September 10, 2026 – The Wild Side of Safety

🦁🦺 What can the Akron Zoo teach us about keeping PEOPLE safe? Quite a lot!

Join us for our next Monthly Safety Luncheon and take a walk on The Wild Side of Safety! 🌿🐒

📅 Thursday, September 10, 2026
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
📍 Ravenna Elks Club

We’re excited to welcome Brenna Erjavec, Senior Manager of Safety & Security at Akron Zoo, for an engaging presentation on what it really takes to build a strong safety culture in an environment where every day brings unique challenges.

🐾 The Wild Side of Safety will explore practical strategies such as:

🔹 Monthly training and live drills
🔹 Two person lock and key systems
🔹 Spotters for high risk tasks
🔹 Leadership practices that make safety everyone’s priority

There are few tougher groups to keep safe than people! Brenna brings more than nine years of experience at the Akron Zoo, from Animal Keeper and Lead Animal Keeper for Hoofstock and Primates to her current role leading Health, Safety and Security.

Her unique blend of animal care experience and expertise in occupational health, safety and emergency management offers a fresh perspective that applies far beyond the zoo. 🦒➡️🏭

Come discover how lessons from the wild can help your organization build a stronger safety culture!

📲 Ready to join us? Register for the event by scanning the QR code!

We hope to see you there! 🦺🐾🌟

#Safety #WorkplaceSafety #SafetyCulture #SafetyLeadership #OccupationalSafety #SafetyLuncheon #AkronZoo #TheWildSideOfSafety

December 13, 2018 – The Real Cost of Safety

All members (including prepaid members) please RSVP online.

Greetings Safety Council Members!

Our next meeting is Thursday, December 13, 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…

The True Cost of Safety, Rich McElhaney, Health & Safety Keynote Speaker.

You’re invited to a candid discussion with Mr. Richard McElhaney as he talks about the effects of traumatic injuries not only on the employee but on the family, coworkers, and the company.

Mr. McElhaney will also speak about six accident reduction techniques that had the greatest impact over his 26 years in the health and safety field.  He will reveal what the real costs are of being safe.

He will revisit the importance of the Job Safety Analysis (JSA) as a preplanning tool.  “JSA’s have been around for many years, but they have become complacent on many projects globally.”  Mr. McElhaney will review in detail an injury that occurred on one of his projects and how the use of JSA’s would have prevented the injury and how the JSA process turned things around.

This training is ideal for CEO’s, safety managers, HR and all staff!

Please RSVP no later than 12pm on Monday, December 10, 2018.

CLICK HERE TO RSVP NOW 

Please make your check payable to: “Portage County Safety Council.” Cost for lunch is still just $15/person for members and $20 for non-members (there’s a $5 fee for walk-ins including members who do not RSVP by deadline).

HOLIDAY FOOD DRIVE!!!

Please consider donating non-perishable food items to help those in need this holiday season! Receive 1 drawing ticket for a $25 restaurant gift card for every item donated! Donations will go to Kent Social Services.

CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS!!!

Just for fun, let’s celebrate the holiday by wearing your favorite ugly sweater, Christmas/holiday shirt, Santa hat, etc.

This Meeting is Sponsored By Ving!

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