Creating Safety Handouts

Have you ever waited until the last minute to design a safety handouts – maybe even right before holding a safety meeting? Sometimes people create them without realizing that an excellent safety handout could make a fairly successful safety meeting a really successful safety meeting.

Why Provide Have Safety Handouts?

• Display information visually, which is better for visual learners.
• In order for attendees to remember your safety meeting.
• In order for safety meeting participants to concentrate on them meeting instead having to write down everything that’s being said.
• In order for safety meeting participants to have a guide for future research.
• For participants to have something to refer to when planning safety meetings.

Safety Handouts: When to Design Them?

Safety Handouts ought to be created when you’re planning a safety meeting. This helps to ensure that the information you include will be relevant to your meeting.

It’s a great idea to print out your safety handouts early in order to avoid potential problems (ever had a copier jam up right before your safety meeting is about to start?)

Safety Handouts: When to Give Them Out?

Some people say to give them out before the meeting while other recommend giving them out at the time they are relevant (during the meeting). Still others recommend giving them out after the meeting. That said, keep in mind that most people will look at whatever you give them at the time you give it to them. It’s human nature to do that. So be sure to plan accordingly and give them whenever you feel it makes the most sense.

Safety Handouts: What to include?

• Make certain to an outline of the main topics in your safety meeting.
• Don’t forget that with safety handouts “less is more” so be brief.
• Additional safety information or bibliography.
• Be sure to include safety illustrations, charts and graphics
• Be sure to include specific information that attendees will want to refer in the future.
• Be sure to make part of your safety handout an activity guide.

Safety Handouts: Design Tips?

• Attempt to leave at least a 3/4 inch margin on each side.
• If you have several safety handouts, make them individually discernible by using different colors.
• Make certain to set off important information using italics, bolding and/or underlining.
• Make certain to use fewer than four fonts in a handout.
• Make sure to leave plenty of white space for easy reading.
• Serif fonts (Times New Roman) are more impressive than sans serif fonts (such as Arial).
• Try organizing info into a two-column format.
• Use bullet lists because they are easier to scan and understand.

When you are safety handout is complete, ask yourself the following:

• Are there helpful safety websites or applicable safety tips are needed/included?
• Do the safety facts flow well?
• Does the safety handout look appealing?
• Is your personal contact info included?
• When a attendee were to forget everything you presented, would the data included in the safety handout help them remember the main ideas?