Workplace safety is one of the basic needs of employees. Afterall, the average person spends 1/3 of their life at the workplace. Therefore, it’s reasonable to expect that it is a place where employee interests are upheld. 

Top on the list of employee interests are safety and health needs.

Every employee deserves protection against abuse, unfair treatment, and injury at work. 

Many workplaces make an effort to uphold employee rights concerning work safety and health. They recognise the need to reduce workplace incidents and invest in making safety manuals, seminars, and workshops. 

However, focusing on employee safety on a serious platform such as seminars often has a negative effect. People feel constrained by the seriousness of these platforms and end up learning nothing.

How can we create fun workplace safety activities? 

There are creative ways of teaching employees different ways to preserve their safety and health at work.

Here are some suggestions.

1. Team building events

Team building involves bringing your employees together in a place they can intermingle and learn how to work with each other harmoniously.

Team building activities can happen at a hotel, park, venue, or on your company premises. 

They do not have to cost you the earth as long as you pick activities that positively influence your staff.  

During this time, hold group discussions or invite an expert to teach them about workplace safety.

Some suggested topics are “Causes of workplace injuries” and “How to handle workplace accidents”.

2. Safety video presentations

Many of us remember visual information better than verbal presentations.

Therefore, an effective method to teach your employees safety guidelines and how to adhere to them, is to put them in a video. 

Make it an exciting presentation with pointers that are easy to remember, and you will capture your audience and leave a lasting impression. 

You can include safety drills such as fire and evacuation drills, and depict proper workplace conduct during such emergencies.

3. Personal employee demonstrations

When we act in a scene, we are more likely to remember it. This is where workplace presentations come in. 

Create sessions during the week, such as a Friday afternoon, once a quarter, during which your employees share different workplace safety presentations through skits, short plays and real-life stories.

A play showing different safety issues and how to deal with them, whether that’s sounding an alarm, making use of safety equipment from somewhere like STOREMASTA, or simply telling them, will equip your staff with hands-on skills to react to situations that threaten their safety

4. Workplaces quizzes

One of the best ways to sharpen the brain and improve your memory is doing quizzes and puzzles. 

Therefore, why not create a company quiz event where your staff can complete quizzes and puzzles on workplace safety? 

Some excellent topics to focus on are proper equipment use, right ways to perform various tasks to avoid injuries, such as “How to lift heavy objects,” or the proper way to exit in case of a fire. 

5. Comedy events

Humour brings us together, and a great place to bring up a serious topic is during a comedy event. 

Encourage your employees to create comic pieces surrounding workplace safety and even share comic strips or photos of these issues during such events.

Such a relaxed way of sharing safety procedures will allow people to absorb and adapt them quickly. A good example is pictures that depict workers correctly wearing their safety equipment such as harnesses, non-skid footwear, hard hats, goggles, and gloves.

6. Creative story writing

You may have a few writers working for you, and it’s a good idea to use their skills to pass a message to others on workplace safety. 

Start a weekly online safety journal where anyone can share a fictional or true story on workplace safety. 

Include some materials from HR and your employment lawyers to create informative materials on workplace safety regulations.

It’s also essential to include sections below the staff and HR presentations where  people share their opinions on the pieces presented.

7. Talent events

We all have unique talents apart from the skills we showcase at work. 

A talent event is a great platform to showcase these hidden skills such as painting, writing poems, and woodworking.

Encourage your employees to base their talent presentation on safety regulations to broaden the knowledge that everyone has concerning these issues. 

An interesting play showcasing how to operate machinery such as forklifts and how to follow safety rules that prevent injuries when working with them is an excellent choice.

And if you want to make it really interesting and exciting, offer prizes that will encourage your employees to showcase their best presentations.

Talent events are also a great way to forge a team spirit that will better employee engagement and improve productivity.

Last word

Although workplace safety is a serious issue, depicting it in fun and engaging ways is an easy way to teach your workers and make the information stick.These are seven fun employee activities you can work with. 

Expect your efforts to;

• Lower injury compensation costs, and lower insurance costs
• Increase productivity
• Reduce absenteeism
• Reduce workplace injury-related lawsuits, and
• Ensure strict compliance with safety laws and regulations
• Build the team spirit between members of your staff; the best way to propagate a feeling of concern for each other’s safety.

During these events, make sure you use government guidelines for safety and health in your efforts to guide your actions.