Image-Based Safety Training
Linda M. Tapp · ASSE Professional Development Conference and Exposition · 2015
Even the newest of safety trainers know visual aids are an important part of safety training. When trainees are illiterate or have English as a second-language, graphics and photos are even more important. Image based communication has been growing in popularity although images have always been an important part of communication – even the cavemen drew pictures! Today, images are used to communicate everywhere and often as a primary method of communication. Images are more popular than ever. Some of the fastest growing social media applications are image based. Pinterest and Instagram are just two examples. To understand why this is so, consider the following. In 2010, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said that we now create more information in two days than we created from the dawn of man up until 2003. With so much information readily available to all of us, you can see why it is so hard to get people’s attention – and to get them to remember what they have heard or seen. As the adage goes, “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words” and using visuals can greatly add to your message. If someone has the choice to look at an image in an effort to gain understanding of something, or read a paragraph or more of text, the visual option will be much more inviting.