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NEW YOUTH CAMPAIGN FOCUSES ON INJURY PREVENTION

The WCB knows what Manitoba youth did this summer. They went surfing.

“This summer, we targeted our SAFE Work injury prevention message at the youth market using the Internet,” says WCB Chairperson Tom Farrell. “We know that reaching out to young people requires different tactics, because they respond to messages in different ways, through different mediums.”

In June and July, Manitoba youth responded to the WCB’s new advertising tactics with zeal. They surfed to safemanitoba.com to learn about the WCB’s injury prevention campaign and watched three ‘scary’ workplace safety webisodes, fashioned after popular teen horror movies.

The webisodes included three workplace injury scenarios often encountered by youth: working with a key cutter, cleaning a meat grinder, and using chemicals for cleaning.

The online movies provided opportunities for viewers to spot workplace hazards, and after correctly identifying workplace risks and learning about the importance of training, online visitors were given a chance to win an iPod Touch.

Launched at the beginning of June, the campaign also included TV, radio, billboards and a Facebook group. By the end of July, the youth campaign generated 10,410 website visits to safemanitoba.com, representing 7,296 unique visitors and 64,320 contest entries. As well, approximately 700 people joined the campaign’s Facebook group.

“We are thrilled with these results,” says Warren Preece, WCB’s Director of Communications. “The numbers indicate that young

Manitobans were seeing our ‘Spot the Hazard’ message, and spreading the word to their friends. We are going to build on the campaign’s success and launch Phase II in the fall, reaching youth in schools by using partners like the SAFE Workers of Tomorrow and Manitoba educators to communicate the WCB’s main message that workplace injuries are preventable.”

The SAFE Work program has also begun running its fall television ad campaign, which focuses on the need for training among Manitoba’s workers. Each of the three ads feature young children doing adult jobs amidst a host of workplace hazards, driving home the campaign’s message that safe workers aren’t born, they’re trained.