To encourage workers to be proactive about their personal safety, we added a human face and story to workplace safety signs, giving workers a more powerful reason to rethink safety.

Working with the families of deceased workers, we crafted a typeface that memorialized workers who had died on the job. Each letter was inspired by the likeness of a deceased worker and told their story. The typeface was used to recreate the three most common workplace safety signs: SLIPPERY WHEN WET, WATCH YOUR STEP and KEEP HANDS AWAY. Each sign was placed close to potential hazards in factories, warehouses, and other jobsites to remind workers about the importance of workplace safety.

Initial results are positive. Workplaces that display the redesigned safety signs have reported that workers are placing a higher emphasis on workplace safety.