A digital display within your workplace is a great way to communicate internal messages to employees like upcoming staff events and important safety messages. But in order to be truly effective, this type of display board must be updated regularly with relevant topics. Deciding what to include in a digital display can be overwhelming, especially now, five months into the year, when days are lighter, the weather is warmer and it seems like all the good ideas start drying up. But don’t sweat it—we’re here to help. We’ve come up with monthly toolbox talk topics, off-the-job safety topics and now we have you covered for internal digital display topics. Use our suggestions for your display presentations and charge up your organization’s employee engagement.
For the month of May, why not focus on the sun? As mentioned in our off-the-job safety topic blog post for the month, Sun Awareness Week is in May. While that post provides information that can be used in safety talks or presentations, it’s also a great topic for a digital display presentation in the workplace because it applies to both on and off-the-job safety.
And it’s not just Sun Awareness Week. The Friday before Memorial Day has been designated as Don’t Fry Day (May 24), and just a few days later is National Sunscreen Protection Day (May 27). As the names suggest, these occasions mean to raise awareness for sunscreen products and their valuable benefits to our skin and overall well-being. The harsh reality is that anyone—regardless of age, gender, or skin tone—can get skin cancer whether they’re at work, at home or on the beach. It’s not a bad idea to focus your presentation on sun safety and skin protection for the entire month of May. After all, it’s also Skin Cancer Awareness Month.
More than 2 people die of skin cancer in the U.S. every hour. Educating workers on the importance of sunscreen is a good step towards prevention.
Did the stat in the previous paragraph get your attention? Sharing stats in digital display presentations is a great way to get people to stop and learn more. Stats that could apply directly to your intended audience will draw them in. As an example, think about this one:
1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70
This general stat should be applicable enough to grab their attention. But beyond attracting viewers, stats can be used to deliver important information like: when detected early, the 5-year survival rate for melanoma is 99 percent. This fact, which applies to everyone, might be followed with a helpful list of symptoms to help with early detection.
The ABCDEs of Early Detection is a graphic way to help people know what to look for when examining their skin for melanoma. Showing an image of moles vs. melanoma when defining the ABCDEs will help people understand the difference between good and bad. Try dedicating a slide of your presentation to each of the ABCDEs and include a complimentary image:
Asymmetry – Melanomas are not usually symmetrical and are likely to have an uneven shape. The two halves may be different shapes or sizes.
Borders – Melanoma borders tend to be uneven, and blurry and/or may have scalloped or notched/jagged edges. Common moles tend to have smoother, more even borders.
Color – Melanomas are usually uneven in color or more than one shade—often shades of brown, black or tan, but some can be red or pink.
Diameter – Call your doctor if the width of a mole or skin growth is larger than 1/4 inch (6 mm). That size is indicative that it might be cancerous.
Evolution – The most important warning sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape or color of a mole or other skin growth.
Once you educate your viewers on melanoma detection, the natural transition is to teach them about prevention. That’s where sunscreen comes in. Since sunscreen is a common part of most people’s lives, your audience may have become complacent about it. That’s why it’s so important to include it in any presentation about sun safety. But it can be a challenge to keep folks’ attention when discussing a topic they think they know everything about.
You might want to try to find a way to tell them to wear sunscreen in a less obvious way. Or better yet, pique their interest by highlighting the reasons people don’t wear sunscreen in an effort to get them to see why it’s important. A fun way to engage an audience is through myth-busting. Point out common myths about sunscreen and inform viewers of the truth. This can be an entertaining way to get your audience thinking about their own preconceptions about sunscreen, especially if they use some of these myths as an excuse to bathe in sunlight unprotected.
Myth #1 – I have dark skin, I don’t need to wear sunscreen.
Darker skin is just as susceptible to sun damage as lighter skin. Some complexions only make it harder to see a sunburn.
Myth #2 – My sunscreen is SPF60 so I don’t need to apply it as often.
The number associated with SPF indicates the level of protection from ultraviolet (UV) rays, not the duration. Regardless of the number on the bottle, you must reapply sunscreen at least every two hours to ensure adequate defense outdoors.
Myth #3 – I don’t need to wear sunscreen on a cloudy day or in the winter.
This is a big one. Many people believe sunscreen is only required if the body is in direct sunlight. The UV radiation from the sun can penetrate full cloud cover. And wintery conditions can even enhance your risk of sun exposure. Snow can reflect 90% of the UV radiation from the sun’s rays, putting your nose, chin and other normally out-of-reach areas in the line of fire.
Myth #4 – I don’t need sunscreen when driving in my car.
The shell of a car isn’t a sunscreen alternative—they have an abundance of windows. That’s why people often get those one-armed sunburns from driving their vehicles. Sunroofs also provide an unexpected glow over people as they drive. It’s wise to wear sunscreen daily, regardless of your plans, and then reapply sunscreen if your plans shift to being outside.
The list of myths can be as long or short as necessary to make your point. You can come up with your own myths to bust or find suggestions from a trusted online source of sun safety resources. Just keep your primary goal in mind: communicating that sunscreen is a very necessary part of everyone’s day.
To really make your point, you could express that workers should think of sunscreen as part of their required PPE. If you’re following along with our tips for creating effective digital presentations, make this your call to action. It will show employees that this is a serious issue and that you care for their well-being. You could even provide each employee with a bottle of sunscreen. This gift will demonstrate your commitment to their safety, draw attention to the digital display presentation and get people talking about it around your facility.
Stay safe this May and remember, just because the temperature isn’t sweltering yet, that doesn’t mean the sun won’t do damage. Get the word out to your employees to help them enjoy the brightness of spring without the added risk that comes with being outdoors.