Safety

For those of you lucky enough to have found a cloudless location, the May 20, 2012 annular solar eclipse was quite the visual treat, provided you were careful to avoid exposing your eyes to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation….I was one of the lucky few Oregonians to have seen and recorded this event. But this wonderful experience got me to thinking about the cumulative risks to the health of our eyes we all face … Read More

Earlier this year we blogged about shortages predicted in the next generation of construction workers. One of our favorite events is happening this week – the Women in Trades Career Fair in Portland.  Sponsored by Oregon Tradeswomen, this fair gives girls and women the opportunity to explore new careers. And what a great time for all young people to imagine careers in the trades and construction. On Thursday, O[yes] (Oregon Young Employee Safety) representatives taught … Read More

May 9, 2012: Today is Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day. The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) established this day of appreciation in an effort to recognize and celebrate the efforts of the thousands of Safety, Health and Environmental Professionals. Who is providing safety support and leadership in your organization? Today’s a great day to give them a “shout out!”

We have winners for the 2012 Save a Friend, Work Safe video contest sponsored by O[yes]! All 9 finalist videos and 2 honorable mentions were shown on the big screen of Northern Lights Theater in Salem on Saturday, April 14. And the winners are! 1st Place ($500) Drew Corrigan & Mitch Keranen, Sisters High, The Importance of Ear Protection 2nd Place ($400) Austin Coburn & Jonah Netland, Salem Academy, The Safety Police 3rd Place tie … Read More

We’ve been anticipating adoption of the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) in the U.S. for quite some time. And now, finally, OSHA’s final rule on Hazard Communication/GHS will be published on March 26, 2012 with the new regulation effective sixty days later. What this all means is that the Hazard Communication Standard, sometimes referred to as the “Employee Right to Know Law” is now aligned with GHS. The hope has been that this change will provide … Read More

Most safety and health professionals haven’t had the opportunity to learn much about the field of Occupational Health Psychology (OHP). Yet most of us acknowledge the impact stress and other psycho-social risk factors have on safety, health and wellness. NIOSH provides a great source of background information on its Safety and Health Topic Page: Occupational Health Psychology. According to NIOSH,  “Occupational Health Psychology concerns the application of psychology to improving the quality of work-life, and … Read More

We’re always excited to hear about the innovative work being done by OHSU’s Dangerous Decibels Program. Perhaps you’ve heard about Jolene, her cookbook and siblings. Jolene is a system for measuring sound levels of personal stereo systems and her cookbook has been downloaded in 27 countries. Dangerous Decibels has another innovative project, Listen for Life.  This project is a Tribal Community-based Prevention of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss and Tinnitus and is in partnership with OHSU Department … Read More

Last night, the Greater Portland Construction Partnership (GPCP) sponsored a thought-provoking dialogue at their quarterly meeting. A lot of folks outside the world of construction may not recognize the age gap present in this workforce, with many over 50 and fewer new entries in their twenties. We appreciate the good work of GPCP, always the proactive safety advocate,  to bring together so many important partners and leaders to address critical industry topics. Sitting on the … Read More

The Oregon Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (OR-FACE) program exhibited, as a part of CROET Outreach, at the 11th Annual Mid-Oregon Construction Safety Summit on January 24.  The conference was hosted by Oregon OSHA and several hundred residential and commercial construction workers attended. Construction safety is a principal area of concern for OR-FACE because, over a 5-year period (2003-2007), falls in the construction industry accounted for 42% of all fatal occupational-related falls. While at the … Read More

The Northwest Ag Show runs next week at the Portland Expo Center. CROET is proud to again be part of the Safety Zone at the event. We appreciate the commitment of the show to sponsor the Safety Zone, made up of interactive displays all relating to safety and health in agriculture. We know that agriculture ranks among the most hazardous industries. Not only are farmers at risk for fatal and non-fatal injuries and illnesses, but … Read More