There’s nothing more attractive to a politician than a great photo op with children. This with the Prime Minister of Australia this weekend.

How wonderful to see kids dressed up in PPE that doesn’t fit, all smiling with the PM.

Of course, this is not just a photo op but also a symbol (semiotic) that conveys an unconscious message. However, when you have no idea about semiotics, all images are neutral, objective and have no meaning.

So the event was a promotion of Mining by the PM in Western Australia. And no-one else is wearing PPE because they were not in an area that required it. This all happened in a public conference area.

This is kids playing ‘dress ups’, with glasses that don’t fit, hard hats that are too big and dangerous and branding for the mining company that pays no tax.

How cute!

How great to see kids dress up in safety gear!

The only thing better might be a sexy woman with a split dress and low top to promote PPE. Afterall, isn’t great to make safety sexy! (https://safetyrisk.net/safety-isnt-sexy-and-it-shouldnt-be/). As long as any image promotes safety it must be an ethical image, right? Remember this one?

I know, lets get a MAGA hat and make it mean whatever we want (https://safetyrisk.net/making-safety-a-laughing-stock-again/). Didn’t you know, a swastika is a symbol of love and care. This is what you get from an industry that doesn’t want to know about symbolism (semiotics) or the medium is the message (https://safetyrisk.net/the-medium-is-the-message/).

These kids in PPE are not cute. They are being used as pawns for a mining campaign. And, their PPE is NOT cute. It makes the meaning of PPE meaningless. Using children like this is unethical.

Of course, these messages are not conveyed at the conscious level, no marketing is. The real effect of good marketing is when it hits the unconscious, when you don’t know what the message is being given. Don’t you know, Hazardman and Mum’s for Safety are not misogynistic. Didn’t you know, the stiletto is a great image for the safety of women. Didn’t you know, a punching fist on a brick wall is a great image for care and relationships in safety.

All of this is just a masquerade. PPE is just a costume. But who cares, more of Safety stating what is, by what isn’t.

One day maybe Safety might get the idea that most of its semiotics convey the opposite of what is intended (despite intention). But Safety will continue to do so, as long as the industry choses to be ignorant of semiotics, the unconscious and how symbolism works. This is essential for critical thinking.

If you want to learn more about messaging, critical thinking and ensuring that safety is positive, constructive and meaningful, you are welcome to the SPoR Convention in Canberra 15-19 September (https://spor.com.au/spor-convention-2025/).