Bold, pop-art colour and a split-second of danger make the cover art instantly memorable: a worker’s long hair is caught and pulled into a spinning drill, while a jagged speech bubble shouts “OUCH!” across a red field. The simple illustration style and high-contrast palette deliver the message at a glance, a hallmark of 1970s safety communication designed for busy workplaces and training rooms. As part of the National Safety Council of Australia’s poster culture, it turns a preventable accident into a visual warning that’s hard to ignore.
“Keep long hair covered” appears in plain, dark lettering beneath the action, pairing blunt instruction with a dramatic cause-and-effect scene. The design leans on everyday hazards—unguarded moving parts and loose hair—rather than technical jargon, showing how occupational health and safety campaigns aimed for clarity over complexity. Even without a specific place or date printed in the scene, the poster reflects an era when illustrated public messaging competed with advertising by borrowing its punchy graphics and direct language.
National Safety Council of Australia posters from the 1970s remain valuable artefacts for anyone interested in industrial history, workplace safety, or graphic design for social good. They reveal how safety educators framed risk in human terms, using fear, humour, and immediacy to encourage safer habits on the job. For readers searching for Australian safety posters, OHS campaign art, or vintage workplace warnings, this cover offers a striking example of how a single image could carry a life-saving reminder.