The recent World Congress on Safety and Health at Work held a quite extensive media stream under the banner of the International Media Festival for Prevention. One of the entries, “Shoelaces“, has already been mentioned on this blog but there was a much greater variety.
These videos may be several years old (the Congress is held every three years) and can be watched from several perspectives. Several, like “Shoelaces”, offers an immediate emotional impact. Others require or deserve several views. Almost all of them should be appreciated for the creativity that they have applied to the topic of occupational health and safety.
Award winners could have been identified but even those which came second or third offer communication insights for OHS professionals and regulators.
This is pure Facebook safety and reminiscent of moronic commercial television programs such as funniest home videos, Masterchef or My Kitchen Rules.
What next Kim Kardashian or Posh Spice promoting World Safety Day.
Singapore was a most appropriate venue with its culture of casino capitalism.
The theme of vision zero is zero vision and not one of the videos provided any value. This emotional engineering impact typically lasts 6- 8 weeks. It is just regurgitating Remember Charlie.
Nothing was offered regarding the impact of the gig economy, regulatory capture and revolving doors and laissez faire safety and blame the victim atavistic accident theory.
This gala trivia ball merely reinforced the tattered image of safety and plumbed its legitimacy to an all time low.
I expected the closing ceremony to finish with a rendition of …..If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands. If you’re happy and you know it stamp you’re feet.