Carelessness is costly
Industrial-safety poster: a large raised hand with pointing finger stands before a monthly calendar with four weekdays crossed out in red, under the headline 'Carelessness is costly'. The crossed-out days imply lost work time; the technique is faint, a mild fear-appeal and admonition.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1942
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Safety Division, U.S. Compensation Commission (made by NYC WPA War Services)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- Labor, Home front
- 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)
Safety Division, U.S. Compensation Commission. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-558 (NAID 514037).
Text on the object
CARELESSNESS IS COSTLY SUN. MON. TUES. WED. THUR. FRI. SAT. 1 [2] [3] [4] [5] 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 [16] 17 18 19 20 21 24 25 26 27 28 31 MADE BY NYC WPA WAR SERVICES SAFETY DIVISION U.S. COMPENSATION COMMISSION [signature:] J
