Shopfloors can often be hierarchical and may not enable open conversations – this may particularly be the case for contract workforce which often has a high churn rate. However, a culture of safety, where hazards and risks are pre-emptively identified, recognized, and addressed requires a degree of comfort, trust and a common vocabulary that enables ease of dialogue across the hierarchy. This may be challenging to achieve using existing tools.

The ProVR safety card game, by virtue of being a game (!), allows staff, supervisors, and workers to step away from their ‘work-roles’ and engage in an informal conversation. In our experience, if the supervisor and/or manager invites the staff to a card game, it is met with amusement, curiosity, and openness. While it may take a few minutes for everyone to get comfortable with the new format, very soon, the very act of playing the game allows for conversations to flow. The illustration-rich cards, covering hazards, accidents and the safe practices are designed to guide the players in identifying, recognizing, and articulating the many common causes of accidents and helping all the players discuss what the best practices are, and identify and address common misconceptions.

Safety is very much a team effort and requires constant vigilance. A culture where everyone is approachable, has a common, shared vocabulary and has discussed common risks, hazards and responses multiple times is a culture that can respond proactively to identify, recognize and address risks and hazards before they convert to accidents. The card game is a very simple but elegant tool to help translate the intent of building a culture of safety into action – one step at a time.