​Seven videos featured on YouTube

Salem – High school students across the state created videos that are full of drama, music, humor, and engaging characters to bolster awareness about workplace safety – all with the central message, “Speak up. Work safe.” The Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition (O[yes]) sponsors the annual video contest to engage teen workers, who are twice as likely to be injured on the job, according to federal studies.

The top seven finalists are now posted on YouTube for viewing:

The finalists are:

• “Rapaccidents Happen” – Parkrose High School
• “Rewind” – Parkrose High School
• “Safety Doesn’t Judge Age” – North Bend High School
• “Sick Day” – Churchill High School
• “Speak Up” – West Albany High School
• “The Slip Up” – Hood River Valley High School
• “Your Future’s On Its Way” – Southridge High School

The top three entries will take home cash prizes ranging from $300 to $500 and will earn a matching amount for their school. O[yes] organizes the contest, which is sponsored by Oregon OSHA, SAIF Corporation, local Oregon chapters of the American Society of Safety Engineers, the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences at OHSU, Hoffman Construction, Central Oregon Safety & Health Association, the SHARP Alliance, the Construction Safety Summit, SafeBuild Alliance, and the Oregon Farm Bureau Health and Safety Committee.

The contest, open to all high school students in Oregon, tasked students with creating a 90-second or less video 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.

Contest winners will be announced during an awards ceremony on Saturday, April 29th, from 12:00-2:00 p.m. at Northern Lights Theatre and Pub in Salem. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. so that you can check-in and grab some pizza, popcorn, and pop before we start.

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