1st Place – May 2019 Stand Down for Safety Challenge!

July 18, 2019 / portagecsc

The Portage County Safety Council took 1st place in the 2019 regional safety council “Stand Down for Safety” Challenge!

23.9% of PCSC member companies participated resulting in 10,587 individuals trained in the month of May!

A special thank you to Keith Greathouse (pictured far right) from the Ohio BWC Canton Service Office and Bridgette Frank (pictured far left) from the OSHA Cleveland Area office for hosting this contest and joining us in July to celebrate!

Winner - May Stand Down Challenge 7-11-19

May 2019 Stand-Down Training Events by the Ohio BWC

May 1, 2019May 1, 2019 / portagecsc

Please Note: these are not PCSC sponsored events but they do qualify for 1 external training credit for PCSC members.

Click here to view in a Word doc.

Learn fall protection and prevention! Attend a BWC stand-down event

In 2017, there were 971 construction fatalities nationwide; 366 of them resulted from falls from elevation.

Additionally, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) again lists fall protection in construction as its most frequently cited standard.

To raise awareness and reduce injuries and fatalities, OSHA promotes its annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls. The stand-down encourages employers across the nation to hold events in conjunction with the multi-day event, May 6-10 this year. As always, the stand-down encourages employers to pause during their workday for topic discussions, safety demonstrations, and trainings in hazard recognition and fall prevention.

We have scheduled four FREE training events open to the public during the week of the stand-down. We’ve listed information for each below.

Garfield Heights event

When: 8 a.m. to Noon May 7
Where: BWC’s Garfield Heights Service Office – 4800 E. 131^st, Garfield Heights, OH 44131
Event details: Presentations by experts from T. Allen Incorporated, The Albert M. Higley Co., Werner Ladder, Honeywell and the Cleveland OSHA Area Office
Register: Visit the BWC Learning Center and enter Stand-Down Event in the search field then enroll for the Garfield Heights event.

Mansfield event

When: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. May 7
Where: MHS Industrial Supply – 70 Sawyer Parkway, Mansfield, OH 44903
Event details: Presentation by experts from FallTech; co-hosted by MHS Industrial Supply
Register: Visit the BWC Learning Center and enter Stand-Down Event in the search field then enroll for the Mansfield event.

Pickerington event

When: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. May 10
Where: BWC’s Ohio Center for Occupational Safety and Health – 13430 Yarmouth Drive, Pickerington, OH 43147
Event details: Presentations by experts from Guardian Fall Protection with Pure Safety, LBJ Inc. and the Columbus OSHA Area Office
Register: Visit the BWC Learning Center and enter Stand-Down Event in the search field then enroll for the Pickerington event.

Youngstown event

When: 7:30 – 9 a.m. May 7
Where: Boak & Sons, Incorporated – 75 Victoria Road, Austintown, OH 44515
Event details: Presentation by experts from 3M and a drop demonstration truck; co-hosted by Boak & Sons, Incorporated
Register: Email David Costantino or call 330-301-5825; email David Loughner or call 216-538-9720

We may add more events in the coming weeks. Also, don’t forget the BWC Library offers an extensive collection of audiovisual materials related to fall hazards and fall prevention. Additionally, we offer year-round classes throughout Ohio to address fall protection requirements.

It’s not too late for your company or organization to plan a stand-down event. We’re here if you need help planning your activity. Just call 1-800-644-6292 for assistance.

May “Stand‐Down” to Prevent Falls Challenge

April 27, 2018June 25, 2018 / portagecsc

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:

Perform the training to as many employees as possible (but 100% is not required to participate in this challenge)
Document your attendance (keep it for your own records) and
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):

Episode 29 – Fall Protection Interview. Nic Coia interviews Eric White, Construction Safety Consultant for the Ohio BWC, for an in-depth conversation on fall protection! (15:09)
Episode 3 – How to Reduce the Risks of Slips, Trips, & Falls at Work. PCSC Manager Mike Thompson interviews BWC Industrial Safety Consultant Nicholas Coia on how to reduce the risks of slips, trips, & falls at work. (8:00)