EU-OSHA Announces Workplace Safety Photo Contest Winners

A blindfolded girl wanders in front of a moving piece of farm equipment to highlight the dangers of agricultural safety. Slovenian coal mining students receive instruction for a dangerous job. A farmer dons a respirator and prepares to treat his crops with pesticides. A construction worker in Madrid studies the view from his vantage point. These images and more make up the winning entry in EU-OSHA's 2011 pan-European photo competition on safety and health in the workplace.

Laura Walter

Feb. 2, 2012

2 min read

"Nothing speaks louder than a photograph that stirs the imagination, evokes emotions and engages both the photographer and the viewer," said Dr. Christa Sedlatschek, director of EU-OSHA. "With over 7 million accidents and 20 million cases of work-related disease annually in the EU-27 alone, this pan-European photo competition is helping to raise awareness of workplace safety and health across Europe, supporting our mission to make Europe's workplaces safer, healthier and more productive."

The winning entry, titled "Dressmaker" by Polish photographer Krzysztof Maksymowicz, shows a close-up of a woman's hands as she sews with a needle – a tool that Maksymowicz says "is slowly becoming forgotten. The picture is symbolic, capturing risk prevention in its most basic form."

EU-OSHA received over 2,500 entries from 36 European countries to its second photo competition, which challenged professional and amateur photographers to share their perspective on safety and health in the workplace. Maksymowicz's winning photo was selected by an international jury of professional photographers and health and safety experts for its "clean simplicity, which captures risk prevention in its most basic form." Maksymowicz received a prize of €3,000.

"When taking this photograph, I was trying to capture a universal occupational safety image, something that could apply to every person," said Maksymowicz.

Twelve winning photographs were recognized in all. A few of the recognized photos can be viewed here:

To see all winning entries, visit http://osha.europa.eu/en/press/photos/competitions/photo-competition-2011/.

About the Author

Laura Walter

Laura Walter was formerly senior editor of EHS Today. She is a subject matter expert in EHS compliance and government issues and has covered a variety of topics relating to occupational safety and health. Her writing has earned awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), the Trade Association Business Publications International (TABPI) and APEX Awards for Publication Excellence. Her debut novel, Body of Stars (Dutton) was published in 2021.