News and Insights
Creating a culture of safety with a campaign employees can’t ignore.
October 10, 2024
Data center employees are the unsung heroes of the internet. Twenty-four hours a day, they bring information to the world.
But safety hazards at data centers are everywhere. And standard safety-compliance messages can be easy for employees to tune out.
Our internet services client needed a better way to grab their attention. Our vision? Turn safety into a mission employees care deeply about and grow an enduring culture of safety that employees themselves could own.
Safety campaigns always have technical and analytical aspects; a safe operational culture is foundational to a safe workplace. But it’s also critical to work on the people side of the safety equation—to change employees’ relationship to safety itself.
“Empathy for employees is essential to developing safety campaigns that reach their hearts.”
–FINN Executive Creative Director Vanessa Duff
Our first task was to understand employees’ jobs and work environment, to see safety challenges through their eyes and their lives. We shadowed data center employees on-site, documenting experiences, behaviors and perceived barriers.
When interviews uncovered employees’ love of gaming and movies, the creative team saw an opportunity. Our campaign turned common safety hazards into villains in a storytelling medium impossible to ignore: comics. Ergomaniac caused musculoskeletal injuries. Stepadder caused falls. Killerwatt wreaked electricity havoc.
Employees, on the other hand, were cast as superheroes empowered to defeat these arch enemies of safe and healthy workplaces.
“We turned safety into something that felt like a reward, not a requirement.” –Vanessa Duff
Saturating the data center’s physical and digital environments with campaign elements transformed the workplace for employees. On-site monitors showed music videos. “Wanted” posters hung on walls. Interactive quizzes tested knowledge. Employees took comic books home, keeping safety top of mind outside of the work environment.
And the results?
- Accidents trended down throughout the campaign.
- Safety observation reports went up by over 450%.
- Employee engagements with employee communication channels tripled.
Our client also asked employees for their safety suggestions. Hundreds of ideas poured in, which led to process improvements that are still in place today. More importantly, it showed employees their ideas mattered and empowered them to own the culture of safety—the ultimate goal.
FINN Employee Engagement is passionate about workplace safety because safety is a universal need. If you’re not safe in the work you do every day, nothing else matters. A company, after all, is only as strong as the health of their employees.
FINN Employee Engagement creates connected, purpose-driven, human-centered workplaces. The kind that are more satisfying for employees. And more productive for businesses.
We create safe workplaces by turning safety into something employees can’t ignore. And making safety the mission they care most about.
POSTED BY: Rod Alexander
