Blog Archives

Conference Proves to be Another Successful Event!

11/25/2019

The 2019 Southern Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Conference was another success! There are a lot of hands involved in making the conference happen.This included Sharell Lien, Jill McConnell, and Diane Kronemann from OREGON OSHA’s very professional conference coordination team. And by the conference committee: Pam Ahr, SAIF Corporation; Jake Austin, Sweed Machinery; Tim Capley, Oregon OSHA; Debbie Dill, City of Medford; Tanya Haakinson, Medford Water Commission; David Hanson, SAIF Corporation; Mike Hill, SAIF Corporation; Josh Johnson, Adroit Construction Company; Tim Mauck, Timber Products Company; Patti McGuire, SAIF Corporation; Susan Riehlman, Jackson County; Shyra Vaughn, Roseburg Forest Products; and a host of specific volunteers such as the Medford Police Dept. Honor Guard and the Hill Family Singers.Without this group and the outstanding efforts of David Hanson, the conference chair, this successful event would be so much less than the outstanding event that it has become.

We had some incredible sponsors recognized for their continued support.We had some very familiar vendors, who consistently display their safety support for the community, and we welcomed some new vendors this year. Thanks to the sponsors and vendors we can keep the cost of the conference attendance low for our community. This is so important in ensuring we can have this safety learning event open to as many companies and employees as possible.

And this is the key: Without those companies, organizations, and employees, there would be no need for such a conference. So, beyond measure, we are thankful that companies and organizations are able to send personnel to this event in order to learn more about keeping our community workforces safe! In talking with many attendees, I heard the same words over and over: “I am glad my company sent me,” and “This conference is really good for learning safety information.” To me, this means we are succeeding in our mission to bring a quality safety learning event to the community, and by doing so, we are helping companies and organizations have the potential for safer workplaces.

Quality safety learning is the point of this collaborative event between Oregon OSHA and the Southern Oregon Chapter of the American Society of Safety Professionals.We are blessed to have such a relationship with such an outcome. There are major cities and regions throughout the United States who do not have an event like this available to them. It takes a desire for safety to bring the event to life, but it takes many hands to keep it going year after year.If you would like to be a part of the team of volunteers who put this conference on, please contact an ASSP Southern Oregon Chapter member to find out how! Visit: http://www.soassp.org/.

Chris Lawrence
President, ASSP – Southern Oregon Chapter

With over 20 years in occupational safety and health, Chris Lawrence is a retired US Air Force Safety Professional who is the Regional Safety Manager for Boise Cascade.

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Top-Level Management Decides How Work Gets Done

11/25/2019

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By David Hanson, CSP – Vice President, ASSP, Southern Oregon Chapter

I’ve had so many questions about the importance of top-level management commitment to safety. In my experience, people care about the things that are important to the boss. There is really only one reason that top-level management should always lead safety efforts: Top-level management must visibly lead any effort that is important to the company. If employees see that something is important to the CEO, it will be more likely to be important to the employees.

Top-level management decides how work gets done at a company. They have the authority to hold people accountable for the way they want work done. They have the ability to provide resources key for the things that are really important. Quality is important. Customer service is important. Safety is important too. How do managers show that something is important? People pay attention to what the boss says. But more importantly, they pay even more attention to what the boss does.

Often, I will ask managers, “Who is responsible for safety at your company?” Too often, the answer is “the safety director” or “the safety committee.” The safety committee and safety director are key positions that are crucial to safety success, but without visible leadership by example from top management, there will never be enough resources, money, or time to do the things that need to happen that can really change a safety culture. Often, when a safety director or a safety committee member feels like they are not accomplishing what they have been commissioned to do, they are facing a challenge that originates at the top level of their organization.

In some ways, I think we do a disservice to our operations when we only have separate safety meetings with managers. Safety should be part of the day-to-day operations of every company. When I do a task that is important to my company, I work to incorporate quality, productivity, customer service, and safety all at once. Our meetings and training should really be the same. Some of the best solutions to safety problems also improve many other categories as well. I once worked for a company that made it a goal for every manager meeting to include safety as part of the discussion even if production was the prime reason for the meeting. A safe operation must be managed deliberately and systematically to be effective. The safest companies in the world have one thing in common: Safety is an ingrained value that is accepted as the only way they will do work.

Management Leadership
•         Express company values to employees
•         Empower employees to take ownership of the systems
•         Give support and provide resources
•         Lead by example
•         Be involved and encourage others to get involved
•         Set achievable goals that are based on leading indicators

David Hanson, CSP, SAIF Corporation
Chapter Vice President and Conference Chair

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OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 Training Returns to Southern Oregon

11/25/2019

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Federal OSHA, 10-Hour Training - General Industry Outreach
The 10-hour training program is primarily intended for entry level workers. Students successfully completing the course will receive an “OSHA 10” card they can present to their employer as proof of basic safety training. This outreach training provides an overview of the hazards a worker may encounter on a job site and emphasizes hazard identification, avoidance, control, and prevention. The purpose is to promote workplace safety and health and to make workers in any industry more knowledgeable about workplace hazards and their rights/responsibilities in the workplace. The class will include hands-on activities and demonstrations. As a bonus, students will receive a Federal OSHA/Oregon OSHA regulation crosswalk and other useful reference information.
1/17/2020
1/24/2020
9:00AM
3:00PM
$170

https://www.roguecc.edu/ContinuingEducation/detail.asp?CourseID=1327148

Federal OSHA, 30-Hour Training - General Industry Outreach
The 30-hour training program is intended to provide workers who have increased levels of safety responsibility a greater depth of awareness and training so they can be successful in their roles. Students completing the course will receive an “OSHA 30” card to prove their knowledge and success to employers. This training provides not only an overview of the hazards a worker may encounter on a job site, but what the employer’s responsibility is in hazard identification, avoidance, and control. There is additional training on the risk recognition, abatement, and guidance for management of workplace hazards. Workers' rights, employer responsibilities, and how to file a complaint are also covered. The class will include hands-on activities, demonstrations, and “safety jeopardy.” Students will receive a Federal OSHA/Oregon OSHA regulation crosswalk, a supervisor’s safety primer, and other useful reference information.
2/7/2020
3/13/2020
9:00AM
3:00PM
$550

https://www.roguecc.edu/ContinuingEducation/detail.asp?CourseID=1327149

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