Registration open for largest safety and health event in Northwest
Registration is now open for the Oregon Governor’s Occupational Safety and Health (GOSH) Conference, to be held March 4–7 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. With more than 150 workshops and sessions, it is the largest event of its kind in the Northwest.
Keynote speaker Jeff “Odie” Espenship will present “Getting Back to Basics is Vital to Superior Performance — It’s the Little Things that Matter” on Tuesday, March 5. An author, renowned speaker, and former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, Espenship will motivate audience members to rethink and refocus their work behavior.
On Thursday, March 7, the conference features a moderated panel discussion with recipients of the Portland Business Journal Healthiest Employer Award. Top organizations will share insights into what makes their wellness programs effective and offer tips for tackling challenges and other best practices. Nationally recognized expert Ron Goetzel, director of the Emory University Institute for Health and Productivity Studies, will also speak Thursday on his research around what makes wellness programs effective.
Other general topics covered at conference include:
- Safety committee training
- What to expect from an OSHA inspection
- Safety leadership and workplace culture
- Advanced accident investigation
The conference will also feature session tracks on specialties such as utility work, construction, emergency preparedness and response, agriculture, and health care.
Back by popular demand is the Columbia Forklift Challenge, and registration is now open to participants. Trained forklift drivers will compete for cash in an obstacle course designed to test their skills and safe operation on Tuesday, March 5.
The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA), a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, is partnering with the Columbia-Willamette Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers to sponsor the conference.
For more information on the conference schedule, events or to register, go to www.oregongosh.com.