Child, Youth and Family Services
June 10, 2015
Students Honoured for Young Worker Safety Contest
Mr. Speaker, the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission conducts an annual Safe Work Video/Radio Ad Contest which is open to Grade 7-12 junior and senior high school students. The contest encourages students to develop a video or radio ad to create awareness on preventing workplace injuries and illnesses.
I am delighted to rise today in this Honourable House to congratulate eight students from Holy Heart High School, Marystown Central High School and Appalachia High School who were recently honoured for their creativity in developing young worker safety video and radio ads as part of the 2015 contest.
Ethan Bickford, Devin Kelly and Michael Lawlor of Holy Heart High School in St. John’s captured top spot for the 2015 video ad. Their video has been forwarded to the national It’s Your Job Youth Video Contest. Marissa Walsh and Cole Inkpen of Marystown Central High School were given top honours for the radio ad component. Each winning entry received $1,000.
The top 10 entries selected by the judges were entered into a Viewer’s Choice competition where the general public could vote via Facebook for their favourite safety video. The winning entry was created by Helen Pittman, Eric White and Jacob MacDonald of Appalachia High School, St. Georges, and they shared the $500 prize. The Top 10 video finalists can be viewed on the Safe Work NL YouTube channel, and the winning video will air on Rogers Television. The winning radio ad will be re-recorded and aired on radio stations throughout the province.
Mr. Speaker, the 2014 injury rate among those aged 15-24 remained steady at 1.5 per 100 workers, which is lower than the provincial injury rate. It is a good indicator that our awareness efforts are having a positive impact, but it is imperative that both government and employers continue the focus on workplace safety for young workers in our province. The Safe Work Video/Radio Ad Contest, along with other initiatives such as the trivia game show SAFE Work NL’s – Who Wants to Save a Life? and the high school course Workplace Safety 3220, are important components of our overall awareness campaign.
We remain focused on creating a culture of safety in Newfoundland and Labrador, and we understand the importance of instilling these values at an early age. It is our continued hope that initiatives like the Safe Work Video/Ad Contest will help our future workforce to understand and create safe work habits that will guide them throughout their careers.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
2015 06 10 2:20 p.m.