PCSC News & Events

News, announcements, and articles from the PCSC.

February 2020 Newsletter

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Welcome to our monthly newsletter for February 2020!

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:

  1. Embracing the Long View for Safety. Do you abandon your new safety strategy too soon? In this episode, Mike & Nic chat about the diffusion of innovation model and what it means for safety! (11:30) Listen/Download via Google Drive.
  2. Tench Safety Grant (TSG) Program:BWC’s Trench Safety Grant Program provides 4-to-1 matching funds, up to $12,000, to Ohio private and public employers covered by the State Insurance Fund who wish to purchase equipment to substantially reduce or eliminate injuries and illnesses associated with trenching and excavation. The grant funds can assist employers in purchasing safety equipment, such as trench boxes and hydraulic shoring.
  3. Trench Safety Ohio.com! A new website from the Ohio BWC that provides links to trenching safety information and tips, training, and publications.
  4. Practical Application of Electrical Safety (Live). This is a live recording of our monthly workplace safety luncheon on December 12, 2019. The topic was Practical Application of Electrical Safety and it was presented by Karl Cunningham, Global Electrical Safety, Maintenance and Project Specialist, ES Squared, Inc. (34:26) Listen/Download via Google Drive.
  5. February’s Safety Update from the Ohio BWC Library. Each edition provides up-to-date news & safety information.
  6. OSHA’s Policy on Online Training: February’s Safety & Hygiene Corner.
  7. PCSC Podcasts: Our podcasts are now available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Podbean, Stitcher & You Tube! local & relevant workplace safety information right through your phone! Subscribe today!

PCSC NEWS:

  1. NOTICE: March Meeting Date Change! Due to OSC 2020, our regularly scheduled March meeting will now be on March 5th, 2020. Please advise all staff planning to attend.
  2. NEXT MEETING: Thursday, March 5, 2020, 11:30am-1:00pm. The topic will be Safety Crash Course – Part 2 and it will be presented by various speakers. RSVP deadline is 12pm on Monday, March 2.
  3. 2020 Expo! The 4th biannual Portage County Workplace Health & Safety Expo will be on Friday, June 19, 2020, 8am-3pm, at Maplewood Career Center. More details coming this spring!
  4. Expo Vendor Tables Starting at $50!!! Deadline is March 31, 2020. Follow link for more details.
  5. New PCSC You Tube Channel! One podcast will now be automatically converted to video and uploaded to our new You Tube channel every week! 
  6. Website Update! Our website can now be found at PortageCountySafetyCouncil.com! The old WordPress URL stills works but now we are ad free and you can save a few seconds with the new domain address. In addition, we’ve also added several new pages under the About Us tab, to make it easier to explore & navigate all the good things the PCSC is currently involved in! Check it out!

EXTERNAL TRAINING CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES

*Click here for ETC guidelines.

PROGRAM UPDATES:

  • Monthly Meeting Power Points. We post them on our website after the presenters send them to us and give us permission to publish. If the speaker provides additional info, we’ll post it there as well.
  • External Training Credit Opportunities: We post them on our blog as outside organizations send them to us. A maximum of 2 external training credits are allowed per program year to help members earn the 10 minimum attendance credits required by the rebate. Please Note: ETC certificates of completion must be submitted by June 30 every year in order to qualify. Click here for ETC guidelines.
  • Rebate Participation Spreadsheet. Rebate eligible members can review how close they are to fulfilling the minimum rebate eligibility requirements by reviewing the Participation Spreadsheet which is typically updated on a monthly basis.
  • Rebate Fact Sheet: Have a question regarding rebate requirements? Check out this fact sheet from the Ohio BWC.

Closing Out Wellness Month

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As we close out Wellness Month, we wanted to provide our members a list of free resources to them improve the health & wellness of their employees!

Wellness Month Podcasts:

Wellness Resources:

  • Engaging Your Workforce in Wellness: Engaging Your Workforce in Wellness is a 24-page toolkit promoting the benefits of employee health & wellness programs and providing employers with evidence-based strategies. 
  • Healthy Workers are Safer Workers Campaign: This campaign was created to help employers reduce workplace injuries by promoting worker health & wellness!The campaign page contains links to free campaign tools and relevant workplace wellness resources to help your company promote & improve worker health!
  • Workplace Wellness Podcast Library: The Portage County Safety Council has teamed up with other organizations to create several workplace wellness related podcasts. These podcasts are great resources of information and are perfect for company newsletters, team meeting icebreakers or toolbox talks! All of these podcast episodes are available not only through our website but also through your favorite podcast app such as iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Podbean, & Stitcher! 
  • Health Talks: We teamed up with University Hospitals Portage Medical Center to create several podcast Health Talks to help employers promote worker health! These talks are straight to the point and are only 3-5 minutes – perfect to get health & wellness info on the go! Again, all of these podcast episodes are available not only through our website but also through your favorite podcast app such as iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Podbean, & Stitcher!

January 2020 Newsletter

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Welcome to our monthly newsletter for January 2020!

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!

WORKPLACE WELLNESS RESOURCES:

  1. Healthy Workers are Safer Workers (Live Campaign Launch). This is a live recording of our Healthy Workers are Safer Workers campaign launch at our monthly workplace safety luncheon on January 9, 2020. (10:17) Click here for the power point.
  2. Free Campaign Poster: View, download or print your own to display at your facility!
  3. Engaging Your Workers in Wellness: Free 24-page workplace wellness toolkit for employers by the PCSC!
  4. Mindfulness in the Workplace. We caught up with Jennifer Stefanak, Market Well-Being Partner at Mercy Health, to chat about mindfulness at work after her presentation at the Northeast Ohio Safety Expo! (12:08)
  5. Small Changes Can Make Big Improvements. We caught up with personal trainer, Lisa Kelleman-McClain, owner of Build A Body Personal Training LLC, at the 2019 SCSC Wellness Conference in Akron, to talk about workplace wellness! (10:02)

SAFETY RESOURCES:

  1. January’s Safety Update from the Ohio BWC Library. Each edition provides up-to-date news & safety information.
  2. Guarding eStop Buttons: January’s Safety & Hygiene Corner.
  3. OSHA’s Shifting Focus on Leading Indicators; A Leap Towards Innovation in Safety. Article by Ving!
  4. [Bonus Training] Mirror Neurons: Hardwired for Empathy (Live) Here’s an excerpt of a recent live training on mirror neurons from trainer Mike Thompson. Although the training is addressed to workers in social services, it’s relevant to all staff, especially those who provide one-on-one care, coaching or case management. We hope you enjoy this free bonus training! (12:56)
  5. PCSC Podcasts: Our podcasts are now available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Podbean, & Stitcher! local & relevant workplace safety information right through your phone! Subscribe today!

PCSC NEWS:

  • Reports are due January 15th! All PCSC members are required to complete the 2019 Second Half Semi-Annual Report regardless of eligibility status. Please do so by the end of the day on Wednesday, January 15, 2020. Failure to do so may disqualify your company from the annual safety awards and rebate.
  • NEXT MEETING: Thursday, February 13, 2020, 11:30am-1:00pm. The topic will be Safety Crash Course – Part 1 [LOTO, PPE, Forklift/PIT, JHA/JSA], and it will be presented by the PCSC Steering Committee. RSVP deadline is 12pm on Monday, February 10th.
  • 5,000 Downloads! The PCSC Podcast has now been downloaded over 5,000 times! Thank you for listening & promoting! If you enjoy these podcast, please leave  aposiitve review on your favorite podcast app today!
  • Workplace Wellness Month Continues! Workplace Wellness month continue throughout January at the PCSC! We’ll be releasing a related podcast every Monday of the month.
  • Notice: March Meeting Date Change! Due to OSC 2020, our regularly scheduled March meeting will now be on March 5th, 2020. Please advise all staff planning to attend.

EXTERNAL TRAINING CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES

*Click here for ETC guidelines.

PROGRAM UPDATES:

  • Monthly Meeting Power Points. We post them on our website after the presenters send them to us and give us permission to publish. If the speaker provides additional info, we’ll post it there as well.
  • External Training Credit Opportunities: We post them on our blog as outside organizations send them to us. A maximum of 2 external training credits are allowed per program year to help members earn the 10 minimum attendance credits required by the rebate. Please Note: ETC certificates of completion must be submitted by June 30 every year in order to qualify. Click here for ETC guidelines.
  • Rebate Participation Spreadsheet. Rebate eligible members can review how close they are to fulfilling the minimum rebate eligibility requirements by reviewing the Participation Spreadsheet which is typically updated on a monthly basis.
  • Rebate Fact Sheet: Have a question regarding rebate requirements? Check out this fact sheet from the Ohio BWC.

January is Workplace Wellness Month

/ portagecsc

PCSC Members:

We’re teaming up with SCSC to promote workplace wellness throughout the month of January!

At our monthly meeting on Thursday, January 9, 2020, we’ll be officially launching our new Healthy Workers are Safer Workers Campaign which provides employers with free campaign tools and workplace wellness resources aimed at helping them improve worker health!

We’ll be giving away 100 free campaign posters to those in attendance! Click here to download a free electronic copy today!

In addition to the campaign launch, we’ll be publishing a new workplace wellness podcast every Monday throughout to month! Once released, these episodes will be available through all of our podcast channels on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Podbean, & Stitcher!

To learn more, click here to listen to the January is Workplace Wellness Month podcast announcement today!

 

2019 Holiday Food Drive A Big Success!

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The PCSC once again an annual holiday food drive at its November & December monthly meetings!

November attendees who donated one or more non-perishable food items to the Center of Hope received a drawing ticket for a Subway restaurant gift card. December attendees who donated one or more non-perishable food items to Kent Social Services received a free copy of the book Bridges Out of Poverty! As you can see below, the books were a big hit!

Each month generated a full card load of groceries to help those in need!

Thank you to everyone who gave!

Free Books - DEC 2019Food Drive - Dec 2019

Jan 9, 2020 – Reboot Your Health

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Greetings Safety Council Members!

Our next meeting is Thursday, January 9, 2020, 11:30am-1:00pm, at the Ravenna Elks Club which is located at 776 N Freedom St in Ravenna. Sponsored By US Safety Gear

January is Workplace Wellness Month!!!

Our topic for this month is…

Reboot Your Health, presented by Dr. Aubree Jones, D.C., Peak Health & Wellness.

Dr. Aubree Jones is a native of Chautauqua County, New York. She graduated from Falconer Central school in 2008 and continued her studies at the University of Mount Union in Alliance, OH earning her Bachelors of Science in Exercise Physiology in 2012. Dr. Aubree then went on to earn her Doctorate in Chiropractic from New York Chiropractic College in 2016.                                                                                             

Please RSVP online no later than 12pm on Monday, January 6. Cash, credit cards and checks are accepted at the door. Please make your check payable to: “Portage County Safety Council.” Please note: $5 fee will be charge for walk-ins including members who do not RSVP by deadline, no shows will be invoiced. Invoicing at the door is no longer available.

CLICK HERE TO RSVP NOW

 

 

December 2019 Newsletter

/ portagecsc

Welcome to our monthly newsletter for December 2019!

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:

  1. [Safety Blast] Winter Walking-Working Surfaces Standard. Cari Gray, Safety Consultant Specialist for the Ohio BWC, gives us a snapshot of OSHA’s walking-working surfaces standards in regards to inclement winter weather often experienced in Northeast Ohio and beyond! (2:19)
  2. Training Common Sense to Improve Winter Safety. Cari Gray, Safety Consultant for the Ohio BWC, shares why it’s important to train workers in what appears to be common sense during the winter weather season! (7:10)
  3. How to Avoid Slips, Trips & Falls in Winter Weather Conditions. Cari Gray, Safety Consultant Specialist for the Ohio BWC, called in to share some tips on how to avoid slips, trips & falls in winter conditions! (7:20)
  4. The Effects of Drugs at Work (Live). This is a live recording of our monthly workplace safety luncheon on March 14, 2019. The topic was The Effects of Drugs at Work: Warning Signs & Prevention and it was presented by Dr. Amanda Burke, Prevention Specialist at Townhall II. Click here to view the power point used in the presentation. (43:34)
  5. December’s Safety Update from the Ohio BWC Library. Each edition provides up-to-date news & safety information.
  6. OSHA’s Cold Stress Guide.
  7. Bandsaw Guarding: December’s Safety & Hygiene Corner.
  8. 7 Short Lessons On Electrical Safety That Everyone Should Know. Article by Ving!
  9. PCSC Podcasts: Our podcasts are now available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Podbean, & Stitcher! local & relevant workplace safety information right through your phone! Subscribe today!

PCSC NEWS:

  • NEXT MEETING: Thursday, December 12, 2019, 11:30am-1:00pm. The topic will be Practical Application of Electrical Safety,  and it will be presented by Karl Cunningham, Global Electrical Safety, Maintenance and Project Specialist, ES Squared, Inc.. RSVP deadline is 12pm on Monday, December 9th.
  • Holiday Food Drive on December 12th! The first 50 attendees who donate at least one non-perishable food item at our 12/12/19 luncheon will receive a free Bridges Out of Poverty book! Donations will go to Kent Social Services.
  • January Will Be Workplace Wellness Month! January 2020 will be Workplace Wellness month at the PCSC! We’ll be releasing a related podcast every Monday of the month. More info and resources coming soon!

PROGRAM UPDATES:

  • Monthly Meeting Power Points. We post them on our website after the presenters send them to us and give us permission to publish. If the speaker provides additional info, we’ll post it there as well.
  • External Training Credit Opportunities: We post them on our blog as outside organizations send them to us. A maximum of 2 external training credits are allowed per program year to help members earn the 10 minimum attendance credits required by the rebate. Please Note: ETC certificates of completion must be submitted by June 30 every year in order to qualify. Click here for ETC guidelines.
  • Rebate Participation Spreadsheet. Rebate eligible members can review how close they are to fulfilling the minimum rebate eligibility requirements by reviewing the Participation Spreadsheet which is typically updated on a monthly basis.

WORKPLACE WELLNESS:

  • Flu Prevention. In this Safety Talk, Susan Forgacs, Public Health Nurse from the Portage County Combined Health District gives us some timely tips on flu prevention. (7:50)
  • The Costs of Improper Handwashing at Work. In this interview, Justin Rechichar of the Portage County Health District shares that according to CDC statistics, employers lose an average of $1,685 in production per employee every year. Something he says that can be significantly reduced by proper handwashing. (14:21

 

November 2019 Newsletter

/ portagecsc

Welcome to our monthly newsletter for November 2019!

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:

  1. [Safety Blast] Winter Driving Safety Tips. Lori Cook, Traffic Safety Advisor for AAA East Central NEO gives us 9 tips on how to stay safe driving in the winter! (1:49)
  2. Behavior-Based Safety 101 (Live). This is a live recording of the “BBS 101…It’s Not BS!” breakout session at the NE Ohio Safety Expo on Oct. 11, 2019. The topic was presented by Sarah Ghezzi, CSP, Industrial Safety Consultant, for Ohio BWC! (45:34)
  3. Improving Safety By Understanding People (Live). This is a live recording of our monthly workplace safety luncheon on November 14, 2019. The topic was Improving Safety By Understanding People and it was presented by Mike Thompson, PCSC Manager. Click here to view the power point used in the presentation. (36:53)
  4. Ohio Fire Codes in the Workplace (Live). This is a live recording of our monthly workplace safety luncheon on August 8, 2019. The topic was Ohio Fire Codes in the Workplace and it was presented by Lt. Jeff Coffee of the Kent Fire Dept. (44:46)
  5. Winter Safety Podcast Library. Contains 14 podcasts dedicated to winter safety! These episodes would make great toolbox talks or meeting icebreakers.
  6. OSHA’s Cold Stress Guide.
  7. November’s Safety Update from the Ohio BWC Library. Each edition provides up-to-date news & safety information.
  8. Holiday Safety Tips: November’s Safety & Hygiene Corner.
  9. PCSC Podcasts: Our podcasts are now available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Podbean, & Stitcher! Access local & relevant workplace safety information right through your phone! Subscribe today!

PCSC NEWS:

  • NEXT MEETING: Thursday, December 12, 2019, 11:30am-1:00pm. The topic will be Practical Application of Electrical Safety,  and it will be presented by Karl Cunningham, Global Electrical Safety, Maintenance and Project Specialist, ES Squared, Inc.. RSVP deadline is 12pm on Monday, December 9th.
  • 2020 sponsorships are SOLD OUT!
  • 28 PCSC members completed the OSHA 10 Hour General Industry training at Hess Print Solutions in Kent, OH, on Nov. 7-8, 2019, earning their OSHA 10 card! Good job and congratulations everyone!

PROGRAM UPDATES:

  • Monthly Meeting Power Points. We post them on our website after the presenters send them to us and give us permission to publish. If the speaker provides additional info, we’ll post it there as well.
  • External Training Credit Opportunities: We post them on our blog as outside organizations send them to us. A maximum of 2 external training credits are allowed per program year to help members earn the 10 minimum attendance credits required by the rebate. Please Note: ETC certificates of completion must be submitted by June 30 every year in order to qualify. Click here for ETC guidelines.
  • Rebate Participation Spreadsheet. Rebate eligible members can review how close they are to fulfilling the minimum rebate eligibility requirements by reviewing the Participation Spreadsheet which is typically updated on a monthly basis.

WORKPLACE WELLNESS:

  • [Health Talk] Diabetes 101. November is Diabetes Awareness Month! Mindy Gusz, Community Outreach Coordinator at University Hospitals Portage Medical Center, gives us a crash course on diabetes and how to overcome it! (5:08)
  • January 2020 will be Workplace Wellness month at the PCSC! More info and resources coming soon!

 

28 Earn OSHA 10 Card!

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28 PCSC members completed the OSHA 10 Hour General Industry training at Hess Print Solutions in Kent, OH, on Nov. 7-8, 2019, earning their OSHA 10 card!

Good job and congratulations everyone!

OSHA 10 on 11-8-19

OSHA 10 Information

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Here are links to power points and handouts that’ll be used in our OSHA 10 Hour General Industry Training on November 7-8, 2019, at Hess Print Solutions in Kent, OH.

Simply click on each link to view or download the file.

Additional handouts for Section 6: