Safety and health at work through persuasive assistance systems

Abstract

In working environments, violations against safety regulations like the use of personal protective equipment pose a significant threat to well-being and health of working people. A laboratory study investigated the potential of different computer generated feedback forms encouraging users to wear protective equipment (PPE), even when this PPE hinders their primary work task, thus threatening their financial compensation. The results show a substantial increase in usage of PPE when being confronted with a persuasive designed feedback like a traffic light or an emotional expression of a virtual avatar. In contrast, solely informative feedback showed no significant impact of safety behavior. In summary, the findings indicate a potential of persuasive technology for occupational safety affairs and underline the importance of the outward appearance of computer generated persuasive messages. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.