PCSC News & Events

News, announcements, and articles from the PCSC.

Annual Membership Renewal Notice

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Hello PCSC Members:

It’s time to renew again!

We’re thankful for all the good things that came and happened this year but we look forward to an even better upcoming year at the PCSC!

The new program year (FY19) begins on July 1, 2018. The deadline to enroll or renew to be eligible for the FY19 rebate is July 31, 2018.

  • All previous Annual Prepaid Lunch Packages will end on our last monthly meeting of FY18 which is Thursday, June 14, 2018.
  • Members who would like to purchase FY19 lunch packages should do so prior to the meeting on July 12, 2018.
  • We have updated our FY19 monthly meeting lunch policy. See attached memo for more info.

Click here for the FY19 Invoice.

Thank you for your continued participation in the Portage County Safety Council! We look forward to serving you in the upcoming program year. If you have any questions, please contact us at your convenience.

May “Stand‐Down” to Prevent Falls Challenge

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Click here to listen to a 2-minute podcast overview of the challenge.

What: In honor of OSHA’s “National Stand‐down to Prevent Falls” the BWC Canton/Cambridge Service Offices are hosting a Safety Council Challenge. We want to encourage every Safety Council member to perform safety training on preventing falls.

It’s easy. Training materials are linked below (or you can use your own) and all you need to do is:

  1. Perform the training to as many employees as possible (but 100% is not required to participate in this challenge)
  2. Document your attendance (keep it for your own records) and
  3. Submit the information (Click here for the form) to your safety council by Monday, June 4, 2018.
  • When: The entire month of May
  • Who: Every Profession – Industry, Healthcare, Construction, Service or any others
  • Where: Your own facility or in the field at your jobsite
  • Why: Falls are the number one reason for fatalities in Construction, but it doesn’t stop there. Every employer has a risk of employees slipping, tripping or falling. It may be the Ohio weather or the fact that all employees walk at some point during the work day. The risk is there, so the Safety Council challenge is for you to “stand‐down” and talk about it. Any employer can hold a stand‐down by taking a break to focus on “Fall Hazards” in your specific workplace and reinforcing the importance of “Fall Prevention”. It’s an opportunity for employers to have a conversation with employees about hazards, protective methods, and the company’s safety policies and goals. It can also be an opportunity for employees to talk to management about fall hazards they see.

The council with the highest member participation percentage will be presented with an award at a regular meeting!

Links to Training Materials & Resources

Click here for the May 2018 Challenge Info & Completion Form.

Strategies for reducing Slips trips and falls

Training Resources List

PCSC Podcasts Training Supplements (you can use these as tool box talks):

  • Safety Talk: The ABC’s of Fall Protection. Eric White, Construction Safety Consultant for the Ohio BWC, gives us an overview of The ABC’s of Fall Protection! (8:08) This episode would make a great tool box talk!
  • Safety Talk: Fall Protection Harness Inspections. Eric White, Construction Safety Consultant for the Ohio BWC, gives some tips on how to properly inspect fall Protection harnesses! (3:58) This episode would make a great meeting ice breaker or tool box talk!
  • Safety Talk: Slips, Trips, & Falls. Nicholas Coia, Industrial Safety Consultant from the Ohio BWC presents on how to prevent slips, trips, & falls. (4:46) This episode would make a great meeting ice breaker or tool box talk!

PCSC Podcasts Interviews (ideal for a more in-depth safety conversation):

 

May 10, 2018 – Annual Safety Awards

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Greetings Safety Council Members!

Our next meeting is Thursday, May 10, 2018, 11:30am-1:30pm, at the Ravenna Elks Club which is located at 776 N Freedom St in Ravenna. PLEASE NOTE: The ending time has been extended to due to the nature of this event.

This month will be our Annual Safety Awards & CEO DAY! Follow the link to view winners.

We’re very excited to announce that our special keynote speaker will be Brad Hurtig!

Brad Hurtig was a student-athlete in a small town in Northwest Ohio. Only days after finishing his sophomore year of high school, a devastating workplace accident resulted in the amputation of both of Brad’s hands.

Through hard work and determination Brad soon rejoined his high school football team. In his senior year, Brad led his team defense, recording 111 tackles and receiving all-state honors all while playing with no hands. Brad’s inspirational story of triumph quickly captured national headlines.

Brad has been featured on ESPN, TEDx, CBS, NBC, Montel, and in The New York Times!

This training is ideal for everyone! Please invite everyone you can especially your CEO!!!

Please RSVP no later than 12pm on Monday, May 7, 2018.

CLICK HERE TO RSVP NOW

Please make your check payable to: “Portage County Safety Council.” If you would like to pay by credit card prior to the event, please email us for an invoice. Cost for lunch is still just $15/person for members and $20 for non-members.

 

This Meeting is Sponsored By 1-888-OhioComp!

 

April 2018 Newsletter

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Welcome to the 5th edition of our new monthly newsletter!

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!

2018 PORTAGE COUNTY WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY EXPO:

  • 16 safety related breakout courses! Based on 4 tracks (Construction, Industrial, Electrical, & Health) there’s something for everyone! Follow the link for more info on courses & speakers.
  • Free health screenings by University Hospitals!
  • Exhibit Hall filled with local vendors & prize drawings!
  • Outdoor exhibits from Engines-LPG, County Fire Protection, and the Portage County LEPC!
  • Safety Feud game by Swift First Aid!
  • Qualifies for 1 Safety Council attendance/CEO credit for PCSC members or 1 external training credit for members of other councils!
  • $10 off registration if paid for by June 8, 2018! Registration fee is $30 by 6/8, $40 after 6/8.
  • Includes Lunch! Every attendee will receive a boxed lunch.  Coffee, water, & breakfast pastries will be available in the morning.
  • Click here to listen to the expo podcast announcement.

*Registration is now open! Click here for the registration form.

SAFETY RESOURCES:

  1. PCSC Podcasts: Click here to listen on iTunes. Click here to listen on Google Play.
  2. April’s Safety Update from the Ohio BWC Library. Each edition provides up-to-date news & safety information.
  3. Ergonomics Checklists: April 2018 Safety & Hygiene Corner provided by Ohio BWC staff.
  4. Lightning Safety When Working Outdoors. This is FactSheet provided by OSHA.
  5. Episode 25 – Silica Standard Interview. Rick Maj, Industrial Hygienist from the Ohio BWC stayed over last week to give our listeners a quick snapshot of his presention and a brief overview of OSHA’s new silica standard. (8:30)
  6. Episode 23 – Trench Safety Interview. Nic Coia interviews Eric White, Safety Consultant for the Ohio BWC, for an in-depth conversation on trench safety! (11:54)
  7. Episode 21 – Safety Talk: Trench Safety. Eric White, Safety Consultant for the Ohio BWC, gives us a crash course on trench safety! (3:18) This episode would make a great tool box talk!

PCSC NEWS:

  • A handful of vendor tables are still available for The 3rd biannual Portage County Workplace Health & Safety Expo will be on Friday, June 22, 2018, 8am-3pm, at Maplewood Career Center! Vendor tables start at $50 and sponsorships start at $200. Register while they’re still available!
  • Next Monthly Meeting: Annual Safety Awards & CEO Day with special keynote speaker Brad Hurtig! Thursday, April 10, 2018, 11:30am-1:30pm. Please Note: due to the award ceremony and our nationally recognized speaker, this luncheon will end at 1:30pm instead of our normal time. Click here to RSVP.
  • The Fall Protection Competent Person Training on March 27-28 was a success with 19 people completing the training! A special thank you to Pat McCon, Maplewood Career Center, and the Northern Ohio Chapter of the ASSE for partnering on this event!

PROGRAM/REBATE UPDATES:

  • BWC Updates: These are the power points presented by BWC Representative Nic Coia at our monthly meetings.
  • 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.

NON-PCSC TRAINING EVENTS

April 12, 2018 – Crystalline Silica Exposure

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All members (including prepaid members) please RSVP online.

Greetings Safety Council Members!

Our next meeting is Thursday, April 12, 2018, 11:30am-1:00pm, at the Ravenna Elks Club which is located at 776 N Freedom St in Ravenna.  The official meeting notice is attached.

Our topic for this month is…

OSHA’s Final Rule on Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica, Rick Maj, Industrial Hygienist, Ohio BWC.

This training will be an overview of the hazards of respirable crystalline silica (RCS), tasks with RCS exposures, and the OSHA requirements for exposure to RCS.

This training is ideal for safety managers and compliance staff!

Please RSVP no later than 12pm on Monday, April 9, 2018.

CLICK HERE TO RSVP NOW

Please make your check payable to: “Portage County Safety Council.” If you would like to pay by credit card prior to the event, please email us for an invoice. Cost for lunch is still just $15/person for members and $20 for non-members.

 

March 2018 Newsletter

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Welcome to the 4th edition of our new monthly newsletter!

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!

We added some new features this month, please share with your colleagues!

SAFETY RESOURCES:

  1. PCSC Podcasts: Click here to listen on iTunes. Click here to listen on Google Play.
  2. March’s Safety Update from the Ohio BWC Library. Each edition provides up-to-date news & safety information.
  3. Safety Walk-Arounds for Managers. This is a Fact Sheet from OSHA.
  4. General Industry Walking-Working Surfaces and Fall Protection Standards. This is a Fact Sheet from OSHA.
  5. Episode 20 – Safety Blast: Drive Safe on St. Patrick’s Day. Lori Cook, Traffic Safety Advisor for AAA East Central NEO reminds us to drive safe on St. Patrick’s Day! (2:20)
  6. Episode 19 – Safety Blast: Drowsy Driving. Lori Cook, Traffic Safety Advisor for AAA East Central NEO gives us a few tips on how to avoid driving drowsy. (2:12)
  7. Episode 18 – Safety Talk: Staying Safe in Wet Driving Conditions. Lori Cook, Traffic Safety Advisor for AAA East Central NEO shares how to stay safe in wet driving conditions. (5:03)

PCSC NEWS:

PROGRAM/REBATE UPDATES:

  • BWC Updates: These are the power points presented by BWC Representative Nic Coia at our monthly meetings, including the most recent one from 3/1/18.
  • 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.

NON-PCSC TRAINING EVENTS

February 2018 Newsletter

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Welcome to the 3rd edition of our new monthly newsletter!

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!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

Our podcasts are now on iTunes, Podbean, and Google Play! That means you have access to a great training resource right on your phone. Our shorter, straight to the point Safety Talks from local experts would be ideal for tool box talks, meeting ice breakers, or as a supplemental training tool.

SAFETY RESOURCES:

  1. Podcast Safety Talks: Flu Prevention in One Minute (1:42), 2018 Flu Update (7:19), Flu Prevention (7:50), and more! Visit our new podcast site on Podbean!
  2. February’s Safety Update from the Ohio BWC Library. Each edition provides up-to-date news & safety information.
  3. BWC Updates: These are the power points presented by BWC Representative Nic Coia at our monthly meetings, including the most recent one from 2/8/18.

PCSC NEWS:

Feb 8, 2018 – Improving Safety By Understanding People

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Greetings Safety Council Members!

Our next meeting is Thursday, February 8, 2018, 11:30am-1:00pm, at the Ravenna Elks Club which is located at 776 N Freedom St in Ravenna.

Improving Safety By Understanding People: 7 Things That Will Make or Break Your Safety Culture, presented by Mike Thompson, Manager, Portage County Safety Council.

This training will cover:

  • 4 often overlooked factors that shape your corporate & safety culture.
  • Loss Aversion: What is it and how does it affect your company’s safety performance.
  • Hidden social norms that cause big problems.
  • How to use the Stages of Change to develop your safety program.

This training is ideal for CEO’s, supervisors, safety managers, and human resource staff!

Please RSVP no later than 12pm on Monday, February 5, 2018.

CLICK HERE TO RSVP NOW

Please make your check payable to: “Portage County Safety Council.” If you would like to pay by credit card prior to the event, please email us for an invoice. Cost for lunch is still just $15/person for members and $20 for non-members.

Free St. Valentine’s Day Giveaway!!!

In honor of St. Valentine’s Day, up to 70 attendees will receive a free handcrafted soy wax candle made locally in Portage County courtesy of EndlessJoyCo.com!