Abstract
Scope of this paper is to share how Saipem has revolutionized (and continues to do so) the language used to communicate health and safety in the workplace, with the aim of instilling passion for these issues in its workers and encouraging them to always, first and foremost, think about how to protect their health and safety as well as those of the people with whom they live and work.
We knew we could not use conventional means of communication to reach this very challenging goal. We decided to find a way to bring a breath of fresh air to an industry that has historically based its communications on rational and procedural methods by innovating our language.
Another key factor for change was creating engagement and aggregation, bringing people together through their passion for health and safety and creating shared values within the company.
This is how health and safety at work became the focus of the "Sharing Love for Health & Safety" campaign which unleashed the creativity and enthusiasm of thousands of people around the world: they made extraordinary material using various artistic forms of expression (ranging from theatre to painting and photography); with the aid of multimedia, organized Flash Mobs; reinvented the Selfie fad and renamed it "Safe-Selfie;" and used famous songs that were inspired by the themes of life and safety.
The "Sharing Love for Health & Safety" campaign, launched by Saipem in 2012 on the World Day for Safety and Health at Work on the 28th of April, is revived each year with new ideas and trends.
The increasingly viral participation by Saipem employees in this initiative is the demonstration of the cultural change initiated by the company. The success of this campaign is the very proof of how a company population, with no sense of geographic or cultural boundaries, can feel united by their shared passion for life, health, well-being and safety.
By studying innovative tools, choosing new universal forms of expression and ways of coming together and aggregating, Saipem has distinguished itself as the company where thousands of people share the same values and focus primarily on health and safety at work.
Naturally the way ahead is long, but the seeds for generating a true cultural revolution have been firmly sown and are starting to germinate.