an impact but not so long that viewers get “graphic fatigue” -
particularly important for appealing to young workers.
This is also a lesson that should have been learnt from the original
WorkSafe ads a couple of decades ago. The combination of both a
workplace safety campaign and road safety campaign using the same
techniques limited the effectiveness of both.
There is no doubt about the validity of the safety risks in WorkSafe’s
target market but it is vital that these ads be balanced with the more
gentle and parent-friendly “homecoming” ads and the workplace
inspector ads aimed at business operators.
All three should be broadcast over the same period in order to provide
the broadest context and the one that reflects the reality.
WorkSafe Young Workers Campaign
Clearly, the WorkSafe ad campaign is intended to maximise the
return on the advertising budget by generating media debate.
This was virtually acknowledged by John Merritt when he said
“There will undoubtedly be a conversation and a debate about
that message.” (Yep Mr Merritt plenty of debate, you are right but the debate is about the expense of this advertising campaign not its contents)
A danger with this tactic is that the ads become the story rather
than people discussing the safety of young workers. Let’s watch
who supports the ads and who criticises.
I was in Canada last year talking with safety professionals after liaising
with them the previous year over the public reaction to such ads and you
are right - they do bear more than a little similarity.
Interestingly Canadians felt they were over the top, young people turned
off as it was just like so much film work and video they watch these days,
they were no longer sensitised to it. The push subsequently became
about how to ensure all young workers were properly advised of their
rights and responsibilities and accountability's under the legislation and
how it applied to their role and specific workplace.
It’s time we started to ensure this stuff gets rolled out in high schools,
preparing people for a real workplace rather than just thinking they will
be told at some stage in the future.
WCV's: All these ad show is that the workplace safety messages already made by the VWA have not worked! These ads show that workers from all ages are not provided safe workplaces and that the younger workers feel as threatened by the loss of their job as would an older worker.
The VWA need to get real with these ads and show that employers are compliant with all workplace safety rules and regulations at all times not just when the VWA decide they had better be seen actually doing something constructive with injured workers money!
How much did this advertising campaign cost Mr holding?
How can this campaign provide returns for worksafe?
Considering you are telling injured workers that the government cannot afford to include all injured workers in the recent common law changes?
As an injured workers partner Mr Holding I would have liked to have received some of the money you have spent on this advertising? It would have helped me immensely and given me the opportunity to be able to pay a few bills or to put food onto my families table.
I'm betting your family has enough to eat and you can pay your bills Mr Holding but as a workcover victim (which is what I am now) I cannot!
Where does your family fit Mr holding? I bet it isn't at the bottom of this food chain called worksafe, is it Mr holding?
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