Normally, this time of year our Institute Outreach Team would be busy making travel plans for the boatload of out-of-town conferences in the coming fall. I don’t need to tell you how 2020 simply isn’t a normal year. While our team is fortunate to be able to do much of our work sequestered at home, it does make physically connecting with our partners impossible. We are thankful for the technological tools that help us connect: web meetings, phone calls and the like. Yet, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that it doesn’t quite cut the face-to-face contact we’re used to having, whether that be in teaching, exhibiting or networking.

While we understand and support the decision, we will particularly miss the live fall 2020 conferences co-sponsored by our friends at Oregon OSHA, and hope for them to be held live in 2021.  View Oregon OSHA’s Conference page. We want you, our partners, collaborators and stakeholders, to know that we miss seeing you in person, and look forward to the days when we can safely be together to share our knowledge, skills and friendships.

In the meantime, we do look forward to opportunities to virtual connect in the next few months. While we know so many health, safety, wellness, HR and other professionals are incredibly busy addressing the challenges of work today, while still advocating for safe work, perhaps you too are looking forward to sneaking in a virtual learning opportunity. Here are a few scheduled in the upcoming months and offered by some of our regional partners:

• Expanding Research Partnership Webinar Series: Presentations focused on developing partnerships during a pandemic, September 2, 2020, 9 AM – 10:30 AM Pacific Time, no cost. More details coming here soon.
  This series has been designed to promote the work of innovative and impactful intramural and extramural research partnerships. This specific webinar will consist of short presentations from NIOSH Disaster Science Responder Program, NIOSH Western States Division and Division of Field Studies and Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, University of Washington School of Public Health, Oregon Healthy Workforce Center Outreach and Education, University of South Florida Education and Research Center, and University of North Carolina, Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center
• Oregon Public Health Association Annual Conference and Meeting (virtual), October 12-13, 2020
  Since 1944 public health leaders, professionals, educators, advocates, students and stakeholders have come together to share the latest in research, programs, and information. Join us for this important, informative, and inspiring public health event! At OPHA 2020 you’ll find the latest in public health research and trends, focused learning sessions, thought-provoking speakers, and plenty of networking opportunities. Learn more.
• 2020 Northwest Occupational Health Conference (virtual), October 21-23, 2020
  The NOHC is sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Section of the American Industrial Hygiene Association. Taking place every fall, the NOHC is recognized nationally as a dynamic, high quality, multi-disciplinary conference, and consists of a full day short course targeting a specific theme or topic, followed by a one day conference with breakout sessions. Learn more.
• Green Chemistry & Chemical Stewardship Online Certificate Program (virtual)(Sept. 28, 2020 – June 4, 2021)
  This 3-course program is intended to give graduates the tools to make a difference and find success by learning to design safer chemicals and industrial processes. Learn more.
• ASSP Safety FOCUS: Immersive Education for Safety Professionals (virtual), various dates Fall 2020 – 2021.
  This online training provided by the American Society of Safety Professionals addresses specific topics throughout 2020 and 2021. The September 16-17, 2020 FOCUS addresses Safety Management Systems, and will include a presentation by Liz Hill of SAIF, and me on Total Worker Health. Other fall dates address: Oct. 20-21 – Risk Assessment and Management; October 22 – Industrial Hygiene; Nov. 17 – Leadership and Business Skills; and Nov. 18-19 – Human and Organizational Performance. Learn more.

Finally, stay tuned to learn about our Fall 2020 Symposium on Work as a Social Determinant of Health to be held later this fall.