The Impact of Storytelling in OHS

When we think about workplace safety, black and white images of rigid guidelines, checklists, and regulations often come to mind. For many (if not most of the workforce), regulations and policies can feel like a monotonous list of rules imposed by someone far removed from the realities of everyday work life in a suit and tie somewhere. Couple that sentiment with past exposure that these folks have had to green OHS Professionals who stand there with a clip board, checklist, and rule book without any idea of what work is actually being done and you have the perfect recipe for adversarial safety interactions.

Let's be honest here—much of OHS appears (and sometimes is) drab. Policies are often written in dense legalese, making them difficult to digest for the average worker. There’s nothing wrong with the policies being written the way they are because ultimately policies are written to protect organizational due diligence, it makes sense that the legalese is strong in them. Keeping in mind though that there is a difference between a policy and a procedure or practice. As a footnote, it’s important that workers know how to navigate a policy, but ultimately it’s most important that they understand the procedures and practices that apply to the work that they do. Often, workers see the mountain of safety paperwork as obstacles to their workflow rather than important components of a safe workplace. This perception can lead to a culture of complacency, where safety is inadvertently ignored, and risks are taken lightly.

Storytelling can change that narrative. By framing safety issues within the context of relatable experiences, we engage individuals on a deeper emotional level, making safety resonate with their lives and values.

Humans are inherently drawn to stories. They stir up emotions, create connections, and trigger our natural empathy. When we hear a story, especially one about a tragedy, it stirs something inside of us, even if we don’t know the person involved. Change is almost always a result of emotion.

Now, I understand that not everyone in our profession will have had the experience of being involved in a workplace fatality or critical injury, so it might not be as easy for them to hit the emotional notes when communicating with workers, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways around it. There are plenty of instances that we all know about involving tragedies in the workplace and plenty of resources available out there where someone’s story is recounted and available for the public to view.

Organizations such as Threads Of Life dedicate themselves to telling these stories. Stories that describe an individual’s aspirations, the day-to-day interactions with coworkers, and the ripple effects felt by their family and friends. The details of their life, their hopes and dreams, and the sudden loss that changed the everything. It’s in stories like these, written or told by the people who have experienced them that the statistics and regulations that typically govern OHS fade into the background and are replaced by a vivid image of the real-life consequences of ignoring safety.

See, when safety training incorporates storytelling, it helps to humanize the numbers, because the truth is that the numbers are people. Instead of just presenting the data about workplace accidents, we can share stories that highlight the impact of those accidents on real people. This helps workers understand that safety isn’t just a set of rules to follow; they are lifelines that protect themselves, their friends, and their families.

When we frame discussions around real-life events, we build a culture of awareness and responsibility. Workers begin to see the importance of safety not just as a matter of compliance (getting slapped on the hand), but as a moral obligation to themselves and each other.

To be effective in OHS through storytelling, consider the following:

Authenticity: Use real stories. Personal accounts resonate more than hypothetical scenarios. There are videos out there from organizations like Threads of Life - Association for Workplace Tragedy Family Support , Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) , OSHA, etc. that I guarantee will have an impact. Consider using the stories of others through their own words when you haven’t had the unfortunate opportunity to experience it yourself.

Emotion: Focus on the emotional impact of the events. Describe the feelings of loss, regret, and responsibility that accompany workplace incidents. As a parent and a husband, it always stuck with me when investigating a fatality or critical injury how someone just lost a father, a husband, a brother, and a friend.

Connection: Encourage people to share their own experiences. This peer-to-peer sharing creates a community of safety advocates who support each other. You’d be surprised how many people in the workforce have experienced something on site. Every roofer I’ve ever spoken to in the course of an inspection or investigation has told me that they’ve fallen before or know someone who has. Every pipelayer I’ve ever spoken to has been in a trench that partially collapsed at least once. Get them to open up and share, it will have an impact on the newer workers around them.

Call to Action: End with a powerful message that reinforces the importance of safety. Encourage people to reflect on the role they each play in protecting themselves and each other. The sense of moral duty makes a world of difference.

In our world, storytelling isn’t just an art reserved for filmmakers and authors; it’s a tool that can redefine how we approach connecting the why of safety to the workers doing the work. By moving beyond the dry repetition of rules and regulations, we create an emotional connection that inspires a natural culture of safety.

Check out Threads of Life Here: https://threadsoflife.ca/about-us/