Napo — safety with a smile

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Napo — safety with a smile

Napo, as the hero in a series of animated films, provides light-hearted, discussion-provoking introductions to occupational safety and health (OSH) topics and risk prevention.

Napo is a typical worker in any industry or sector. Often, he is exposed to common hazards and risky situations in the workplace. However, he is actively involved in identifying risks and providing practical solutions.

Napo has now become the main ambassador for EU-OSHA’s Healthy Workplaces Campaigns and many of his films link with or support these campaigns. He also appears in person at key campaign events.

Napo’s films

Together with his workmates, Napo stars in a series of language-free films, which allow people of all backgrounds, cultures and ages to understand and identify with him. The films cover a wide variety of safety and health topics, for example:

New films are issued regularly as topics are identified. The films are produced by the Napo Consortium, made up of a small group of OSH-related European organisations and EU-OSHA.

Napo in the workplace

These online resources are designed to help organisations use Napo films not only to raise awareness about health and safety topics but also to generate group discussions amongst their own staff and those in their supply chains. They are also suitable for use on vocational training courses.

The first series, titled ‘Understanding Musculoskeletal Disorders’, assists individuals and organisations to think about MSDs, such as back pain, upper limb disorders and repetitive strain injuries, in every aspect of a worker’s life. This type of reflection can help organisations develop complete solutions to reduce the impact of MSDs, and by this help them provide fulfilled working lives for individuals, their families and communities.

Napo for teachers

Napo also helps to introduce safety and health to primary school children. EU-OSHA, supported by the Napo Consortium, has devised an occupational safety and health online toolkit for teachers. Study packs are provided containing:

  • Key messages and learning objectives
  • Activity ideas and online resources
  • Sample 45-minute lesson plans

After a successful pilot scheme, these lessons are being developed and expanded throughout Europe.

Napo Consortium

The Napo Film Consortium emerged from the European Year of Safety and Health 1992/3, and European Film Festivals organised by the European Commission.

The Commission supported Film Festivals in the belief that it was possible to identify and adapt the best films for use throughout the European Union. This proved difficult. Many films were made by commercial production companies unwilling to give up their rights. Cultural differences meant that images, storylines and the ‘look and feel’ made it difficult to adapt and transfer films across national boundaries.

Following the Film Festival in Strasbourg in 1995, four active communications professionals from France, Germany, Sweden and the UK met to discuss ways in which it might be possible to commission and produce a film for use throughout Europe.

The Napo Consortium currently comprises eight members: AUVA (Austria), CIOP (Poland), DGUV (Germany), EU-OSHA (Bilbao, Spain), INAIL (Italy), INRS (France), SUVA (Switzerland) and TNO (Netherlands).