Bold, cut-paper shapes and high-contrast colour announce a no-nonsense safety message, pairing two jagged black “gears” with a bright orange head and strips of yellow hair caught in the danger zone. The hand-drawn lettering—“CARE FOR YOUR HAIR”—leans playfully across the lower half, yet the visual warning is immediate: long hair and moving machinery don’t mix.
Designed as part of the National Safety Council of Australia’s 1970s safety poster campaign, the cover art reflects an era when public health communication embraced simple graphics that could be read at a glance on factory walls, workshop noticeboards, and training rooms. The stark silhouettes and minimal text translate complex workplace hazards into an easily remembered image, prioritising prevention over technical explanation.
For historians of design and occupational health, posters like this offer a window into how Australian safety culture was shaped through visual language—bright colours, strong symbols, and direct imperatives aimed at everyday workers. As a piece of 1970s industrial safety ephemera, it stands as both graphic art and practical instruction, reminding viewers how small personal choices—like securing hair—were framed as essential to keeping people safe and well.