CD-ROM warns staffers on hazardous material

Brush Wellman scraps stodgy print advisories for a high-tech tool that teaches employees about the dangers of beryllium.

For most of us, employee communication is rarely a life-or-death situation.

For some it is, and they work damn hard to make sure they’re on top of their game.

Communicators at Brush Wellman are in that group. Their employer produces beryllium, a material that, if handled improperly, can have adverse health effects on workers — “adverse” being little things like lung damage and cancer.

Like most of its competitors, Brush Wellman had for years relied on lengthy printed documents or PowerPoint presentations to educate employees, vendors, and customers about the dangers of occupational exposure to beryllium. Laden with scientific, legal, and medical jargon, these tools were far from engaging.

So last year, communicators there “challenged ourselves to find new and more innovative ways to engage our audiences,” says Pat Carpenter, vice president of corporate communication for Brush Engineered Materials, the parent company of Brush Wellman.