American Society of Safety Professionals Southern Oregon Chapter
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Presidents Message

8/22/2022

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​A fellow safety professional from a peer company asked me why I am so plugged in to the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP). Rather than saying the same thing I always do, I spent some time reflecting on the question and wondering if there are any different reasons at this time in my life. I had to consider what keeps me “plugged in.” I came to the same conclusion I always have: it’s the people. It’s the people whom I serve in the company I work for and the people in the safety community. It just seems the right thing to do if I am going to call myself a safety professional. When I first entered the safety career field many years ago, I became involved right away. Since that time, I have remained plugged in. But to stay in the game, I had to ask myself if there is any value in the time and effort.
 
I took a new job about 10 years into my safety career. My direct supervisor was the president of the organization. At 7:30 am on the first day of work at the company, I met with my new supervisor so we could lay the foundation of building a safety program. It turned out to be a very short meeting because he only had a few things to say; he mostly wanted to know what questions I had. I asked him two questions: “What are my work hours?” and “What are your expectations for the position?” Regarding the work hours, he told me that the hours are mine to figure out—just get the job done—create a best-in-class safety program. Regarding the expectations, his first words were, “Get involved in your trade organization and participate.”  I found this a bit funny because I was going to ask permission to stay involved with the ASSP. He noted that it was a requirement for my continued development. He was a very intelligent and well-educated man, and he was a renowned leader in the construction industry—because he was plugged in to his “trade organization.” He knew the value of being involved in the trade organization of one’s career.
 
My message here? This is a huge part of being in the safety career field. Each of us may be serving our company well, but I firmly believe that if we are not involved in the safety community, we are not serving to our full potential. In other words, we are holding our potential back from our employers and ourselves. The networking, the moral and uplifting support, the knowledge base, and the friendships have become so important to me. Sometimes I get cynical about the day-to-day goings on because it seems that there is no finish line in our career field. However, when I go to an ASSP chapter meeting or event, I see so many people with varying, but positive, perspectives and I feel inspired to keep up the effort. 
 
For your team, for the safety community, and for your self-development, may I suggest that you consider attending the monthly meetings for the local chapter of the ASSP. At the Southern Oregon Chapter, you will get to know people who are on a similar path, and when you build those types of relationships, you will gain more than you are putting in. It is worth the time and effort. Maybe not on the first or second meeting, but as you go, you will find it to be a very wise effort for your professional career.  
 
If you are already actively participating, keep it up because you are making a difference in the safety community.
Chris Lawrence
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September is National Preparedness Month!

8/22/2022

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Is your business prepared for a natural, health, or human-caused hazard? One of the first steps to prepare your business or home is to create an emergency action plan. The best way to protect your employees is to keep them informed of what to do in case of an emergency.
While Oregon OSHA has a rule that lays out the basic requirements for your Emergency Action Plan (see OAR 437-002-0042), there are many more ways that you can prepare your business and employees.
 
The three main steps in getting started are:
  • Identify your risk
  • Develop a plan
  • Take action
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has developed their Ready.gov website to help everyone develop or enhance their existing plans. The Ready Business program helps businesses make preparedness plans to get ready for hazards.
In Oregon, some common issues are power outages, flooding, and earthquakes. Click the following links to get started.
 
Earthquake Toolkit:
https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/ready-buisiness_quakesmart_toolkit.pdf
Flooding Toolkit:
https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/ready_business_inland-flooding-toolkit.pdf
Power Outage Toolkit:
https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/ready_business_power-outage-toolkit.pdf
 
Remember—September is a great time to dust off your plan, have employees complete an annual training, and reinforce your existing plan. Plan, prepare, and protect. Visit https://www.ready.gov/business to learn more.

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Southern Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Conference Awards Open

8/22/2022

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www.sosafety.org/awards

Hi Friends,

I just wanted to let you know that the Southern Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Conference is just around the corner and will be held on October 18-20, 2022. It will be a mix of in-person and online with October 18th being entirely in-person and October 19-20 online. We are bringing back our in-person award ceremony and I would like to invite you to apply for one or more of our ASSP Awards. This is a great opportunity to recognize hard-working safety committees and leaders and re-energize your group.
 
One award that we don’t usually get very many applicants for is our Business Leader Who Gets It Award. I know many of you work for amazing business leaders who put a high value on safety in your organization and I would welcome your application to recognize them at the October 18th event. We even have a separate luncheon before the event, so this is a great pairing, you could nominate your business leader, then bring them to the lunch and award ceremony on October 18th. Whoever wins this prestigious award will have the opportunity to share a short presentation on what motivates them and how they have supported safety in their organization.
 
Other great awards include, Safety Committee Recognition, Outstanding Safety and Health Program, and Safety Committee Champion Award where you can recognize those unsung heroes on your safety committee.
 
Please take this opportunity to recognize your teams and leaders at your organization and help make this another amazing safety conference. The application deadline has been extended to August 31st. Please apply, and let us know if you have any questions.
 
You can download our award application in PDF or fillable-Word format on our ASSP Chapter website at: www.soassp.org/conference
 
You can also learn more about our event and download the flyer and schedule on our Conference website at: www.sosafety.org
 
Registration is not open yet and should be ready to go by the end of the week. When registration is open, the button at the bottom our website will connect you to the Cvent registration page.
 
Yours in safety and health!
Michael Hill
Conference Chair
SOSAFETY Conference
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