Safety App Of The Week

July 14, 2014 No Comments

Below is this week’s “Safety App of the Week“.  Every Monday we publish an article that reviews and rates a new workplace safety app.  Our testing is done on Apple iPads and Samsung Galaxy Tab 3s.  We rate each app from ♥ to ♥♥♥♥♥ (♥♥♥♥♥ is the best).  Prior app of the week articles are archived here.

WCB Heads Up Alberta

Official Description  

“WCB-Alberta is committed to preventing workplace accidents and diseases. Working with employers, workers, industry safety associations and labour organizations, WCB promotes injury prevention and encourages the development of effective disability management services. With a strong eight-decade heritage, we’ve made significant progress in the prevention and management of work-related injury and illness.

WCB actively supports the involvement of workers, employers, researchers and educators in helping to improve workplace health and safety. 

As part of WCB’s ongoing efforts to promote safety and reduce accidents amongst young workers, it has launched its Heads Up Young Worker Safety Awareness Program – this iPad App supports its program though Comic Books.

You’re young. You have your whole life ahead of you. Get proper training and ask questions until you know how to do your job safely. Don’t be afraid – give safety a voice.

Did you know that 50% of accidents involving young workers happen in the first six months?

We hope you enjoy our comic books as a way to promote young safety.“¹

Thumbs Up

• cost is free
• no registration or sign in required 
• app contains 8 safety related comic books
• the focus is on “building construction” safety
• the quality of these comic books is top-notch – terrific artwork
• works off-line, no WiFi needed

Thumbs Down

• while entertaining, there’s not much of a safety message in any of these comic books
• childish plots – written at the 8 to 10-year-old level
• we’d never show these safety comic books to our new young hires

Overall Rating

• iPad/iPhone  – ♥♥♥
• Android  –  not currently available
• Overall –  great production value and entertaining, but not much of a safety message

¹ Descriptions courtesy of  iTunes

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