46 more people trained on NARCAN today!
A special thank you to Kat Holtz, Rebecca Lehman, and the Portage County Health District for hosting and facilitating today’s Project DAWN training.
46 Completed NARCAN Training!
PCSC News & Events
News, announcements, and articles from the PCSC.
Exciting Updates for Our All-New Annual Safety Awards Event!
The awards ceremony on May 9th is going to be a great event!
Here are some exciting updates:
- Cleveland Guardians Tickets: We’ll be having a drawing for 4 Cleveland Guardians tickets courtesy of US Safety Gear!
- Keynote Speaker: Kevin Mowers, Founder of Crestcom International of Northeast Ohio will be our keynote speaker. Kevin is a dynamic storyteller and has recently spoken at the 2024 Ohio Safety Congress in Columbus, the largest free safety event in the USA.
- County Commissioners: County Commissioner Sabrina Christian-Bennett will be present and providing county “proclamation” certificates to our 4 safety award winners.
- Onsite Photography: Armond Luckey Photography will be onsite, taking pictures of our award winners and the event. From senior pictures & family photos to professional profiles and more, Armond Luckey Photography can help with all your photography needs.
- Championship Belt: Fulfill your childhood dreams by staying over after the meeting and taking a selfie or a team photo with our new Annual Safety Awards Championship Belt!
- Championship Lunch: Although Guido’s wasn’t nominated for one of our safety awards, they should be nominated for their catering! They’ll be serving a championship lunch of everyone’s favorite – MEAT ROLL, cheesy hash brown potatoes, green bean casserole, tossed salad, fresh Italian bread, drinks and desserts.
This event is ideal for all staff but don’t forget to invite your CEO!!!
Please register online no later than Thursday, May 2, 2024. Cost for lunch is $20/person for members (who RSVP) and $25 for non-members & walk-ins (including members who do not RSVP by deadline). Please note: no shows will be invoiced. Cash, credit or check accepted at the door. If paying by check, make it payable to: “Portage County Safety Council”.
This meeting is sponsored by Summa Health.
2024 Safety Award Winners
We’re excited to announce our 2024 Portage County Safety Award Winners!
We’ll be celebrating and honoring our winners at our next luncheon on Thursday, May 9, 2024, 11:30am-1:00pm, at the Ravenna Elks. Click here to register to attend.
2024 Safety Champion – Renee Onesti, Director of Operations, Kent Elastomer Products: Renee Onesti has continually promoted workplace safety well beyond her daily tasks & job description. She has served on the Portage County Steering Committee for over 15 years helping to develop, coordinate, and facilitate literally hundreds of training events throughout Portage County, including multiple county-wide workplace health & safety expos. She collaborates with other safety professionals to help solve safety issues beyond the four walls of her company. She has spoken many times to improve safety, including on the main stage at the Ohio Safety Congress and Expo in Columbus, the largest free safety event in the nation. A safety champion is one who goes above and beyond the call of duty to promote safety. Renee exemplifies what it means to be a safety champion!
2024 Safety Improvement Award – Diane Conner, Safety Manager, Miller Transfer and Rigging: Diane Conner has been instrumental in elevating the Safety Department and overall safety culture at Miller Transfer and Rigging since she arrived 2 years ago. Diane has created a collaborative and accountable safety department that has improved the company’s overall corporate culture. Last year (2023) preventable Accidents significantly decreased and overall CSA score (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Scorecard) improved by 11%. Accident frequency based on miles driven and total accidents were down 40% vs last year. As a result of Diane’s hard work, Miller Transfer and Rigging was recognized by the SC&RA for these great safety accomplishments.
2024 Safety Innovation Award – The Pyrotek Aurora Plant Safety Team: After noticing that only 5% of employees actually participated in safety or recognized risks. The local Pyrotek plant in Aurora rolled out a new safety program called Find It – Fix It. The program allows employees that find a safety issue to fix it themselves. Once a safety issue is discovered, a member of the Safety Team will verify the hazard and confirm that it was fixed by the employee. FiFI reports are reviewed monthly and the most impactful fix is recognized. In 9 months, participation rate is over 70%, they’ve seen a reduction in maintenance request & labor costs, and over 250 safety issues have been found and fixed by employees. As a result of the Aurora plant’s success, Pyrotek corporation is now in the process of rolling out their Find It – Fix It program at their other locations.
2024 Community Safety Award – The Portage County EMA: Through their Site Assisted Visit (SAV) program, the LEPC visits businesses in Portage County that report annually in compliance with EPCRA. This program has identified many chemical improvements and reporting corrections (both favorable and unfavorable to the business). It provides insight to first responders on the facility type, capabilities, the location, and potential severity of hazardous chemicals. In a typical year the LEPC visits four to eight companies within Portage County to ensure compliance, readiness and help improve the company’s own safety plans. Through this program there have been improvements in employee safety, preparedness for first responders and prevention of environmental incidents.Ryan Shackelford and his team deserve all the credit for developing this program and not only providing all the benefits listed above for Portage County, but also for developing a program that has worked so well that is has been adopted by several other counties within Ohio and a few LEPC’s from other States.
June 6, 2024 – How to Communicate Your Big Idea to Improve Safety
How to Communicate Your Big Idea to Improve Safety on Thursday, June 6th, 2024, 10AM-11:30AM!
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TODAY!!!
This fun and interactive training will cover:
- How to structure your communications by using mental models and conceptual frameworks to increase clarity and buy-in.
- How to avoid communicating too much too soon and losing people’s attention.
- A simple 3-step strategy to communicate more effectively and produce better results.
- 6 proven ways to make your ideas “stick.”
This training is ideal for:
- Anyone who is looking to communicate more effectively and trying to sell their idea formally or informally to others.
- Managers that struggle to get employees to buy into their safety program.
- Managers who struggle to sell their safety suggestions to executives.
About the Trainer: Mike Thompson is a seasoned leader with more than 15 years of experience in the non-profit industry and nearly 12 years in safety. He has a Master’s of Business Administration degree from American Intercontinental University and is a certified Workplace Stability, Global Priority Solutions, and Bridges Out of Poverty Trainer. Through the years, Mike has helped coach hundreds of people through tough and traumatic circumstances and now leverages that experience to help organizations become safer places to work. He has served as the Portage County Safety Council coordinator since 2012.
- PRICE: Free but registration is required by Friday, May 31st
- CREDITS: Qualifies for up to one rebate attendance credit (same as a monthly meeting).
- DATE: Thursday, June 6, 2024.
- TIME: 10:00AM-11:30AM
- LOCATION: Family & Community Services, 705 Oakwood St, Room 101, in Ravenna, Ohio 44266.
- LUNCH: Pizza will be provided after the training courtesy of our Safety Education Fund (money raised in our monthly 50/50).
- CAPACITY: Seating is limited to 30 and on a first come, first served basis. PCSC members will have priority.
April 25, 2024 – NARCAN Training
PCSC Members:
You asked for it, now it’s here!
In partnership with Project DAWN and the Portage County Combined Health District, we’re hosting a free NARCAN Training on Thursday, April 25th, 10AM-11:30AM!
- PRICE: Free but registration is required by Friday, April 19th.
- CREDITS: Qualifies for up to one rebate attendance credit (same as a monthly meeting).
- DATE: Thursday, April 25, 2024.
- TIME: 10:00AM-11:30AM
- LOCATION:Portage County Combined Health District, 999 East Main Street • Ravenna, Ohio 4426.
- LUNCH: Pizza will be provided after the training courtesy of our Safety Education Fund (money raised in our monthly 50/50).
- CAPACITY: Seating is limited on a first come, first served basis. PCSC members will have priority.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TODAY!!!
The All-New Annual Safety Awards!
Every year the Portage County Safety Council will recognize a few individuals, teams, programs, projects and/or organizations that go above & beyond to improve safety!
The all-new Safety Awards program will be held annually at our May luncheon. Nominees must be either employed by a Portage County Safety Council member organization or work in Portage County.
Awards will be considered in the following categories:
- SAFETY CHAMPION: An individual who goes above and beyond their typical work duties to improve and to promote workplace safety beyond their organization.
- SAFETY IMPROVEMENT: An individual, team, program, project, or organization that has made a significant improvement to their organization’s safety performance or has significantly contributed to the improved safety performance of others.
- SAFETY INNOVATION: An individual, team, program, project, or organization that has created new practical safety measures (tools, PPE, equipment, processes, procedures, etc.) that has improved or enhanced workplace safety.
NOMINATIONS: To nominate an individual, team, program, project, or organization for one of the safety awards mentioned above, please complete this online Safety Awards Nomination Form prior to Friday, March 22nd, 2024.
DEADLINE: Friday, March 22, 2024.
CEREMONY DATE/LOCATION: May 9, 2024, 11:30am-1:00pm, at the Ravenna Elks.
*All awards are subject to change
Celebrating 2023!
Hello Everyone!
As many of you know, every year at this time I like to reflect on the year coming to an end and celebrate everything we have accomplished together as a safety council. Once again, I was blown away!
Thank you for your continued participation and support of our safety council. I hope as you review the highlights below, you will be just as excited as I was. I am truly thankful for each and every one of you and look forward to another great year in 2024!
2023 HIGHLIGHTS
- We hosted 15 in-person training events.
- 33 earned their First Aid, CPR, AED, and Stop the Bleed certifications.
- 27 became QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeepers.
- 24 completed SKYWARN Spotter training.
- We published 270 minutes of workplace safety related video content, increasing our On-Demand Video Recordings to 79 total.
- We published 190 minutes of workplace safety related audio content on our podcast, making nearly 80 total hours (280 episodes) available for free though any smart device. These podcasts have been downloaded in almost every state and well over 50 nations, highlighting authors, speakers, coaches, doctors, professors, and safety pros from across the nation.
- We hosted our annual holiday food drive at our November & December luncheons to help those in need through the Center of Hope and Kent Social Services food pantries.
COMING IN 2024
- Ohio Safety Congress 2024 Podcast Preview Series will start in January!
- OSHA Recordkeeping Workshop in January (multi-safety council collaboration)
- Project Dawn NARCAN Training in early spring.
- All new annual Safety Awards! Nominations will start in the new year; the ceremony will be at our May luncheon.
We hope you all have a merry Christmas & happy New Year!
January 30, 2024 – OSHA Recordkeeping Workshop
Changes are coming in January 2024
With the current online reporting requirement, it is more important than ever to have your OSHA 300 log accurate. Those responsible for creating, updating and signing the OSHA Recordkeeping documents should join us. Public employers who fall under PERRP requirements will obtain valuable knowledge about logs and submission as well.
Objectives:
- Review of OSHA recordkeeping requirements for workplace injuries and illnesses;
- Examine the correct use of the OSHA recordkeeping forms;
- Demonstrate how to complete the OSHA 300 Log
- Discuss OSHA online reporting rule and how to comply (with new 2024 changes)
Details:
- Tuesday, January 30, 2024
- Our Lady of the Cedars, 507 S. Cleveland Massillon Rd., Fairlawn OH 44333
- Registration and breakfast begin at 8:30 AM
- Workshop begins at 9:00 – 11:30 AM
- Costs: $23.00
This event qualifies as a regular meeting credit for members of the five sponsoring safety councils. Members of other safety councils may receive an external training credit. Fulfills the two-hour training requirement for Group-Experience Rating Program or Group-Retrospective Rating Program. Certificates will be provided.
Click here for more information or to register.
This event is hosted by the Safety Councils of Summit, Stark, Green, Medina and Portage counties.
August 2023 Newsletter
Welcome to our monthly newsletter for August 2023!
Our goal for the newsletter is to connect our members to relevant safety resources, all linked together in one convenient location every month. We hope you find this resource useful and valuable!
Please share with your colleagues!
SAFETY RESOURCES:
- Analyzing the ROI of Safety: Article by Safety Services Company.
- Recognizing and Combating the Half-Attention Mindset: Article by Incident Prevention.
- Working Safely When the Air Quality Index Is High: Article by Safeopedia.
- Wildfire Smoke Safety: A short video by Ally Safety. (4:36)
- Chemical fire and explosion offers lessons for industry: Article by Safety + Health Magazine.
- Stay Safe During Thunderstorms & Lightning: By Ready.gov.
- Tick Safety: August 2023 Safety & Hygiene Corner
- Ohio BWC Monthly Learning: August 2023.
- PCSC Podcasts: Our podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Podbean, Stitcher, & TuneIn/Alexa! Access local & relevant workplace safety information right through your phone! Subscribe today!
PCSC NEWS:
- Welcome New Members! Churchill Steel Plate, Copen Machine, Field Local School District, Founders Service & Mfg, HEPA Environmental Services, LG Chem Ohio Petrochemical, Inc, Linnea’s Candy Supplies, Novo Health Services, P.M. Graphics, Inc.
- Welcome New Steering Committee Members! We’re excited to announce that Che O’Connell, Regional Manager at MinuteMen OhioComp, and Ryan Shackelford, Director, Portage County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, have recently joined our Steering Committee! We look forward to working with them to make the Portage County Safety Council even better!
- 2024 Sponsorships are Now Available! Sponsoring one of our luncheons is a cost-effective way to get your business in front 80-100 safety managers, HR- related professionals and CEO’s representing various industries.
COMMUNITY NEWS & EVENTS:
- August 12, 2023 – Portage County Recycling & Touch a Truck Event. Hosted by Delta Systems in Streetsboro.
- August 29, 2023 – Local Government Breakfast. Hosted by the Portage Development Board in Rootstown.
WORKPLACE WELLNESS:
- Mental Health In The Workplace: Predicted Trends For 2023: Article by Forbes.
- The dangers of sitting: why sitting is the new smoking: Article by Better Health Channel.
Celebrating FY23!
PCSC Members & Community Stakeholders:
As our FY23 comes to an end today, I wanted to celebrate with you all everything that we’ve accomplished together over the last program year. Every year when we take a moment like this to reflect, I’m blown away every single time!
It seems in both work and life, often we’re too busy and pressured to move onto the next thing without pausing a moment and simply being thankful for what we already have or what has already happened. I hope you’ll take a moment with me today to simply celebrate everything we’ve accomplished together.
FY23 Accomplishments:
- 16 in-person training sessions hosted July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023.
- 34 received their OSHA 10 cards.
- 33 earned their First Aid, CPR, AED, and Stop the Bleed certifications.
- 27 became QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeepers.
- 24 complete SKYWARN Spotter training.
- Published 21 podcast episodes totaling 319 minutes or 5+ hours of safety related content.
- Created 11 videos totaling 251 minutes or 4+ hours of safety content.
I look forward to another great year with each one of you, working to make the Portage County area a safer place to work and live!
Sincerely,
Mike Thompson
Portage County Safety Council 
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