We know that when more senses are used, we remember things better. Advertisers are beginning to consider using smell in their marketing messages now. Gas stations in California are already putting coffee smells at the pump in hopes that you are overcome with an overwhelming desire to rush into the store for a steaming hot cup of coffee. I am sure we have all experienced a certain smell bringing back a strong memory.
So, how can we use this in safety? Walmart and others are testing DVDs with "smell-o-vision" that release smells related to a movie at just the right time such as the smell of a burning building during fire scenes. If "smell-o-vision" were to make it's way into the safety world, we would perhaps see safety training DVDs for use with chemical safety training that demonstrate the concept of odor threshold by emitting different smelling chemicals (such as the very recognizable hydrogen sulfide). Or maybe use the Walmart idea and use the smell of smoke in fire extinguisher training.
This is definitely "out there" thinking and probably many years away but I think there are some possibilites for use in the safety world. What do you think?
