SAIF’S FREE AG SAFETY SEMINAR COMING TO BANDON, FEB. 27

Summary: The seminar, which is free to anyone interested in agricultural safety, will be on Monday, February 27 at “the Barn,” Bandon’s Conference and Community Center. The seminars will run from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and lunch is included. As one of Oregon’s largest industries, agriculture also tends to suffer its share of injuries and illnesses. To reduce the number and severity of injuries in the industry, SAIF has presented free, half-day agricultural safety seminars across the state for more than 20 years. Each year the not-for-profit company reaches more supervisors, managers, and other workers and, hopefully, prevents more injuries. Designed primarily for people working in agriculture, anyone with an interest in ag safety and health is welcome to attend. (They don’t have to be insured by SAIF.) The seminars run from November to March. For the past 12 years, several of the sessions also have been presented in Spanish. Employers with small ag businesses who attend the seminar will meet OSHA’s instructional requirement, one of four requirements that exempt small agricultural operations from random OSHA inspections. This year, seminars will be held in 16 Oregon cities: Bandon, Central Point, Clackamas, Corvallis, Eugene, Hermiston, Hillsboro, Hood River, Klamath Falls, La Grande, Madras, Ontario, Salem, The Dalles, Wilsonville, and Woodburn. Spanish-language seminars will be held in Central Point, Hermiston, Hillsboro, Hood River, Klamath Falls, Salem, The Dalles, Woodburn, and Wilsonville. The seminars — which begin November 1 in Ontario — are held from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and include lunch. Topics for the 2016-17 series: Learning to S.I.T. | A simple, three-step approach to help make training more effective. The session focuses on effective teaching strategies while demonstrating applicable safety tips share within your operation. Clearing the air on pesticide safety | We’ll cover Worker Protection Standard rule changes for 2017 and 2018, proper Storage and handling of the typical crop protection materials, and some real-world hazards to avoid when spraying. Farm shop safety: improving your odds | Tips to avoid injury, stay in compliance, and use the farm shop to set higher standards for other work areas–featuring SAIF’s new farm shop safety video. Welding safety and other hot topics | Safety tips to reduce burns, eye injuries, and help manage toxic fumes while describing several unique fire hazards; plus skin cancer health facts, prevention, and detection guidelines. This seminar series will not offer private applicator pesticide “core” credits. The Oregon State Landscaping Contractors Board has approved the seminar for four hours of continuing education credits. The Department of Consumer and Business Services has approved the seminar for four hours of producer continuing education credits. Seating is limited, so early registration is recommended. You may register online at saif.com/agseminar or call 800.285.8525. We’ll confirm by email as soon as we receive your registration. About one week before the seminar, we’ll send you an email reminder with the location address. If you have any questions, please call 800.285.8525. Get more information, or view the schedule of seminars, at http://www.saif.com/agseminar. About SAIF – SAIF is Oregon’s not-for-profit, state-chartered workers’ compensation insurance company. Since 1914 it has been caring for injured workers and helping to make workplaces safer. For more, visit the About SAIF page on saif.com