2016 Miami County Safety Council Health and Safety Fair

This year’s Health & Safety Fair covered several important topics as well as an excellent keynote speaker. The event drew a large attendance from Miami and surrounding counties.

MedWork Occupational Health employees, Julie Reedy and Pam McCool-Ellish; and Linda Ratterman, Information/Public Relations Specialist, Miami Soil & Water Conservation District, began the fair by covering “OccMed vs. Urgent Care” and “Protecting the Health of Your Work & Your Community.” Julie and Pam compared and contrasted the benefits of using an Urgent Care versus using Occupational Health. They described how Occupational Health works directly for the employer and is more specific on getting the employee back to work. Ratterman gave tips on how best to address EPA safety concerns and storm water pollution prevention.

Tiffany Reed, Health Management & Engagement Specialist, McGohan Brabender; and Bob Heater, Owner of Safety 4U, LLC, continued the fair with information on “Health Management” and “OSHA’s Top 10 Most Cited Violations for FY2015.” Reed gave statistics on how much claims cost to the employer. She identified ways to help reduce risk factors in employees and ways that this could be accomplished. Heater reviewed the top 10 most frequently cited general industry and construction standards. OSHA publishes the list each year to alert employers about these commonly cited standards so they can take steps to find and fix recognized hazards addressed in these and other standards before OSHA shows up.

The fair was concluded with keynote speaker David Galloway, Founder and President of Continuous MILE Consulting. Galloway spoke about the Safety Leadership Continuum, A Leading Indicator of Safety Performance. David shared the stark contrast between a culture of compliance which emphasizes control, and a culture of commitment which starts with caring. Healthy and productive safety conversations are essential for a healthy safety culture. Mr. Galloway also shared a guide for conducting an effective safety conversation, using an approach that fosters a culture of commitment.

The Miami County Safety Council offers many topics of interest for local businesses and industries pertaining to health and safety issues. The organization meets once a month on the second Thursday of the month. Membership can be applied for through the Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce. Stay tuned to this site for more information!