High school students across Oregon are invited to let their video skills shine in service of a good cause: increasing awareness about safety on the job for young workers. The annual “Speak up. Work safe.” video contest is now open for submissions — quirky, serious, or otherwise. The top three entries will take home cash prizes ranging from $300 to $500, and students will earn a matching amount for their school. Students must create a 90-second or less video that inspires young workers to do at least one thing differently to stay safe on the job. The video must include the theme: “Speak up. Work safe.” The video must educate young workers about the importance of speaking up in the workplace. Specific video guidelines are outlined in the contest rules. Participants are encouraged to develop a key message or slogan, use humor, and get creative while emphasizing ways to protect themselves — and their co-workers — from getting hurt on the job. Submissions will be judged on the following: * An original health and safety message that appeals to teen workers and safety educators; * Overall production value (video/audio quality, acting, and editing); * “Speak up. Work safe.” theme is used effectively. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017. Contest winners will be unveiled at a screening event in spring 2017, and winning entries will be posted on YouTube. In the past, student winners wrote and sang original music as part of their “safety musical,” while other finalists relied on storytelling through oddball characters or serious themes that touched on the potential for on-the-job accidents. Starting this year, students may submit their videos online. For detailed contest information, including tips, rules, entry forms, workplace safety and young worker resources, and a playlist of past finalist videos, go to http://youngemployeesafety.org/contest/. The Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition (O[yes]) organizes the contest. The sponsors are Oregon OSHA, SAIF Corporation, local Oregon chapters of the American Society of Safety Engineers, the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences at OHSU, the SHARP Alliance, the Central Oregon Safety & Health Association, the SafeBuild Alliance, Hoffman Construction, and Construction Safety Summit.
