ThinkSafe
History
Contents
1. Overview
The ThinkSafe campaign was launched in January 1996. It is a mass media, behavioural change campaign that promotes the benefits of good safety practice. The overall aim of the campaign is to reduce injury, disease and death in Western Australia. Since 1998, the campaign has focused specifically on reducing injury, disease and deaths in workplaces.
The whole community, including injury prevention agencies, organizations and workplaces are encouraged to adopt the ThinkSafe theme into their own safety and health practice and promotion activities. By adopting a common theme, individual campaigns are able to reinforce each other, having a greater impact than if each campaign is conducted separately. In particular, adoption of the common theme helps instill the cultural change necessary to achieve reductions in injuries and deaths in all areas, including work.
2. ThinkSafe SAM steps
The initial campaign theme: "Where there's risk, pause and think" was actioned through the three ThinkSafe steps of:
- Spot the Hazard,
- Assess the risk,
- Make the changes.
The character of ThinkSafe SAM was included in the campaign's advertising material, to provide a constant reminder of the campaign with the purpose of carrying the ThinkSafe message and ThinkSafe SAM steps to the whole community.
The ThinkSafe SAM steps are a simplification of the principles applied in workplaces to the management of occupational safety and health - namely hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control. Importantly, regulation 3.1 of the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations requires employers and those in control of workplaces to undertake hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control.
3. Public spokesperson
The public spokesperson for the ThinkSafe campaign was former West Coast footballer Glen Jakovich. Commencing in August 1996, Glen appeared in television and print advertisements to introduce audiences to the ThinkSafe theme, ThinkSafe SAM character and the ThinkSafe SAM steps. A popular and admired personality, Glen ensured the audience paid attention and recognised ThinkSafe advertising.
Throughout this time, Glen promoted the ThinkSafe safety messages by participating in campaign advertising, appearing on posters, attending promotional launches and activities and also by visiting workplaces and schools, mainly in metropolitan areas of the state.
4. Promotional tools
A range of promotional tools have been used to promote the ThinkSafe Campaign messages, including:
- television advertising, broadcast across the state on channels 7, 9, 10, GWN & WIN;
- radio advertising across the state;
- print advertising in newspapers and journals;
- billboards at various metropolitan locations in 1996 and 1997 and also at Subiaco Oval in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000;
- calendars in 1997 & 1998 (over 30,000 were distributed each year);
- a variety of posters and stickers since the start of ThinkSafe campaign in 1996. Posters and stickers are still available free from the WorkSafe Publications Officer and library by calling (08) 9327 8775;
- caps, mugs, and stationery items, which were first introduced in 1998. ThinkSafe caps are available for purchase from WorkSafe for $5.50. (GST inclusive).
5. ThinkSafe video
The ThinkSafe video was launched in August 1997. The video demonstrates the use of the ThinkSafe SAM steps at home, on the roads and at work by a typical Western Australian family. The video describes application of the steps to hazards such as electricity, falls, manual handling and slips and trips at home and work and on the roads to the use of seat belts, speed and the importance of being alert.
The video was initially sold for $2.00 in all Coles stores in Western Australia and then sold directly to workplaces and the general public by WorkSafe. Around 50,000 copies of the video were sold between 1997 and 2002. The video is now available for loan from the WorkSafe library.
6. ThinkSafe towns
The then Premier Richard Court at Collie, Western Australia's first ThinkSafe Town, launched the ThinkSafe Towns program in August 1997.
The rationale behind ThinkSafe Towns was to encourage local industries and the community to work together to take a proactive approach to safety, adopting a safety culture and the ThinkSafe steps across all community sectors from schools, to workplaces, homes and on the road. To become a ThinkSafe town, a committee with representatives from a range of organisations within the town, had to develop and promote safety initiatives within the community with the aim of reducing the number of accidents and injuries in the town.
In March 1998 the Towns of Albany and Denmark gained ThinkSafe Town status.
The ThinkSafe Towns program was discontinued in April 2001 after a review found that although initially the program was received with great enthusiasm, it was difficult for committees to keep a significant percentage of the town committed to ThinkSafe safety initiatives.
7. Planet ThinkSafe (formerly ThinkSafe club)
The ThinkSafe Club commenced in December 1997. West Coast Eagles football player Glen Jakovich was the ThinkSafe Club spokesperson for eight years, visiting schools to promote safety.
In 2005 ThinkSafe Club was reviewed and will be replaced by Planet ThinkSafe in early 2006.
Planet ThinkSafe is an Internet based educational safety package enabling primary school children aged 8 to 12 to work through the ThinkSafe steps on their computers.
Teachers are provided with worksheets and teacher's notes for all activities on the club site and are encouraged to use the package with students during school hours.
8. WorkSafe Smart Move
Launched in October 1996, the ThinkSafe principles of Spot the hazard, Assess the risk and Make the changes were also incorporated into the WorkSafe Smart Move Internet package for high school students.
WorkSafe Smart Move is a safety and health Internet educational package for years 10, 11 and 12 high school students undertaking work experience and work placements. WorkSafe Smart Move aims to provide students with key information about occupational safety and health hazards and laws and provide guidance to some common safety and health problems.
9. WorkSafe week
Beginning in 1996, the ThinkSafe theme was also incorporated into WorkSafe's annual WorkSafe Week, which was held around August each year from 1995 to 2000. The week included short safety and health seminars organised by WorkSafe and a Safety and Health Expo, both featuring the ThinkSafe WorkSafe theme.
WorkSafe Week has since been replaced with other annual educational programs, such as a two day Work Safe and Beyond conference in March 2002 and three one day safety forums in Kalgoorlie, Bunbury, and Perth on 13, 15 and 30 May 2003 respectively.
10. Evaluation
WorkSafe contracts a market research company to conduct independent evaluation of the campaign periodically. The purpose of the evaluation is to determine whether the campaign advertising and supporting materials have raised occupational safety and awareness among the community, and whether there has been any relevant attitudinal or behavioural changes because of the campaign. Evaluation was conducted in 1996, 1997/1998, 1999, 2002 and 2004 .