Oxford Brookes Centre For Health, Medicine And Society Podcasts

Today safety education seems to be everywhere – just think of the annual Christmas anti-drink/driving campaign, using TV and radio adverts, posters, newspaper messages and more. Where did this idea of using the media to try to persuade people to change their behaviour start? Drawing on his Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded work, in this seminar Mike Esbester explores the origins and spread of safety education, from the pre-First World War workplace, to road safety and even into the home. He looks at the techniques that were used to spread messages (including handkerchiefs, milk bottle tops and Christmas paper), the relationships between health education and safety education, and the role of voluntary and government organisations in producing safety education. Mike considers what messages were put forward – including the idea that people must look after themselves – and questions whether or not safety education has reduced deaths and injuries. This seminar took place at Oxford Brookes Universi