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‘Many people have a social media profile and just about everyone has a mobile phone in their pocket and it is a unique opportunity to change the way we communicate about health and safety.’
This is at the heart of what could become the education of the public about working people’s right to be protected at work as opposed ot being pout at risk of injury, illness and even death.
In an article first appearing on the British Safety Council’s website, Britsafe earlier this week, James Twigg owner of the PPE.org website; puts forward the idea that every working person with a mobile phone has the potential to influence the awareness of not only their work colleaugues, but their family and friends too; of workplace health and safety rights, legislation and government policy.
In his article, he says,:
‘The web is now the primary search tool used by people seeking out the information they need, whether that be occupational safety and health (OSH) guidance or details of safety-related products and services.
 Fundamentally, social media represents a wonderful opportunity for much improved communications in the field of health and safety. As more people and organisations get involved in social media the opportunity for sharing information and actively engaging increases. Yes, some social media platforms have come and gone, but there is a solid group of evergreens that offer the opportunity for effective communications on the web.
Having an active presence on social media makes you, and your information, easier to find. People have a tendency to share useful information, and on the web this means link-sharing on social media. Web content and social media are really part and parcel of the same thing, and the key to using social media effectively is to make your information available online, and then to share it on the social media platforms. Simple!’
He then goes on to discuss the benefits of social media in Occupational Safety and Health:
‘As a media partner of the European Agency for Safety and Health at work (EU-OSHA), I see first-hand the power of social media to disseminate occupational safety and health information to people in all walks of life. The agency engages on the main social platforms and this, combined with the work of the agency’s media partners, means that important health and safety messages are quickly and effectively communicated.
Social media can transform engagement with priority groups, for example young workers. Young people are familiar with the social web and are likely to be active social media users. Due to the wide uptake of social media it is also an effective way to reach those in the high-risk sectors and to help highlight and share practical solutions to the risks that workers face.
Engagement is crucial in health and safety, and social media represents a wonderful opportunity to be responsive. Organisations can benefit from being more accessible, and safety-related information is more likely to be acted upon if dialogue is available. If one adds mobile apps to the equation then the opportunities for information sharing and staying in touch are multiplied.
There is a real opportunity here to make OSH information available at the point of need.'
You can read the full article by clicking on the pic above.
Source: James Twigg / Britsafe / Unionsafety
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