Ladies and gentlemen, don’t look now, but fall is coming and so is the Southern Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Conference! I am excited for another great conference where a host of wonderful speakers covering a large variety of topics come together to share vital safety knowledge that truly helps Southern Oregon to be a safer place to work. From the professional development day on the 15th of October, to the two days of breakout sessions on the 16th and 17th, there are a lot of opportunities to learn and network for safety insight. Having the conference at the Ashland Hills Hotel in Ashland provides a great back drop to a fun, learning environment.
As we have learned over the years, there are very few opportunities for local companies to find low-cost, but high-quality, learning opportunities in the area – especially with such variety. In partnership with Oregon OSHA, the Southern Oregon Chapter of the American Society of Safety Professionals meets the goal of providing these learning opportunities, so companies can meet regulatory compliance such as is required of safety committees. But it also enhances the goal by providing advanced safety classes as well. There are classes for the H.R. professionals. There are classes on improving worker health. There are classes on safety program development. As always, there are classes for safety committee members to learn more about creating a highly functioning safety committee. General safety, construction safety, health programs, and human resources round out the variety of classes offered.
We hope to see you there because we know that we have programs for all companies, but we also know that you can bring best practices, networking, and sharing that makes us all better. You make this conference even better!
If you are a first-time attendee, come with a desire to learn and make new friends. If you are a regular attendee, we look forward to seeing you back again. Either way, perhaps you may even wish to get plugged in with the safety community to help bring the conference every year or to participate in other safety goings on in the community. We will be happy to see you and to have you on board as we build a solid safety footprint in our region.
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 current Regional Safety Manager for Boise Cascade.