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Is That Safety Bulletin a Fake'
1/29/2007
Indianapolis -- The images are graphic and the message seemingly credible. It's a safety warning from a reputable corporation offering information about a curious injury incident. The document will be a great 'lessons learned' source to share with employees at the next safety briefing. One problem: the warning is a complete fabrication.
The latest in a series of false safety warnings involves a fake bulletin recounting burns to the hand suffered by a user of a hand sanitizer. This fictitious bulletin suggests residue from the alcohol-based hand sanitizer ignited when the user lit a cigarette immediately after applying the product to his hands. (click here for the fake bulletin).
In a letter issued on January 29, 2007, the manufacturer of the product proclaimed the bulletin to be 'false, unfounded, and defamatory.'
This phony warning was encountered on what appeared to be a company's 'Safety Moment' bulletin, but was reported to have also been associated with several other corporate logos as well. The hand sanitizer manufacturer is working closely with these companies to trace the original source. The photos used in the document were gleaned from an authentic safety bulletin recounting an electrical burn incident.
Whether they are created as a joke or as revenge against an employer, false safety bulletins can damage a company's reputation and harm the credibility of safety professionals. 'We have to eye every safety bulletin from unknown sources with skepticism,' says James Kriner, a safety advisor with Safety Management Group of Indiana , Inc. 'It's always troubling when you find out they aren't genuine.'
Kriner knows the perils of authenticating safety bulletins because he reviews dozens of them each week and helps facilitate a contractor safety information sharing Web Site. The Web Site collects and distributes safety bulletins and recall announcements.
Kriner recently encountered the false hand sanitizer bulletin did some research that verified the document was false. 'Checking some web resources helped identify the document as being a fake.'
Anyone with a computer and a bit of imagination can produce what will appear to be a genuine safety bulletin. Ironically, the same conduit that helps these documents spread across the world is also a source of help in spotting the fakes. The worldwide web can help those who have a question about the authenticity of a safety bulletin. The Web Site snopes.com is a useful resource to verify false information. In fact, the site already had information on the infamous hand sanitizer bulletin (click here).
At least two other prominent false safety bulletins received wide distribution over the internet in recent years. One involved a fraudulently altered 'Stop Use' warning for Skyjack Scissorlifts issued in September 2005 (click here for article). Another false warning pertaining to cell phones causing fires at fuel pumps began circulating in June 2002 (click here for details).
Users of safety bulletins should eye documents with some degree of skepticism, understanding that legitimate safety warnings issued by corporations will almost always have contact information. Still in doubt about a document's authenticity' Kriner recommends follow up, 'contact the source and ask.'
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