Occupational safety and health events coming in May will include an American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) standards education webinar and a Northwest Safety & Health Summit, sponsored by Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) participants in the region.
On April 10, the ASSP announced an upcoming installment of its “Stand Up for Standards” education series. The group is offering a live two-hour webinar on fall protection and restraint implementation at 10 a.m. CT on May 8 to help safety and health professionals identify and mitigate the hazards of working at heights.
“Stand Up for Standards: ANSI/ASSP Fall Protection and Restraint Implementation” will offer an overview of the ASSP’s Z359 standards and best practices for implementing the voluntary consensus standards. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/ASSP standards address fall protection equipment and systems for climbing, evacuation, fall arrest, rescue, work positioning, and other fall hazards.
Safety professionals Thomas Kramer, PE, CSP; Dan Henn; Don Hurley, CSP; and Lauren Bauerschmidt, CSP, will cover practical guidance, safety resources, and real-world experiences to help webinar attendees reduce fall-related injuries and fatalities within their organizations.
According to the ASSP, the webinar is appropriate for safety and health professionals at the beginner, intermediate, advanced, and executive levels.
Online registration also includes all standards in the Z359 Fall Protection Code, and attendees will earn 0.2 continuing education units (CEUs).
The ASSP was founded in 1911 as the United Association of Casualty Inspectors following the Triangle Shirtwaist fire in which 123 workers perished. The group was renamed the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) in 1914 before taking its current name in 2018.
Northwest Safety & Health Summit
On April 4, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced plans for a three-day regional workplace safety and health conference, offering employers and workers across industries education and training opportunities, including how to improve safety leadership, build a culture of safety and health, and achieve effective communication.
The 29th annual Northwest Safety & Health Summit, being held May 13 to 15 at the Holiday Inn Portland—Columbia Riverfront in Portland, is offered by the Region X Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association. The group strives to reduce workplace injury and illness by pursuing safety, health, and environmental excellence through cooperative efforts among labor, management, and government.
The summit is designed for all industries and worksites, even those not participating in VPPs, according to Oregon OSHA. The nonprofit participants’ association encourages employers to protect workers by going well beyond minimum safety and health requirements.
The event’s keynote speakers are safety advocates Russ and Laurel Youngstrom, delivering the keynote presentation “It Won’t Happen to Me” on Wednesday, May 14. The Youngstroms will emphasize the importance of personal accountability in workplace safety and of the long-term consequences of ignoring safety precautions, according to Oregon OSHA.
Educational topics at the summit will include the following:
- Dust Happens: Silica Hazards and Prevention Strategies
- How to Build a Hand Safety Program: Reduce Hand Injuries and Improve Worker Safety
- Next Generation in Safety: What Is New and On the Horizon in PPE
- Improving Driver Safety Through Engagement
- To Lift or Not To Lift? One Question to Prevent Sprains and Strains at Work
- Heat Stress and Wildfire Smoke: Protecting Workers in a Changing Climate
- Combustible Dust Hazards
The event also includes a full-day workshop on completing a successful VPP application and achieving safety excellence at worksites. Online registration is available at https://safetyseries.cventevents.com/vpp25.