Make Your Posters Attractive and Interesting

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the US Department of Labor requires all business, including the federal government, to post safety notices on the workplace premises. In case Safety posters are not a good option, the company is then mandated to conduct safety training programs. In the training program, workers must be given useful information on how to react in case of emergencies. Moreover, they must be informed of potential dangers and hazards.

There are other various means to promote healthy and safe working environments, but posters are still the most inexpensive and effective one to get safety messages across. Why is it so? More often than not, whatever was said during the safety trainings can be shrugged off or forgotten because it was just heard once or twice. And the worst possible scenario is that no one has listened to it at all! On the other hand, posters work the opposite way. Whether intentionally or not, employees see them every day at work and serve as constant reminders. The only problem is how your employees are going to read them the first time you posted them.

 Most of the time, it takes a bit of comedy to tickle the attention of people to read safety posters. Since you cannot add crack up jokes on more formal postings like the New York labor law posters, you can pour all the funny thoughts you can think of on safety notices. Just don’t go beyond the line that instead of be taken seriously, they may turn into mere comical work diversion and lose their intended purpose.

Here are some examples of lines that can crack a good laugh or a simple innocent smile:

·         Know how to use a fire extinguisher: PASS IT! (Pull. Aim. Squeeze. Sweep).

·         Caution: This machine has no brain so use your own.

Your posters need not only be focused on your employees. They may also be for your customers. Another criterion for readable posters is the message must be simple and short. Cut the lengthy sentences and reserve them for speeches. No employer would spend his precious working time just to read a notice.

Make the graphics and pictures as simple as the text. Overly decorated posters are not pleasing to anyone’s eyes. True enough, illustrations have a great impact on the effectiveness of the poster. But make it so that it is easily remembered.