Fire (2024)

Occupational Safety Poster Competition - the 33^th edition (2024): Fire

XXXIII Competition Rules

HONORARY PATRONAGE               PARTNER

   Organisers:

• Central Institute for Labour Protection – National Research Institute in Warszawa
• Faculty of Industrial Design, Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków
• Faculty of Industrial Design, Academy of Fine Arts in Łódz.
• Faculty of Industrial Design, Academy of Fine Arts in Warszawa

   Competition results:

Three main prizes and five distinctions were awarded in the competition.

MAIN PRIZES:

 DISTINCTIONS:

   Purpose

To obtain original designs of posters promoting occupational safety and health protection of man in the working environment.

   Participants

Artists – members of artists’ unions, graduates and students of academies of fine arts – in Poland and abroad.

    List of posters selected for the post-competition exhibition  

   Jury:

1. Dorota ANDRYJOWICZ – Chief Sanitary Inspectorate
2. Tomasz BOGUSŁAWSKI – Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk (about jury member)
3. Marta DERLICKA – Former curator of the competition
4. Renata GÓRNA – All-Poland Trade Union Alliance
5. Sławomir IWAŃSKI – National Film, Television and Theater School L. Schiller in Łódź  (about jury member)
6. Jakub JEZIERSKI – Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw (about jury member)
7. Ewa MŁYNARCZYK – National Labour Inspectorate
8. Marek OSMAN – Faculty of Visual Arts, Jan Kochanowski University of Kielce
9. Mieczysław PIRÓG – Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław
10. Władysław PLUTA – Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków, chairman (about jury member)
11. Bożena PYSIEWICZ – Poster Museum at Wilanow – Division of the National Museum in Warsaw (about jury member)
12. Zdzisław SCHUBERT – The Poster and Design Gallery of the National Museum in Poznań (about jury member)
13. Marcin STANECKI – Ministry of Family and Social Policy
14. Wiktor Marek ZAWIESKA – Central Institute for Labour Protection – National Research Institute

   Topic of the 33st edition of the poster competition – „Fire”

Fire poses a significant threat in the workplace. Through information from the media, we are almost daily exposed to the topic of fires or fire protection. Despite this exposure, a large part of the public still remains unaware of the seriousness of this danger - we do not know how to protect ourselves from the occurrence and possible consequences of fire. Nowadays, many companies still lack  adequate fire safety measures, often due to a lack of awareness among their managers not only of the factors that can lead to a fire, but also of the dangers that can occur as a result. This can have serious consequences for human health and life, as well as cause material and environmental damage.

In recent years in Poland, there have been about 150,000 - 180,000 fires annually, resulting in approximately 600 fatalities and 4,000 injuries. Our country ranks among the highest in the world in terms of fire-related deaths, with 1.5 victims per 100,000 people, and material losses amount to PLN 1.5-2 billion annually. Data from the National Fire Service shows that in recent years there has been an increase in the number of workplace fires with more than 5,000 fires registered in 2021 (a 10% increase compared to previous years).

The risk of fire in the workplace is determined primarily by the type of industry and the specifics of the business. Statistically, the most vulnerable to fires are: industrial enterprises (particularly those dealing with wood, metal, plastic, chemical processing), warehouses and wholesalers storing flammable materials and chemicals, restaurants and kitchens consuming large amounts of grease and using open flames, as well as construction enterprises utilizing flammable materials tools and processes that generate ignition sources (such as welding).

Fires overwhelmingly result from carelessness and human error. Common causes include improperly used heating equipment (such as electric heaters, gas stoves), negligent storage of chemicals and waste (e.g., failure to segregate and dispose of hazardous materials), irregular maintenance and inspection of firefighting equipment, negligence regarding fire safety systems (e.g., non-functioning alarms, inactive fire suppression systems), and smoking in unauthorized areas. In addition, faulty electrical installations (e.g., overloaded outlets, unsafe wiring, old electrical systems) and failures of ventilation systems also contribute to fire incidents.

It is important to keep in mind that the increasingly sophisticated technologies used in workplaces can increase the likelihood of new hazards, including fire. 

   Competition schedule:

 8.05.2024 - announcement of the competition

4.06.2024 – deadline for submitting posters

12.06.2024 – competition jury meeting (Warsaw)

09.10.2024 – the final of the competition and the opening of the post-competition exhibition

   Competition enquiries:

Agnieszka Szczygielska – curator of the competition
e-mail: agnieszka.szczygielska@ciop.pl, tel. +48606369736

Central Institute for Labour Protection – National Research Institute in Warszawa

Czerniakowska 16, 00-701 Warsaw
phone: +48 22 6233686
 
Posters taking part in previous editions of the competition can be viewed by following the profile on Instagram.