I always look forward to Fall. Leaves turn beautiful colors, early season rains quench our parched forests (and put out forest fires!) and importantly, our safety, health & wellness conference season begins.
Oregon OSHA has for many years hosted excellent safety & health conferences throughout Oregon, and this week’s Central Oregon Conference in Bend was no exception. I always have interesting and stimulating conversations with conference attendees and come away feeling more connected to the working Oregonians we serve. The workshops and classes are always top notch. And, these conferences not only refresh my daily resolve to promote safety, health & wellness in the workplace, but also in my daily non-working life. I reflected on this during my drive home (the most dangerous daily activity I engage in) and resolved to be a more mindful and safe driver. After all, taking care of one another’s safety is not just a workplace priority…..I long for the day that all drivers are conscious of this fact…..but I digress.
OR-OSHA conferences are not the only ones we attend; the list keeps growing. While I attended the Central Oregon conference, Dede Montgomery was connecting with our northern neighbors at the Washington Governor’s Safety and Health Conference in Tacoma. Next week, we’ll attend the American Heart Association Worksite Wellness Summit at the Portland Armory.
October will be a busy month, with four conferences: the Oregon Public Health Association Conference (Oct. 9, 10), the Annual Business Health Services Health and Safety Conference in Woodburn (Oct. 11), the Southern Oregon Occupational Safety & Health Conference in Ashland (Oct 17-19) and the Northwest Occupational Health Conference in Spokane, WA (Oct 25-27).
And finally, our upcoming symposium, Navigating Mental Health in the Workplace, will take place November 30 at Portland State University. We encourage you attend this important event.
With Fall, the list of available health & safety conferences is long. If you haven’t attended one of these in a while, I encourage you to do so. Recharging our safety consciousness is always a good thing.
