Survey: Storytelling can be an effective tool to help keep workers safe

Here’s a way to get more bang for your buck from safety training: Encourage your crew members to share their personal stories about workplace injury incidents and near misses.

That’s your takeaway from a recent report from the National Safety Council. Researchers interviewed safety professionals employed by eight different companies to better understand best practices for keeping staff members safe. They found that storytelling can be a useful tool in encouraging workers to follow safety procedures because it allows crew members to connect emotionally with the story.

To be effective, however, according to the survey, the storytelling must be paired with safety training and reviews of safety procedures to make sure staff members are aware of the actionable steps needed to prevent injury incidents similar to the ones detailed in the personal stories.

Several participants in the survey reported that personal stories told by crew members or leaders had a lasting emotional impact on them and reinforced their belief that safety procedures can help save lives.

(From the January 26, 2026, issue of Safety Alert for Supervisors. To start your no-obligation trial subscription to the publication right now, please click here.)