Messages matter. The specific messages employers send to their employees about staying safe and healthy while on the job are no exception. Oregon OSHA takes the messages we send seriously, too. So much so that the division maintains a partnership with Lamar Advertising and federal OSHA to produce digital billboard ads that draw public attention to messages about key workplace safety and health concerns.
Underway for two years now, the eye-catching ads flash along key transportation corridors around the state, including locations at Interstate 205, Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway, Beltline Road, Crater Lake Highway, and more. The ads remind workers of their safety and health rights, highlight training and other resources for employers, and call attention to a variety of topics. Those topics include protecting against falls from heights, addressing the dangers of excavation work, and preventing heat illness during hot weather.
Lamar Advertising measures the impacts of digital billboard advertising in terms of “plays” and “impressions.” Plays are the amount of time an ad is displayed on screen, measured in seconds. Impressions are the number of times people see a billboard ad. The numbers suggest Oregon OSHA’s ad campaign is having a positive impact. At one point early on, for example, the ads for both Oregon OSHA’s consultation and training resources and for whistleblower rights delivered about 1.3 million plays and about 13.8 million impressions.
The ad campaign is part of Oregon OSHA’s larger and ongoing efforts to educate the public – including employers and workers – about how to maintain safe and healthy workplaces across the state. Those efforts include:
Current billboards
Consultation services – provides free help with safety and health programs, including how to control and eliminate hazards, and hands-on training. These services include our SHARP and VPP programs for employers who want to go well beyond compliance with our rules.
Technical staff – helps employers understand requirements and how to apply them to their worksites
Education and training – includes classroom workshops, online courses, and PESO/bilingual training
Conferences – provides statewide educational conferences – co-sponsored by Oregon OSHA – for workers and employers to share ideas about safety and health, and to learn from local experts and nationally recognized professionals
Resource Center – offers resources such as a lending library, publications, and streaming videos