Case Study: WIKA's Safety Induction Videos, From 2017 to 2019

Within two years, PopOut produced two safety induction videos for PT Wijaya Karya (Persero) Tbk using very different approaches. The 2017 video tells the story of one project worker's day, while the 2019 video guides visitors and employees through a WIKA building. This case study compares the two and sums up the lessons for HSE teams planning a similar video.

You can watch both videos, with the story of each production, on the portfolio pages for WIKA "Go Home Safely" (2017) and WIKA Safety Induction Video 2019. This article does not repeat those pages. It focuses on what changed from one edition to the next, and why those changes matter to anyone who has to deliver safety rules through video.

Two videos, two needs

At first glance the two look alike: safety induction videos for the same company, produced by PopOut, with similar running times. The difference only shows when you look at who watches them and where those viewers will be once the video ends.

2017: making workers care about the reason

The challenge WIKA's QSHE team brought in 2017 was not a lack of rules. Safety rules on a construction project already existed and were already known. The problem is that rules only work when every worker understands why they exist. A list of do's and don'ts read out in an induction room is easy to hear and easy to forget.

So the video does not open with a list of rules. It starts at a worker's home with his wife, follows his scooter ride to the project, and shows him putting on safety shoes and a helmet before a morning briefing with the site crew. Scaffolding scenes show harness use. The video ends where it began: the worker arrives home and is greeted by his wife, followed by the title card "Go Home Safely".

That circular structure is the heart of the message. Each piece of protective equipment stops being an administrative requirement and becomes part of the journey home. So that the story does not blur the information, on-screen labels such as Safety Shoes and Safety Helmet name each item as it is put on. Viewers get two things at once: an emotional reason to comply, and a clear list of equipment.

On the production side, filming on a live project means the crew has to work like the people on that site. PopOut's video shooting crew wore hard hats, vests and harnesses, working with an LED light panel and a dedicated sound recordist. The detail matters: a video that teaches safety cannot show its crew or cast breaking the rules behind the camera. The story structure, the opening with a timelapse and aerial city shots, and the PPE labels were put together in video editing.

2019: showing the way, step by step

In 2019 the need was different. WIKA's SHE team wanted an induction for people entering a WIKA building, both visitors and employees. This audience does not climb scaffolding. What they need is orientation: what happens at the gate, where to sign in, which rules apply on the office floors, and where to go in an emergency.

Questions like these are easiest to answer by showing the place. The 2019 script follows the order a visitor experiences: the gate and vehicle check, signing in at reception, the rules on the office floors, then the evacuation route and assembly point. A presenter guides viewers from one point to the next, so the video works like a building tour that can be replayed at any time.

That format brought a different production toolkit. Footage inside the building was filmed with a cinema camera, slider and matte box. Presenter segments were recorded in a green-screen session. The part that needed the most coordination was the evacuation drill, re-enacted outside the building by marshals in orange vests. Aerial shots from our drone shooting and piloting complement the ground footage and close the video, while on-screen graphics and subtitles along the bottom of the frame make sure every instruction can be read, not only heard.

The result is a short version running about 5 minutes 17 seconds, designed to be played at the start of an induction session so that every visitor and employee receives the same briefing on arrival procedures, building rules and evacuation steps.

What changed, and what stayed the same

In short, the 2017 video answers "why should I comply?", while the 2019 video answers "what do I need to do, and where?". That difference in question changed almost every other decision:

• The structure follows the viewer's journey. Project workers live through a working day, so the story follows a working day. Building visitors follow an arrival sequence, so the video follows the arrival sequence.
• The guide changed. In 2017 the worker character is a mirror for the audience. In 2019 the presenter acts as an officer explaining the procedures directly.
• On-screen text took on a bigger role. The PPE labels in 2017 reinforce points within the story. The graphics and subtitles in 2019 carry much of the instruction, because procedures have to be followed exactly.
• The hardest scene was different. In 2017 the challenge was working safely on an active site. In 2019 it was staging a convincing evacuation with marshals at the actual building.

One thing did not change. The 2019 video closes on an aerial shot and the message "Go Home Safely", the same line that titled the 2017 video. Although the format, audience and location differ, both editions end on the same message. For HSE teams, this is a simple example of how induction material made years apart can still feel like one safety programme rather than two stand-alone videos.

Lessons for HSE teams planning a safety induction video

These principles can be applied by other companies, drawn from comparing the two productions above:

1. Start with the audience and where they will be. Field workers, office visitors and contractors need different inductions. Decide who is watching and which areas they will enter before choosing a format.
2. Separate "why" videos from "how" videos. When the problem is compliance, a story with a relatable character works better than a list of rules. When the problem is orientation and procedure, show the place step by step.
3. Use the viewer's journey as the script's backbone. A working day or a single arrival is a sequence viewers already know, which makes the material easier to remember.
4. Put every important rule on screen. Labels and subtitles keep safety points visible and help viewers who miss part of the narration.
5. Film the real place. The actual gate, reception, evacuation route and assembly point are easier to recognise than illustrations. If the video has to work across many different sites, consider animation instead.
6. Plan the evacuation scene from the start. A drill needs marshals, permission to use the area and a schedule that does not disrupt operations, so build it into the production plan early.
7. Prepare more than one version. WIKA's 2019 video has a short version. A visitor version is usually shorter than the employee and contractor version, which carries additional material.
8. Make sure the production crew follows the same rules. A crew that wears PPE and follows site rules stays safe and makes sure no violations end up on camera.
9. Keep one message across editions. A line like "Go Home Safely" ties videos made at different times into one consistent programme.

Live action or animation?

Both WIKA videos were made in live action because both depend on a real place: a construction project in 2017 and a WIKA building in 2019. Not every company is in the same position. In the same year as WIKA's 2019 video, Waskita Karya's safety induction video was made as a 2D animation for staff and visitors to Waskita’s office building, with characters in Waskita uniforms acting out the emergency procedures. Meanwhile, Pertamina Shipping's safety measure video used motion graphics to explain an incident timeline and shipboard procedures through simple diagrams.

The right choice depends on the need. Live action is the most convincing when viewers have to recognise their own workplace. Animation suits a single video used across many locations, or situations that should not be staged for real. Motion graphics are clearest for procedures, equipment diagrams and sequences of events.

Frequently asked questions

How long are WIKA's safety induction videos?

The 2017 video runs about 4 minutes 34 seconds, and the short version of the 2019 video about 5 minutes 17 seconds. The four safety induction videos we produced for WIKA, Waskita Karya and Pertamina Shipping all run between about 4.5 and 5.5 minutes.

Can one video cover both project sites and offices?

It can, but it is often less effective. The WIKA case shows that project workers and building visitors need different information in a different order. It is better to prepare separate versions, or one core video with additional versions for particular audiences.

Why does the 2019 video use a presenter instead of a story?

Because its purpose is orientation. Visitors and employees need to know the order of procedures and where the evacuation route is, so a presenter guiding them from one point to the next fits better than a story with a character.

How much does a safety induction video cost?

At PopOut, safety induction videos start from Rp15,000,000 per video. The final cost depends on the format, the number of locations and shoot days, access permits for the work area, the number of versions and the languages. Prices for every video type are on our video production services page.

Planning an induction video for your company

Before you contact a vendor, prepare answers to three questions: who will watch, which areas they will enter, and whether the main problem is compliance or orientation. The answers decide whether your video sits closer to the 2017 "Go Home Safely" or to the 2019 building tour. If you would like our team to help write and produce it, see our safety induction video production service or contact us with an outline of what you need.