Worried your health and safety innovation isn’t big or bold enough for Safety Den? Don’t be. Over the many years, we’ve hosted the event, there is always one common trait the most successful submissions share: they’re simplistic.

The winning submissions don’t require a large financial investment or a fancy piece of equipment—quite the opposite. Low-tech solutions like a whiteboard or a piece of paper are all you need to make a big difference.

In 2018, Revera took home the top prize of $1,000 with their submission, Topic Tags. Using just a standard letter-sized piece of paper, staff print a double-side “luggage tag” style ID with information about a resident on one side. The other side of the tag contains a visual cue, such as a picture from their youth, to serve as a visual distraction. If your organization has a printer—and optionally, a laminator—you can implement this idea.

Similarly, Castleview Care Centre impressed the Safety Dragons in 2021 without any high-tech solutions. Their winning entry, the Fears and Solutions project, uses only a poster (or a whiteboard) to facilitate a discussion. Staff list their work-related fears on one side of a poster and then work together to write solutions to them on the other side. It’s another example of an initiative that any organization can easily implement.

These entries show what Safety Den is about: a celebration of innovation from people like you. Your simple ideas can improve the health and safety of your workplace—and they can win you $1,000 at Safety Den. Submit your idea here by March 31 for a chance to present at Safety Den.