Why workplace safety and health are a priority
April 28th is the World Day of Workplace Safety and Health, a global awareness day to promote prevention of workplace accidents and illnesses. Essentially, workplace safety signs and compliance rules are reminding us that they are actually happy people because they are behind them. Over the years, my workplace has changed. Remote work, regulatory and mental health challenges make creating a safe and healthy work environment extremely important. It’s all about fostering a culture where people feel safe, supported and heard. That’s exactly what compliance training does. It is a practical way to build awareness and reduce risk.
Why is this day so important? Well, workplace safety statistics are not encouraging. Every year, millions of workers around the world suffer from work-related injuries and illnesses, many of which may have been prevented. According to the ILO, more than 2.78 million people die each year due to workplace accidents and illnesses, and 374 million non-fatal injuries lead to longer absences due to work.
Therefore, awareness needs to be raised. By recognizing World Day for safety and health in the workplace, organizations tell people that they care about them, listen to them, and aim to protect them. It’s an opportunity to educate teams with compliance training, review policies, and start conversations about the risks people face on a daily basis, such as heavy machinery, heavy manual labor, toxic substances, burnout, and more. So let’s explore some ways to make compliance training even more exciting and bring attention to how important safety and health in the workplace is.
7 Compliance Training Ideas highlighting the importance of World Day for safety and health in the workplace
1. Safety and Health Session
There is no better way to showcase employees on the World Day for safety and health at work than bringing everyone together for a safety and health session. You can start the session by showing you a video about the importance of the day and showing statistics on the number of accidents and illnesses occurring in workplaces around the world. Next, we invite speakers to share stories and examples of how important workplace safety is. They are compliance experts, first responders, or people who have witnessed or suffered professional accidents or illnesses. This makes the message more clear and likely to be remembered. You can also use this session to take a closer look at current safety practices and ask staff what they can improve. The goal is to build awareness, attract employee attention and encourage open conversations about safety.
2. Interactive Compliance Game
Compliance training is usually not interesting. However, this does not mean that you can’t do it. Turn your training into a game to get your teams more excited about World Day for safety and health at work. Turning compliance into playful competition will not only make content more memorable, but also help you connect your teams. For example, you can try out quizzes and Trivia games and ask questions about safety policies, recent incidents, or actual workplace scenarios. It also adds some rewards, including small prizes and recognition. Another great idea is a video game about safety at work, with the protagonist struggling to avoid an imaginary workplace accident or injury. These activities not only educate you about compliance, but also encourage peer learning and help employees gain knowledge faster.
3. Microlearning Module
Microlearning is one of the easiest and most effective ways to enhance compliance training without overwhelming your team. On World Day for Workplace Safety and Health, you can use microlearning modules that can be completed in just a few minutes to provide specific safety scenarios to your employees. A short video, infographic, or interactive slide is a great way to walk you through actual safety violations or emergencies. For example, a module can show what happens when someone skips a hygiene procedure before surgery. Then, in that case, you can ask the trainee what happened and what to do in that case. Alternatively, you can simulate an earthquake drill with step-by-step actions. Plus, when you offer these microlearning sessions throughout the week or month, you keep everything fresh in their minds.
4. Safety team challenges
Organizing team-based safety challenges can be a fun way to train employees on compliance, but they can also help you build stronger bonds with your peers. Start by forming an inter-departmental team and assigning a variety of safety-related tasks. These could be mini safety audits, identify potential hazards in your workspace, or come up with ideas to improve current safety procedures. To make it even more exciting, we provide rewards and public recognition to teams that score the highest scores, including gift cards, vouchers, badges and more. This friendly competition not only helps them grasp key safety practices, but also encourages employees to share their knowledge and find risks that could otherwise be overlooked. Needless to say, this encourages active learning. Rather than sitting through the presentation, employees apply what they know immediately and learn from each other.
5. Mentorship Program
Make it personal to further strengthen your company’s culture of safety. A good example is establishing a safe mentorship program. All you need to do is pair experienced employees with new hires and allow them to navigate safety protocols, compliance expectations and everyday practices in a more collaborative way. After all, safety is about habits and real decision-making. Therefore, when a new team member has someone they can trust, someone who has done it all, they are more likely to feel comfortable asking questions, reporting mistakes, and actively participating in safety activities. In the mentorship program, mentors can also check in weekly, share personal stories of past incidents, and walk peers through safe drills. It also benefits mentors. This keeps safety procedures and policies fresh in your mind at all times.
6. VR/AR
Some safety scenarios are too dangerous or expensive to replicate in real life. However, virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) can help you safely simulate these. If your industry involves high-risk environments such as chemical handling, heavy machinery, construction zones, and more, using VR or AR can be a game-changer sum. For example, employees can walk through virtual warehouses. There, they can identify dangers and even respond to simulated incidents like chemical spills. VR creates an immersive learning experience that people can learn by doing it in a safe and controlled setting. AR, on the other hand, overlays digital instructions or alerts in the real world. For example, workers can point their tablets at the machine and immediately see safety protocols or step-by-step instructions before operating them.
7. Q&A session with compliance experts
Holding Q&A sessions with your team will help you open conversations about workplace safety, health policies and employee rights. The truth is said, compliance can sometimes feel overwhelming. So many protocols, regulations and industry-specific policies may make employees hesitate to ask questions. However, live Q&A sessions create an environment where you are encouraged to ask what’s in your mind without fear of judgment. Questions can be answered by HR, compliance experts, or other stakeholders who are actively involved in the compliance process. You can host sessions directly or on a video conferencing platform. To keep things engaging and inclusive, let employees submit questions anonymously in advance. This way, even the most shy can participate. It also gives experts time to prepare answers and provide useful examples.
Conclusion
World Days for Safety and Health at Work are more than calendar dates. It reminds us that safety should absolutely be integrated into everyday life. Compliance training can create a culture where people feel informed, empowered and protected. The above ideas will help you get started, but the real impact comes from maintaining a safe conversation every day. When teams understand the reasons behind the rules, they are more likely to follow them. So, on this day, ignite positive change and make people feel safer.
