Safety Communication - Evaluation of Different Approaches Between the Developed and Developing World

Safety communication is a very critical component of safety management. It involves the conveying of safety messages to selected target audiences with the aim of informing them about associated risks to their job functions. To effectively address the challenge of properly informing employees within the workplace, employers have adopted various forms of techniques including but not limited to; safety inductions, formal training, signage, posters, face-to-face communication and emails, and other letters and handouts. Studies have indicated the successes of these various approaches in increasing safety awareness within organisations.

The study evaluated approaches to safety communication in the UK and Nigeria. A semi-structured questionnaire was used in data collection for the study. Using SPSS, Graphs and Radar for comparisons and evaluation of the obtained data, the study indicated the presence of similar approaches to safety communication within the two study locations with a near even distribution. Among other things, the study discovered significant levels of awareness on HSE in both locations with UK considerably higher. However the study also identified differences in approaches considered most effective by respondents in the two study locations with emails considered most effective in UK and workplace signs and posters considered most effective in Nigeria. Improvements on effective engagement with employees along with easy accessibility to safety training information dominated suggestions by respondents on ways to improve safety communication. The study recommended the widening of informal approaches to safety communication by employers with emphasis on electronic and digital platforms and also the effective use of feedback mechanisms.