What is Safety Break for Oregon?
About | History | Why get involved | Ideas and Tools
The Department of Consumer and Business Services, Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) coordinates this one-day event, designed to raise awareness and promote the value of workplace safety and health in preventing injuries and illnesses. The event takes place in workplaces across Oregon and is designed to be flexible to meet an employer's safety and health program needs.
"Every employer’s business philosophy should value safety and health," said Michael Wood, administrator of Oregon OSHA. "The annual Safety Break for Oregon creates a chance for employers and workers to come together to discuss safety and health, and to begin or continue a conversation about how to prevent injuries and incidents in the workplace.”
History
In 2003 Oregon OSHA created Safety Break for Oregon, the one-day event, at the urging of industry leaders concerned about an increase in
workplace deaths in the state during 2002.
Oregon companies enjoyed a steady decrease in employee deaths for more than a decade, hitting a record low of 34 in 2001 before jumping to 77 in 2002.
Oregon OSHA attributes the 2002 increase to the state's lagging economy, which resulted in some companies laying off employees in safety-related positions. But members of the business community, including construction companies, were concerned there were other factors involved.
"People started to worry that maybe communities as a whole weren't aware of how important workplace safety was on a daily basis," said Kevin
Weeks, an Oregon OSHA spokesman. "There was a concern that maybe safety wasn't at the front of people's minds when they went to work each
day."
At the request of business leaders, Oregon OSHA agreed to help organize and promote a day dedicated to safety awareness, urging businesses and government agencies to spend at least a part of that day reminding employees about basic on-the-job safety.
Rather than create a single event for Safety Break for Oregon day, Oregon OSHA encourages companies to create their own programs, from simple 15-minute talks about general workplace safety to more elaborate ceremonies to recognize employees dedicated to job safety.
Why should I get involved?
Keeping Oregon’s workplaces safe is important for a number of reasons. Workers return home safe to their families at the end of the day, workers’ compensation and insurance costs are reduced, and productivity improves when workers know they are performing their work in a safe environment. Your community benefits by knowing that you are an employer that values worker safety.
Your commitment to having a safe workplace is communicated to your workers, their families and your community. The positive perceptions created about the value of workplace safety and health can yield many positive outcomes for future employee recruiting, future sales opportunities and new partnerships within an industry or a region.
So you want to have a Safety Break. Here are some ideas and tools to get you started
Examples of events held by participating businesses
Sample news release (Microsoft Word document)
(Company/organization) to take part in statewide safety day
(Company/organization) and its employees will recognize the importance of safety and health in the workplace during the statewide Safety Break for Oregon celebration on May 14. ...
Sample proclamation (Microsoft Word document)
Safety Break for (city/county)
WHEREAS: Workplace injuries and deaths take a profound toll on (city/county)’s economy and working families; and ...
Safety Break Poster (pdf) 14 x 16 inches
