Have you ever cast a critical eye on your workplace and thought how safe it is? This year, as a pilot project, AS VALMIERAS STIKLA ŠĶIEDRA organised a health and safety risk assessment game in which our employees together with their chosen teams identified health and safety risks in a specially equipped rooms using gamification elements. The main objective was to find and prevent potential risks.
The game took place from 20 February to 3 March. The participants had 20 minutes to identify and name as many workplace environment hazard situations as possible, e.g. risk of electric shock, cutting, bruising, falling or tripping, collisions, slipping, poisoning, breathing in dust, forced postures, heat, noise, etc.
“We see the game format as a great way to discuss health and safety aspects in a casual and free setting. It’s not a secret that we remember and learn better from real life situations and when we find the manner of teaching engaging. The game is an effective and easily comprehensible way to give employees an understanding of work environment hazards and to get them involved in proactive identification and prevention of these hazards. The company employees tried to find 164 work environment hazards at improvised workstations, such as an office, a lab and a workshop. The most sharp-sighted team found 130 of those, which is a very good achievement. “Photos taken during the game will also serve as a great teaching material for other employees,” said Pārsla Dance, Head of Environment, Health and Safety Department.
Overall, 33 teams with 134 members participated in the challenge. All participants of the game received a memento – a reflective shopper bag with the inscription Safety Does Not Hurt as a reminder that safe working environment means far fewer chances to get injured. The top three teams received a team-building prize – tickets to a movie or a visit to a bowling alley or a restaurant.