Comedian launches ‘Be safe guy’ campaign

WorkSafe has enlisted the help of a viral YouTube sensation to launch its ‘‘Be a Safe Guy’’ campaign.

Self-confessed ‘‘class clown’’ D’Angelo Martin, of Te Rarawa, has been making people laugh with his online skits since 2015.

Now he’s hoping he can use his talent to help reduce workplace injuries – particularly for Ma¯ ori who are 33 per cent more likely to suffer a workplace injury than the general population, according to Stats NZ. ‘‘I was keen [to get involved] at the start but once they told me the stats, I was even more keen,’’ Martin said.

WorkSafe has launched the advertising campaign in hopes it will get workers thinking about how they can play their own part in making workplaces safer.

In it, Martin plays the part of a worker, speaking up about health and safety as a number of different characters – including ‘‘thinks he’s funny guy’’, ‘‘forgets he’s wearing ear muffs guy’’, and ‘‘waits ‘til smoko guy’’.

The campaign aims to tell people that there is no wrong way to say the right thing.

One quarter of Ma¯ ori workers work in high risk industries, including manufacturing, utilities, construction industries, agriculture, transport, postal and warehousing.

Since 2013, more than 40 workers between the age of 18 and 30 years old have lost their lives in the workplace.

Ma¯ ori workplace fatality rates are 19 per cent higher by industry and 10 per cent higher by occupation than for nonMa¯ ori.