Oregon coalition introduces ‘Speak up. Work safe.’ video contest for high school students

Salem, OR – The Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition is hosting a video contest intended to inspire the state’s high school students to raise awareness about on-the-job safety among young workers.

Entries must be no more than 90 seconds and include the contest theme, “Speak up. Work safe.” Videos should highlight the importance of speaking up on the job and encourage young workers to do at least one thing differently to remain safe at work.

O[yes], a nonprofit organization dedicated to engaging and educating workers younger than 25, cited a recent study that found 93 percent of more than 1,600 employees, managers and safety directors surveyed feel at risk of “accidents waiting to happen” because of reluctance to speak up about workplace dangers or an outright failure to do so.

Judges will grade videos on certain criteria, including:

• Original health and safety message applicable to teen workers and safety educators
• Overall production value – video/audio quality, acting and editing
• Effective use of theme

Videos may be submitted online or mailed to Oregon OSHA, Attn: Tawnya Swanson/video contest, PO Box 14480, Salem, OR 97309.

The deadline to submit is Feb. 1. Winning videos will be screened in the spring and posted to YouTube. The top three entries will be awarded cash prizes ranging from $300 to $500, with the student’s school receiving a matching amount.