An annual safety training event in Oak Ridge next week is designed to help Tennessee become one of the safest places to work in the country, a press release said.
It’s Safety Fest TN, and it’s scheduled from Sept. 9-13 at the New Hope Center on Scarboro Road. The purpose is to provide free training to anyone wanting to work safer at work and at home, a press release said.
Courses include:
- CPR and First Aid (and Refresher);
- Combustible Dust;
- Confined Space;
- Electrical Safety;
- Hearing Conservation;
- Office Safety;
- the OSHA series (HAZWOPER eight-hour, Construction 10-hour, General Industry 10-hour);
- Power Tool Safety;
- Scaffolding,
- Trenching Competent Person eight-hour; and
- Welding Safety.
A list of complete course offerings and registration are available at www.safetyfesttn.org.
Other activities are planned in conjunction with the free training courses. There will be a Safety Expo on Sept. 9-10 at the New Hope Center featuring local and national safety and health consulting, supply, and distribution organizations. Exhibit space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Demonstrations include Pike Electric Inc. presenting their acclaimed LiveLine High Voltage Demonstration on Sept. 12. Weather permitting, demonstrations will be held at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Running throughout the event is the opportunity for attendees to strap on a harness and slip and slide while experiencing the URS slip simulator. Falls are one of the leading causes of unintentional injuries in the United States, accounting for approximately 8.9 million visits to the emergency department annually (NSC Injury Facts 2011). This demonstration will teach attendees how to keep their balance when walking on a slick surface is unavoidable. (Note: Certain physical conditions including pregnancy and size may restrict participation.)
“Safety Fest TN courses are free of charge because the business community volunteers professional instructors and local companies provide sponsorships,” said Jenny Freeman, one of the event planners. “We hope everyone who wants a safer work and/or home environment will look at our course offering and register for as many courses as they want to take. It’s a great opportunity to train as many people as possible in one week.”
Safety Fest TN kicks off with featured trainer Joe Estey presenting Safety Conscious Work Environment from 1 to 4:50 p.m. An opening ceremony will immediately follow at 5 p.m. in the Wamp Auditorium in the New Hope Center, with Steve Hawkins, director of the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration, making a special presentation. After the presentation, a community reception will be held to kick off Safety Fest TN and a week of training courses.
