Carelessness Causes Fires!
Navy safety sheet: a burning match under winged smoke clouds heads four panels with instructions on rags near welding, torches left on, overheated stoves and smokers' sparks near paint or oil. It is mainly instructional; the fear-appeal is mild, carried by the flame and the headline.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1945
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- U.S. Navy Department (Navy Department Safety Poster)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Military
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Own forces
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- War and the military, Labor
- Event
- World War II
- Regime
- Roosevelt administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Posters, retrieved October 4, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work)
U.S. Navy Department. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-556 (NAID 514035).
Text on the object
CARELESSNESS CAUSES FIRES! REMOVE RAGS AND WASTE FROM VICINITY OF WELDING OPERATIONS TURN OFF TORCHES WHEN NOT IN ACTUAL USE AVOID OVERHEATING STOVES OR SALAMANDERS SMOKERS' SPARKS ARE DANGEROUS NEAR PAINT OR OIL NAVY DEPARTMENT SAFETY POSTER [imprint:] ☆ U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1945—O—634666
