The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) will be presenting two days of free training classes for employers and workers in Eugene during January.

The Public Education Section of Oregon OSHA will be offering four different workshops during the training sessions on January 7 and 8:

Lockout/Tagout, 8:00am January 7.
Hazard Communication Program, 1:00pm January 7.
Powered Industrial Truck Safety, 8:00am January 8.
Fall Protection, 1:00pm January 8.

Lockout/Tagout
'Lockout/Tagout' will help participants understand how hazardous energy could injure or kill workers in machinery (even when the machine is turned "off"). The training will cover inspections, proper training and communications, and correct lockout/tagout procedures

Hazard Communication Program
This training will show participants the basics of writing a hazard communication plan - including assembling a list of chemicals in the workplace and training employees. Failure to have a written hazard communication plan in place was the most common safety violation that Oregon employers received a citation from Oregon OSHA for during 2001. Knowing what potentially dangerous chemicals are in use in a work area could save lives during an emergency.

Powered Industrial Truck Safety
More than one million forklifts are in commercial use currently in the United States and many traditional safety barriers which once prevented customers from coming into contact with forklifts no longer exist, especially as retail stores expand and reduce showroom expenses. Having a forklift training and operations safety plan in place at your business to protect employees and customers is more urgent than ever. The workshop will explain how forklifts perform differently from cars, address stability and center of gravity concerns, Oregon OSHA 'rules of the road' for safe operations of powered trucks, and designing a training program which will create a safe environment for workers and customers. (Note: this a classroom training about forklift safety, not a driving-based training.)

Fall Protection
This training will review what the safety rules are for wearing fall protection equipment in any industry that requires workers to be more than six feet off the ground, and where a potential for a fall exists. The training will also cover safe work practices for the construction industry, planning for a worker rescue, the best methods of fall protection and the safe use of fall-arrest systems.

The workshops will be held at Oregon OSHA's Eugene Field Office, 1140 Willagillespie Road, Suite 42 in Eugene (near Valley River Center and the Delta Highway). Oregon OSHA provides workshop materials for participants. More information and resources are available on Oregon OSHA's website, www.orosha.org

For more information about these workshops or to register, call the Oregon OSHA Public Education Section, (503) 947-7443, or toll-free in Oregon, (888) 292-5247 Option 2.