Safety Fest TN opens with Community Safety Forum on Tuesday

 

On September 12, Safety Fest TN will hold a Community Safety Forum, an annual event that officially kicks off Safety Fest TN and its Safety Expo.

Safety Fest TN offers free safety classes to residents and companies September 11-15.

This year’s Community Safety Forum will be held in the Wamp Auditorium at 9 a.m. Tuesday, September 12, at the New Hope Center at Y-12 National Security Complex. More than 900 people have registered for the event.

Headlining the Community Safety Forum are Burns Phillips, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce; Steve Hawkins, administrator of the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration; David Purkey, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security; and Patrick Sheehan, the director of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

“We wanted to offer our audience a statewide perspective on workplace safety and emergency preparedness, and who best to deliver that message than the commissioners and their administrators?” said Tom Wantland, a Safety Fest TN organizer.

Immediately following the Safety Forum, attendees are invited to attend the annual CNS-sponsored “Coming Together for Safety” community brunch in the foyer of New Hope Center. “The brunch highlights that Safety Fest TN is all about community and taking care of each other at work and at home,” Wantland said.

It’s the fifth annual Safety Fest TN, and it will be held September 12-16 in Oak Ridge and Knoxville. It will feature more than 80 free safety and health classes, sessions, and demonstrations. In addition to the free classes, a Safety Expo and Safety Demonstrations will take place on September 13 and 14, along with the “Secret City” Fire Officer Conference on September 14 and 15.

The majority of the classes and sessions will be hosted by Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC at the New Hope Center at 602 Scarboro Road  and Oak Ridge Associated Universities at Pollard Technology Conference Center at 210 Badger Avenue in Oak Ridge, but classes are also being offered at seven other area locations, including two in Knoxville.

“It’s all about safety and health at work, at home and in the community,” said Michelle Keever, the Safety Fest TN class coordinator from URS | CH2M Oak Ridge LLC (UCOR). “And what a community! In collaboration and with the irreplaceable help of United Steel Workers Local 9-288, we’re thrilled that 20 seniors at Sunbright School will receive OSHA 40-hour HAZWOPER training.” Sunbright is a one-campus pre-kindergarten through 12 school located in rural Morgan County.

“Safety Fest TN 2016 is bigger than ever and there’s something for everyone,” said Jenny Freeman, chair of the planning committee from Strata-G LLC. “With a long list of subjects, safety and health professionals, managers, and workers, and members of the public will almost certainly find a class they need.”

Some of the subject areas offered include Arc Flash Hazards, Back Safety, Confined Space Safety, Electrical Safety, Ergonomics, Fall Prevention, Fire Extinguisher Use, Human Performance Improvement, a suite of OSHA certificate classes (10-hour, 30-hour and 40-hour), and much more, a press release said.

Nationally known speaker and safety professional Joe Estey will headline the official kickoff Safety Forum Tuesday morning, September 12, in the New Hope Center Auditorium. Estey is well-known in Tennessee because of his leadership and communication skills, and his practical approach to creating safe workplaces, the press release said. His presentation, “What’s On Your Mind,” will introduce those who attend to common mental biases that lead to errors during life-threatening events and will provide techniques for improving error detection and personal performance during events.

Attendees come from the largest corporations to the smallest companies; colleges, universities, and local schools; labor unions; nonprofit organizations; federal, state, and local government agencies; and large and small utilities.

“Every part of the community is represented” said Dave Neubauer, a Safety Fest TN organizer from CNS. “You get to meet, talk, and walk with folks from every level of every sector! It’s a priceless opportunity to learn and network!”

Last year’s event had 850 people registered, representing 172 organizations from 79 cities in six states. It’s grown fast! the press release said.

“In 2012, less than 300 people came and this year it’s looking like something around 1,000 will attend,” said Tom Wantland, another Safety Fest TN organizer from ORAU. “Obviously we’ve hit a nerve…there’s a demand out there… And, once a year, Safety Fest TN tries to fill that need.”

Safety Fest TN is made possible through a long list of event partners, sponsors, and providers.

“Just go check out the website. It’s amazing who’s helping promote safety,” said J.J. Rochelle, another Safety Fest TN organizer from Pro2Serve.

“And just like the attendees, support comes from across the full spectrum of the community.”

For more information on Safety Fest TN, classes, sessions, and demonstrations, and a link to registration please visit https://safetyfesttn.org/. Spots are filling up quickly, so register today to attend! Sponsorship opportunities are available.

For more information, contact Jenny Freeman at [email protected].

See a schedule of displays and demonstrations here.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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