Safety

The Total Worker Health conference in Iowa began this morning with a presentation by Dr. John Howard, the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH),  on the critical importance of prevention in the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). The role of workforce health in the nation’s health, where prevention is the primary method for reducing health care costs, was the theme of Dr. Howard’s presentation. Shown in the picture is a … Read More

The Southern Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Conference was once a well kept secret. In recent years, including this week’s event with 318 registered attendees, it has proved itself to provide a wealth of top notch technical sessions and networking opportunities for health, safety, wellness and environmental professionals. And – although not expecting it – it seems that references to Total Worker Health are popping up everywhere. Today it was in the keynote, provided by … Read More

In a previous blog we shared a story about an employer committed to making work safe for its young employees. Sadly, at CROET and O[yes] we have heard other stories from young workers who haven’t been so lucky at work. Below we share words from an 18-year old Oregonian who asked to remain anonymous. Might a young person you know have a similar story? Getting a job is exciting, but it comes with a lot … Read More

Everyday we see the power of collaboration. Yesterday we were lucky to see this demonstrated at the City of Portland Parks and Recreation Aquatic Division Award Breakfast. Kudos to the staff – comprised of so many young workers – employed as lifeguards and managers at pools throughout Portland this summer. We honor the commitment to health, safety and wellness in these employees, who clearly support each other and work together to achieve their mission of … Read More

We are eager to follow the work of CROET’s Dr. Ryan Olson and the staff of the Safety and Health Involvement for Truckers (SHIFT) project. Last week we enjoyed reading the blog at Trucking Injury Reduction Emphasis (TIRES), a health and safety blog for the trucking industry. If you missed it, read SHIFT into Health Gear now. SHIFT is currently conducting a research study of driver health and safety with funding from the National Heart, … Read More

In partnership with the International Association of Fire Chiefs, investigators in the Division of Health Promotion & Sports Medicine at OHSU were awarded an almost $300,000 Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) grant to create and distribute two 20-minute safety videotapes. One video will be for owners and workers in Adult Foster Homes (AFHs). AFHs are a rapidly expanding living situation for vulnerable adults. Training resources for AFH employees are limited, and collaborators at the Office … Read More

We’ve discussed before on this blog the abundance of construction sites not heeding dangers related to falls. Whether it be employees unprotected on roofs or those improperly using ladders, falls continue to be the leading cause of death in construction. If you haven’t yet visited OSHA’s new Fall Prevention Campaign, make sure you check out the resources. And better yet, consider ways to get these materials into the hands of construction workers working unsafely at … Read More

The Oregon Healthy Workforce Center is excited for our first annual Summer Institute in Occupational Health Psychology. A full agenda and online registration is available on the Summer Institute webpage. Join regional, national, and international researchers and practitioners and register for a day or all four days to learn more about OHP. Registration closes June 30th, 2012. Submitted by: Kendra Evans, Manager, Oregon Healthy WorkForce Center

If you’ve been following our news over the past few months, you’ve heard about the Oregon Healthy WorkForce Center. There is no doubt that we have all been pretty excited about it as we recognize that only by looking at the whole worker – the whole person, really – can we make significant strides in health, safety and wellness. If you’ve been scratching your head about what this really means, make sure you visit the … Read More

You may find it hard to believe today, but eventually the weather is going to heat up, so now’s the time to bone up on your knowledge about heat stress and sun exposure. CROETweb.com provides links to useful information on its Heat Stress and Sun Exposure webpage. The first link on this webpage takes you to OSHA’s Campaign to Prevent Heat Illness in Outdoor Workers website. Here you’ll find a virtual treasure trove of information … Read More