It’s true that everyone has their preferences for consuming content and learning. But there’s no denying the way in which video content has taken off in the last decade.
From YouTube’s humble roots in 2005, the last fifteen years have seen incredible growth in video content creation. Now, YouTube gets 720,000 hours of video uploaded to it each and every day. That’s 262,800,000 hours of content a year!
The best thing about video content is that it’s accessible on all devices. And, as our attention spans have depleted in recent years, content is getting shorter and shorter to cater to this. Five to ten minute videos are easy to digest. So, whether you’re looking to follow safety leaders or funny safety video channels, these videos can be great for personal development, staff training, or daily safety briefings.
With the sheer volume of videos available, we’ve put together a list of the 9 most interesting YouTube safety channels to help you find the best. There’s a mixture of content available. Some channels post two-minute safety rundowns, while others cover near misses and safety accidents. Either way, those are definitely worth subscribing to!
US Department of Labor
If you’re looking for the most updated and accurate safety information available on YouTube, look no further than the US Department of Labor’s channel. They have several playlists such as videos in Spanish, content around apprenticeships, and regular safety content.
In the last year, they’ve posted several videos a month on topical themes such as COVID-19, maintaining social distancing, and tips on staying safe at work.
Most of their videos are 30 to 60 seconds long, making them ideal for short workplace safety topics. And, because of who they’re created by, you know you’re getting the most up-to-date and credible information possible!
National Safety Council
With a commitment to saving lives at work, at home, and everywhere in between, the National Safety Council is another national authority on safety.
Because of their focus, their content isn’t limited to workplace safety. They also create content for topics such as distracted driving, the blindspots of a car, and First Aid tips.
With over 5,500 subscribers, the National Safety Council channel is certainly one to follow. It has everything from inspirational content and stories to lessons and learning tools.
Ally Safety
The Ally Safety YouTube channel has the tagline “safety made entertaining” and we agree! With Rachel Walla (CSP) at the helm, this channel creates lively, interesting, and up-to-date short video content. And, if you are looking for funny safety moment ideas, this channel can provide the content to spice up your safety talks.
With nearly 3,500 followers, the Ally Safety channel has video playlists on themes such as safety training, industrial hygiene, and PPE.
A channel to watch to keep on top of the latest happenings, it has also created a “coronavirus workplace safety” playlist with twelve up-to-date videos on keeping employees safe. The videos are a fun mix of talking to camera pieces, as well as OSHA violations memes, animations, and topical comments dotted throughout.
WorkSafeBC
Another true authority and advocate for workplace safety is WorkSafeBC (or the Worker’s Compensation Board of British Columbia). If you’ve not heard of them before, their mandate is to prevent occupational injuries and diseases, and they investigate workplaces and serious incidents and fatalities.
With almost 90,000 subscribers, the WorkSafeBC YouTube channel posts regular short videos on safety topics including occupational disease and ladder safety. Besides this, they also create industry-specific content for construction, health care, transportation, and manufacturing, to name a few!
Although based in Canada, their content is relevant to those in all countries. One of their most popular playlists is their Incident Investigation Slide Shows.
This playlist is made up of 44 videos that show accidents and describes their investigations to explain not only how accidents happened, but how the safety hazards could have been identified and the accidents could’ve been prevented. Luckily, this content doesn’t include videos of the incidents, but some may involve graphic descriptions, so watch with caution!
These videos are true-to-life and very powerful, so the channel is definitely worth subscribing to. And, who knows, some of them may also make for a great safety message of the month or a manufacturing safety topic.
Oregon OSHA
With over 4,000 subscribers, Oregon OSHA’s YouTube channel is one to watch! Their most popular videos include workplace hazards identification, fall protection, and safe patient handling. However, they also cover things like workplace accidents, falls, and topical content around COVID-19.
The channel also hosts Facebook Lives and Q&As which are posted to YouTube, covering the latest rules and regulations. This makes the channel a great resource on topics ranging from tracking key safety metrics such as TRIR to OSHA compliance. Their videos date back to several years ago with very regular updates in between, so you’re sure to be able to find something to complement your toolbox talks from the Oregon OSHA channel.
Safetyhub by Safetycare
By online safety training provider Safetycare, the Safetyhub by Safetycare channel is another one to watch. With over 26,000 subscribers, they have playlists covering general safety training — from manual handling to office safety. What’s particularly special about this channel, is that their content is created and re-worked for Australia, UK, and the USA specifically, meaning you’ll benefit from national knowledge.
Also, if you take a look at their “popular uploads” section, you’ll see the first three videos that went viral for them, 11 or 12 years ago! Although some of their content is over 10 years old, many of the points made are still very relevant today.
Videos are still being uploaded to this channel regularly, so make sure to subscribe to it for the latest updates.
DuPont Sustainable Solutions
If you’re looking for content that can be shared among the team in short bursts, DuPoint Sustainable Solutions is a good place to start. Their ConsultDSS YouTube channel has almost 7,000 subscribers and covers topics such as improving safety culture, embracing diversity, and analyzing risk.
Their channel also has some content around specific industries, such as laboratory safety, office safety, and construction.
Spurred on by their funny safety training video that was uploaded in 2013 and now has over 1.7 million views, DuPont still uploads regularly to their channel — guides, videos, and how-tos.
SafetyVideos.com
For some homogenized free training videos, Safetyvideos.com’s YouTube channel is a great place to start. Their content is modern, up-to-date and the channel has been running for well over 5 years now.
They cover an enormous range of occupational safety topics from driving and dishwashing to hearing safety and eye protection on the job site. They have specific content for managers too, covering topics such as workplace violence, sexual harassment, and conducting audits.
While many of the videos available are simply previews of the longer videos to buy on their website, they do still range between 15-20 minutes in length. You might find that these previews cover the topics comprehensively, or that they give a good overview or introduction if you share them with your team.
This is a nice resource you can use to encourage workers as part of their personal development and ongoing training programs.
World Health Organization (WHO)
And, last but not least, the World Health Organization. With over 640,000 subscribers, the WHO YouTube channel is ideal for keeping up-to-date with the latest health news around the world.
While not just a safety channel, there are plenty of useful videos on there about workers’ rights and handwashing which are applicable to everyone. As expected from an international health authority, they also keep their subscribers up-to-date with the latest in COVID-19 precautions and guidelines.
With regular live sessions, Q&As and content uploaded almost every single day, subscribing to the World Health Organization’s YouTube channel is a must!
Conclusion
Hopefully, this list of workplace safety video channels on YouTube will inspire you to take a look at some of the videos they publish. Remember that video content can be used to train, teach, and develop your staff’s skills. You should also keep an eye on the authority channels in particular. The US Department of Labor and World Health Organization are resources that help you stay on top of the latest news and guidance.