Yukon students get creative to showcase safety through YWCHSB's contests

The Yukon Workers’ Compensation Health and Safety Board (YWCHSB) received over 70 entries for their safety contests this year, showcasing Yukon students’ creative insight into how to make our territory a healthier, safer place for everyone.

“We wanted to remain connected with students as they stayed at home through this unprecedented spring of social distancing,” said Kurt Dieckmann, President/CEO of YWCHSB. “Our goal was to give students an opportunity to dig into creative, meaningful projects that speak to what really matters to them when it comes to health and safety.”

The Safety Build Contest invites students in Kindergarten to Grade 7 to build LEGO® models that show how they keep safe during everyday activities for a chance to win safety-themed LEGO® kits with mini-figures. This year’s contest was expanded into three contests with varying themes. The winners are Camille, Grade 5, Sebastian, Grade 3 and Poppy, Kindergarten. The winning entries included timely themes like social distancing and camping safety.

The Youth Video Contest challenges high school students to create a short video about workplace safety for a chance to win a cash prize and be entered in a national competition. This year’s winning video, ‘The Faceless Threat’ by Liam Russell, tackles the themes of social media, cyber-bullying and mental health, highlighting the fact that our minds deserve just as much attention as our physical bodies when it comes to injury prevention. Liam’s video will be entered in the national competition hosted by the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. Andrey Skofenko won second place with his entry “You can change lives” and Charles Snider placed third with his entry “Social Media and Mental Health”.

“We are truly inspired by the breadth of innovation in our contests this year,” said Dieckmann. “These youth are the next generation of workers, and they have the opportunity to strengthen our health and safety culture into one where absolutely everyone gets home safe at the end of the day.”

YWCHSB is contributing to a fundamental shift in safety culture by promoting a health and safety mindset from a young age. Educational programming in Yukon classrooms focusses on a culture of prevention through foundational concepts like hazard identification and open communication between workers and employers.

Media contact

Heather Avery
Phone: 867-332-4794
Email: [email protected]