SafetyOn drives safer practices across the onshore wind industry through powerful storytelling and sector‑wide collaboration
Award‑winning campaign raised industry‑wide awareness of hand injuries, used real‑life storytelling to change attitudes, and strengthened safety culture.
The challenge
SafetyOn began collecting health and safety incident data in 2020, and the findings quickly highlighted a persistent issue: hand injuries were the most common incidents across the onshore wind industry. Further analysis helped uncover the root causes and the real impact these injuries can have.
With thousands of technicians, windfarm owners, operators, service providers, developers and health and safety professionals to reach, the team wanted a campaign that would raise awareness and reduce risk across this diverse audience.
They also needed to overcome the stigma often attached to health and safety training. Many workers assume incidents will never happen to them, so SafetyOn knew they had to create something that would genuinely resonate and feel different from traditional training.
The solution
A documentary‑style video brought Chaz’s real story to life, using the power of storytelling to explain the “why” behind safer working practices. Chaz, an experienced wind turbine mechanic, describes how a split‑second incident caused a life‑changing hand injury. Hearing the impact in his own words is far more compelling than pages of facts. His experience affects both his work and personal life, and his honesty prompts viewers to reflect. People often assume accidents only happen to those who are careless, but Chaz is relatable and careful, which reinforces that the risks are real for everyone.
Chaz’s story became the centrepiece of a wider hand‑injury campaign. Three additional short explainer animations were created using narration and simple scribe illustration to highlight key themes: the importance of design and engineering controls, using the correct tools, and selecting and wearing the right PPE, including gloves. Together, these resources help promote safer habits across the workforce.
The results
A multi-award-winning campaign
SafetyOn won ‘Campaign of the Year’ at the IOSH Scotland Awards in November 2023. The awards recognise excellence in occupational safety and health leadership. Each nomination is evaluated by an expert panel of OSH professionals, with a focus on innovation, leadership, engagement and measurable impact.
The campaign also won the Positive Improvement Award at the Scottish Green Energy Awards.
