#SafetyCulture: Health and Safety in the Social Media Age

Over 40 participants gathered to learned how they can leverage social media for communicating safety messages, improving safety culture, engaging with customers and employees, and building their brand around safety.

July 27, 2017  

Photo of course attendees at social media course
Sherry kicks off the course! 

The Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety recently hosted a course on using social media for health and safety called #SafetyCulture: Health and Safety in the Social Media Age. Over 40 participants gathered to learned how they can leverage social media for communicating safety messages, improving safety culture, engaging with customers and employees, and building their brand around safety.

Attendees received a run down of the different platforms they can use, how to determine which ones fit their audience, and how to create a 1-month social media roll out plan from Social Media Maven, Sherry Hayes-Peirce.

Sherry served as the course director for the day, and is well known for her expertise in leveraging social media to promote positive social messages. Sherry shared some of her best tips with the attendees including:

#NationalGrilledCheeseDay Cheesy Safety Slogan: "Don't be a fool, safety is cool!"
            Sherry's favorite post from the DEOHS CE Programs! 
  • Make each post visual
  • Create community by sharing engaging stories
  • Make it easy by sharing content that is already there
  • Craft messages that encourage a change of habits

Sherry also shared some of her favorite posts from health and safety Twitter accounts, including a now infamous #NationalGrilledCheeseDay post from the DEOHS Continuing Education Programs. She encouraged attendees to follow the lead of the CE programs by tapping into what is trending and relating it back to their organizations. She also reminded participants that it's ok to be a little goofy and show some personality if that fits your brand!

Later in the day attendees had the chance to participate in a Twitter 101 workshop lead by the UW DEOHS Continuing Education Programs Marketing Manager, Becky Yost. Becky walked participants through the steps of creating a Twitter account and how to use the different functions of Twitter.  

 

Participants twitter post
   Participants were excited to share their selfies!

During the workshop course participants posted about their experience at the course using #SafetyCultureUW. Attendees had fun with the activity posting:

"Learning so much today about using social media to promote worker safety and training! "

"Finally, taking the initiative to embrace and learn about the Social Media Age. #SafetyCultureUW"

There were even a few selfies taken! In the afternoon the day closed out with a panel discussion featuring some of the biggest names in Health and Safety marketing and communications, including:

  • Erin Hobson, Director of Marketing and Communications, Sellen Construction
  • Mandi Kime, CHST, Director of Safety, AGC of Washington
  • Elizabeth Sharpe, Assistant Director, Communications, UW Information Technology, and former Director of Communications for UW DEOHS
  • Cameron Satterfield, Communications Manager, King County Department of Executive Services
  • Dede Montgomery, MS, CIH, Senior Research Associate - Outreach and Education, Oregon Healthy WorkForce Center, Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, OHSU
  • Becky Yost, Marketing Manager, UW DEOHS Continuing Education Programs
Social media expert panel
The social media expert panel.

 

During the panel, each expert shared their personal triumphs, challenges, and tips in regards to communicating health and safety messages via social media. Participants had the opportunity to ask questions of the panel members, and see examples of their most successful work.   Public resources associated with the course, including Becky Yost's Twitter 101 presentation, are available here.