Oregon OSHA Plans Two-Day Safety Conference

Employers, safety professionals and workers are invited to attend a two-day conference in Eugene, Ore. from March 5-6.

The 18th biennial Cascade Occupational Safety and Health Conference, organized by state-run Oregon OSHA, the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services as well as several other partners, aims to revitalize attendees' commitment to on-the-job safety and provide an outlet to develop relationships with other workplace safety and health advocates.

“Fear of not achieving a zero incident or accident rate compels people, by our very nature, to practice aversion rather than achievement,” said Joe Estey, keynote conference speaker and principal performance improvement specialist Lucas Engineering and Management Solutions in Richland, Wash.

On Mon., March 5, Estey will present “Mythical Metrics: Why Zero Gets You Zero.”  He will draw out best practices from participants and share his experiences of organizations that have moved beyond measuring safety by numbers to managing the safety process, and sustaining operational excellence.

"It’s time we embrace and practice a productive safety mindset based upon doing something – safety in action – rather than avoiding something – safety through inaction," he said.

Oregon OSHA listed the following workshop topics that attendees can participate in:

• Basics in starting a safety program
• General industry walking-working surfaces and fall protection
• Hearing conservation and noise control
• Hazard identification for safety committees
• Stress management and physical activity
• Confined space and industrial rescue: How much and how?

The registration fee for both days is $185, or $95 for single-day attendance. The conference will be held at the Hilton Eugene, 66 E. 6th Ave.For more information, go to http://safetyseries.cvent.com/cascade18.