Students have used original music, special effects, and offbeat characters to promote young worker safety and health. The annual Speak up. Work safe video contest is now open to teens across Oregon. The top three entries will take home cash prizes ranging from $300 to $500, and students will earn a matching amount for their school.

There are fun ways to get teens thinking about safety on the job, said Austin Coburn, the 2013 contest winner. I created a safety message around the theme of a musical, and that made it memorable and entertaining.

The contest is designed to increase awareness about safety on the job for young people. Students must create a 90-second or less video with the overall theme of Speak up. Work safe. (Specific video guidelines are outlined in the contest rules.) Participants are encouraged to use creative movie-making techniques while sharing the message Work shouldnt cost you your future. Submissions will be judged on the following:

A teen worker health and safety message based on the working safely themes;

Creativity and originality;

Overall production value (video and audio quality); and

Youth appeal.

The deadline for submissions is Feb. 3, 2014.

The contest is organized by the Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition (O[yes]). Sponsors include Oregon OSHA, SAIF Corporation, local chapters of the American Society of Safety Engineers, the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences (formerly CROET), Liberty Mutual, Hoffman Construction, Central Oregon Safety & Health Association, the Labor Education and Research Center, SHARP Alliance, Oregon Health Authority, Daily Journal of Commerce and SafeBuild Alliance.

Contest winners will be unveiled at a screening event in spring 2014, and winning entries will be posted on YouTube. Students are encouraged to use social media to spread the word with the tag #Oyesvideo.

For detailed contest information, including contest tips, rules and entry forms, go to www.youngemployeesafety.org. To see the 2013 winning videos, go to http://www.youtube.com/user/OregonSafetyHealth