Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences attended the Pacific Northwest Apprenticeship Education Conference (PNWAEC) 2016, an event hosted by the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI).

The biennial conference brought together policy makers, educators, business leaders and professionals in the construction trades. The goal of the conference was to create, “a platform to strengthen Registered Apprenticeship, empower the skilled trades Workforce and connect business, government and education.”

Jason Kyler-Yano and Kent Anger presented a poster on their intervention study designed to improve the safety and health and wellbeing of construction workers and to teach supervisor skills to foremen, superintendents, project managers and anyone who has employees or subcontractor employees report to him or her, and a series of Get Healthier cards on healthy lifestyles.

Diane Rohlman and Megan Parish presented findings from their study funded by the Bureau of Labor and Industries Apprenticeship and Training Division and the Oregon Department of Transportation, Office of Civil Rights: “A Foundation of Health: Evolution of a Nutrition Training for Apprentices in Oregon,” described factors impacting construction workers health and safety that reach beyond traditional occupational hazards. The study had two goals: 1) conduct an assessment of the health and safety needs of construction apprentices, and 2) develop and evaluate an online nutrition training for construction apprentices. Detailed findings will be available shortly.

Fred Berman represented the Institute as an exhibitor and presented Health Impacts Safety Guides and Toolbox Talk Guides developed by the Oregon Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (OR-FACE).

Events like these highlight the importance of the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Science’s continued focus on Research-to-Practice and allow researchers to more deeply connect with the communities we serve.