New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day….“Safety Break for Oregon” Day
By Josh Williams, Ph.D.
We’re all accustomed to annual days meant to celebrate important people in our lives. We have Valentine’s Day tomorrow which will soon be followed by Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and (don’t forget) Secretary’s Day. Another important day to celebrate is the “Safety Break for Oregon” day on May 8. This is an annual safety day established sixteen years ago by OSHA Oregon. Basically, it’s a safety stand-down for the entire state!
This event encourages:
- Celebrations of employees’ work in creating safe and healthy workplaces.
- Refresher safety training on key topics.
- Strategic planning to eliminate workplace hazards.
- Safety award recognition events.
As Oregon OSHA Administrator Michael Wood points out, “This stand-down provides an opportunity for employers and their workers to take the time to remember the high value they should place on preventing injury and illness in the workplace. It’s an important time to review past successes – and the reasons for those successes – while planning ahead with a renewed dedication to analyzing and eliminating hazards.”1
We applaud OSHA Oregon for establishing this innovative approach to appreciate, recognize and invest in employees’ safety and well-being. This demonstrates genuine caring for people combined with proactive efforts to prevent serious injuries and fatalities. Here’s hoping a “Safety Break for North America” is soon to follow.
At Propulo, we understand that improving safety culture and performance is an on-going, continuous journey. We’d love to discuss our innovative ‘People Meet Process’ approach and how we might be able to help you.
Reference
1. Safety and Health Magazine Op-Ed (2019). ‘Safety Break’: Oregon OSHA’s annual stand-down set for May 8. Safety and Health Magazine online.
