On January 31, 2023, Rachel Madjlesi, Fatality Investigator, Oregon Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (OR-FACE) and Amy Spring, Outreach Manager, represented the Institute and the OR-FACE Program at the Mid-Oregon Construction Safety Summit in Bend hosted by OR-OSHA. Approximately 200 participants attended this meeting focused on residential, commercial, and industrial construction workers. The conference included a variety of topics, including fall protection, silica dust hazards, electrical safety, and emerging safety technologies. Construction safety is a top concern for OSHA because the industry is among the most dangerous in the country. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that fatalities on the job are more frequent in construction than in any other industry, accounting or 1 of 5 work-related deaths in the United States.  

The Institute team spoke  to construction workers and safety managers and interacted with stakeholders from across the state while promoting occupational health and safety in the construction industry. The Institute team attended the keynote address presented by safety expert and consultant, Garrison Wynn of Wynn Solutions. His engaging talk emphasized the need to create a culture of safety where folks lookout for each other, and build strong trust and relationships that contribute to job site safety. He offered practical strategies to build on the knowledge of more senior workers while also helping to foster conversations that introduce new safety practices across the generations. Rachel attended classes at the conference, including Hoffman’s Journey in Preventing Serious Injuries and Fatalities (SIF’s) and the Emerging Safety Technology class, focused on information and examples of virtual reality for training and the use of exoskeletons.