This year’s winners include Len Liebert, assistant coordinator from Sheet Metal Workers Local 12 in Pittsburgh; Keith Coulter, instructor from Local 2 near Kansas City, Missouri; and Steve French, a journeyman with Local 359 and health and safety manager for Harris and Hart Mechanical in Chandler, Arizona.

The winners will receive promotional items with their designs on them to distribute to their local members.

Liebert designed a tribal-style logo with the slogan, “Safety culture: Be a part of it.”

“Sheet metal is a creative field to be in. That’s why it appeals to me,” Liebert said. “I’ve been drawing all my life. It’s tribal and trendy, so I thought it would catch someone’s eye. I liked it when I sent it, but you never know. I was pretty excited when they called to tell me I was one of the winners.”

Coulter, who has been in the industry for 37 years, submitted a design with the slogan “Always formulate a good plan. Safety and work — always a good mix.”

“Safety isn’t just for work. It’s for whatever you’re doing,” he said. “For instance, you want to be able to use your eyes, your ears when you get out of the trade. So, protect those no matter what you’re doing.”        

French primarily works at an Intel plant near Phoenix, where safety is a primary concern, he said. He created the slogan submission, “Safety is a value. Live with it,” accompanying the current institute logo.

“Out here, safety is a way of life,” French said. “All the workers know it’s the way it is.”