NEWS    RELEASE Oregon OSHA - 350 Winter Street NE Room 430 - Salem, Oregon 97301-3882     For Immediate Release:  January 6, 2005 Contact for more Information: Kevin Weeks, Public Information Officer, 503-947-7428 kevin.s.weeks@state.or.us 2005 GOSH Conference open for registration Registration is now available for the 2005 Oregon Governor's Occupational Safety and Health Conference (GOSH), scheduled for February 28 to March 3 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. The biennial conference is a partnership between Oregon OSHA and the American Society of Safety Engineers Columbia-Willamette Chapter. More than 30 full day workshops and 80 single-topic classes will take place during the four-day conference. Topics include: · Critical Issues and Best Practices in Construction · Keeping Safe When Working with Behavior Challenges · Property Liability Exposures for the Business Owner · The Needs of an Aging Workforce “The GOSH Conference is a great opportunity for training on current workplace safety and health issues,” says Peter De Luca, administrator of Oregon OSHA. “Organizers have focused on practical topics in today’s society while keeping costs reasonable. GOSH is nationally respected among safety and health conferences.” Registration fees for the conference are $275 to attend the entire conference, or attend the Tuesday and Wednesday sessions for $150. Attend any single day on Tuesday or Wednesday for $95 or the full-day Monday or Thursday workshops for $120. An awards luncheon on Wednesday, March 2nd will honor outstanding achievements in workplace safety and health. All registration fees include lunch for the day in attendance except the Wednesday awards luncheon, which is available for $15. More than 200 exhibitors will offer demonstrations and introduce their products or services throughout the conference. You can register for the 2005 GOSH Conference on-line at www.b-there.com/breg/GOSH2005 or by downloading a registration form from the Oregon OSHA Web site, www.orosha.org/conferences. Jack McGowan, executive director of SOLV, is scheduled to be keynote speaker on Tuesday, March 1. SOLV is a nonprofit organization that brings together government agencies, businesses, and individual volunteers in programs and projects to enhance the livability of Oregon. Governor Tom McCall and other community leaders established SOLV in 1969, recognizing the need for community action to address growing problems in Oregon. Two-thousand safety and health professionals from around the U.S. attended the 2003 GOSH Conference. The 2005 theme of the biennial event is "Safety and Health Expedition: Advancing Industry Knowledge and Practices." The first Governor's Conference was held in 1944 and since then, the GOSH Conference (now held every two years) has become known as an innovative forum to help employers and workers in Oregon and Southwest Washington create safer places to work. More information about the GOSH Conference is available on Oregon OSHA's Web site, www.orosha.org/conferences, or by calling the Oregon OSHA Conferences section at (503) 378-3272. ###