Workplace safety mascot: humanizing prevention in the workplace
Visit workplace safety mascot allows you to better warn of dangers and thus prevent accidents within your company.
Why integrate a mascot into your workplace safety strategy?
Incorporating a mascot into your workplace safety strategy can prove beneficial. Indeed, the prevention of occupational hazards represents a crucial challenge for companies. However, it is often difficult to communicate good practices effectively and ensure that they are adopted by teams.
Common problems :
- Prevention messages perceived as boring or too technical.
- Difficulty maintaining employee commitment over the long term.
- Need to reinforce the company's safety culture.
Case study: DAMA the mascot at Baudelet Environnement.
Groupe Baudelet, experts in waste management, called on Fresh Organic Motion to design DAMA. DAMA is a digital mascot inspired by the deer that inhabit their eco-park. The objectives were achieved, in particular by heightening team awareness of safety instructions. What's more, the DAMA has been incorporated into a variety of internal media, such as posters, training courses and newsletters. In this way, we have been able to reinforce the company's identity thanks to this emblematic figure.
What does INRS have to say about graphic representations (mascots) for safety?
The INRS stresses that employers must establish health and safety signage wherever necessary, based on risk assessment.
Sign shapes, colors and symbols are standardized: they must not be modified. In this context, the use of a mascot is permitted as an educational complement (posters, totems, visuals...), provided that it never replaces or interferes with regulatory signs, and that it complies with official signage standards.
To be complied with (the essentials from the INRS side)
- Sign conformity: regulated shapes & colors (they cannot be modified)
- Maintain proportions, contrasts and visibility; do not "rebrand" symbols.
🔵 Obligation: blue circle with white pictogram.
🚫 Prohibition: circle with white background and red border + diagonal bar, black pictogram.
⚠️ Warning: yellow triangle with black border, black pictogram.
✅ Rescue / evacuation: green square/rectangle with white pictogram.
🟥 Fire: red square/rectangle with white pictogram.
Using a mascot (micro-scenarios, reminders of good practices, short videos) is an excellent idea, as are the INRS Napo films; the mascot reinforces the message without ever replacing official signage.
Sources (direct links)
INRS - ED 6293 (PDF) : Occupational health and safety signs - Regulations
https://www.inrs.fr/dam/inrs/CataloguePapier/ED/TI-ED-6293.pdf
INRS - Tool 10 : Warning pictograms (download)
https://www.inrs.fr/media.html?refINRS=outil10
INRS - ED 885 (PDF) : Occupational health and safety signs (principles & symbols)
https://www.inrs.fr/dam/inrs/CataloguePapier/ED/TI-ED-885.pdf
What are the advantages of a mascot for your internal communications?
Mascots offer a number of advantages for internal communications, including humanizing messages, establishing an emotional bond with employees and facilitating their commitment to instructions. In addition, they can represent corporate values such as trust, cohesion and responsibility. Finally, their versatility means they can be used on a variety of media, such as posters, videos, e-learning modules and promotional items.
What PPE can your mascot wear?
- 🪖 Safety helmet - Against impact or falling objects
- 🥽 Safety goggles - To preserve your eyes
- 🎧 Hearing protection - When the environment is noisy
- 😷 Protective mask - Against dust and chemicals
- 🧤 Safety gloves - To avoid cuts and burns
- 👕 High-visibility vest - To stay visible
- 👖 Work pants or overalls - Adapted to the activity
- 👢 Safety shoes or boots - Non-slip, hinged
- 🧷 Fall arrest harnesses - For work at height
💡 Tip: A well-equipped mascot catches the eye, amuses... and effectively raises awareness for all audiences!
Your workplace safety mascot.
There are many ways to use your mascot. Let's take a look at the most common. Firstly, personalized posters for use in every department or work area. Secondly, interactive training modules where the mascot plays the role of guide. Then there are totems and signposts to ensure a physical presence in the field. Finally, there are digital supports such as GIFs, videos and avatars for intranet or internal applications.
Tailor-made support with Fresh Organic Motion
At Fresh Organic Motion, mascot creation goes beyond simple design. We take a strategic approach, aligning the mascot with your communication objectives, corporate values and industry specifics. Our collaborative process guarantees a mascot that reflects you and speaks to your teams.
We invite you to contact us for your mascot creation needs.