Four C.O. HS entries among young worker safety video contest finalists

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition (O[yes]) has chosen six finalists for the annual young worker safety video contest, and four of them are from Central Oregon high schools.

High school students across the state created videos to boost awareness about workplace safety with the central message “Speak up. Work safe.” O[yes] sponsors the annual video contest to engage teen workers, who are twice as likely to be injured on the job.

The finalists are:

•  “The Chronicles of Safety Man” – Bend Senior High School
• “Undercover Ross” – Parkrose High School, Portland
• “R U High?” – Ridgeview High School, Redmond
•  “Tired in the Workplace” – Ridgeview High School, Redmond
• “Canteen Catastrophe” – Sisters High School
•  “Iceolated” – South Salem High School

O[yes] will hold a live streaming event on Thursday to showcase the six finalists and announce the top prize winners. The event starts at 4 p.m. and can be streamed on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/OregonYES) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/OregonSafetyHealth).

The top three entries will be awarded cash prizes ($500 for first, $400 for second, and $300 for third) and will earn a matching amount for their school.

O[yes] organizes the contest, which is sponsored by Oregon OSHA, SAIF Corporation, Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences at OHSU, SafeBuild Alliance, Oregon chapters of the American Society of Safety Professionals, Oregon SHARP Alliance, Construction Safety Summit, Hoffman Construction, and the Central Oregon Safety & Health Association.

The contest, open to all high school students in Oregon, tasked students with creating a video no more than 90 seconds and based on the concept of speaking up about hazards at work.

Participants were encouraged to get creative while emphasizing ways to protect themselves – and their co-workers – from getting hurt on the job. The videos were judged on originality, youth appeal, overall production quality, and effective use of the “Speak up. Work safe” message.

For contest information, go to http://youngemployeesafety.org/contest.

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Oregon OSHA, a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, enforces the state’s workplace safety and health rules and works to improve workplace safety and health for all Oregon workers. For more information, visit www.osha.oregon.gov.

The Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition (O[yes]) is a nonprofit dedicated to preventing young worker injuries and fatalities. O[yes] members include safety and health professionals, educators, employers, labor and trade associations, and regulators. For more information, go to http://youngemployeesafety.org/.