Pendleton event to provide workplace safety, health education, and training opportunities across industries

A two-day event in eastern Oregon will put a spotlight on the importance of workplace safety and health, addressing everything from farm machinery safety and prevention of heat illness to proper selection of personal protective equipment and emergency preparedness.

The 18th annual Blue Mountain Occupational Safety and Health Conference, to be held June 16-17 at the Pendleton Convention Center, will also feature preconference workshops on key topics and learning sessions in Spanish. Employers are encouraged to take advantage of those Spanish-language sessions by sending staff members who would prefer to gain safety and health knowledge in Spanish.

The conference is a collaborative effort by Oregon Occupational Safety and Health (Oregon OSHA) – a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services – SHARP Alliance, and employers and employees in northeast Oregon.

On Wednesday, June 17, Luke Betts will deliver the keynote presentation: “You Get More Flies With Honey: The Importance of Recognition.” Betts, senior safety management consultant with SAIF Corporation, will emphasize the importance of cultivating a culture where positive actions are intentionally recognized and reinforced.

The workshops on Tuesday, June 16, include such topics as root cause analysis, and best practices for improving safety and health performance. Additionally, Tuesday’s schedule offers sessions in Spanish, including hazard identification in agriculture, machine guarding, incident investigation, and safety committees.

Conference topics include:

• Effective Quarterly Safety Inspections
• I’m on the Safety Committee, Now What?
• Nutrition and Wellness in the Workplace
• Building a Safer Workplace: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Hazard Assessments
• Training Evolution: Raising the Standard of Incident Command System Training
• Practical Strategies to Prevent Same-Level Slip, Trip, and Falls
• Hazard Identification
• Safety on the Move: Tractors, Equipment, and ATVs
• The Value of Voluntary Compliance

Registration for the preconference workshops on Tuesday, June 16, is $60. Registration for the Spanish-language sessions (lunch included) on Tuesday, June 16, is $60. Registration for the conference on Wednesday, June 17, is $130 (breakfast and lunch included). To register, go to safetyseries.cventevents.com/blue26.

For more information, contact the Oregon OSHA Conference Section, 503-947-7411, or email Oregon.Conferences@dcbs.oregon.gov.

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Contact information

Aaron Corvin,
public information officer
971-718-6973
Aaron.corvin@dcbs.oregon.gov