Oregon employers, workers invited to take a ‘Safety Break’ May 14

It’s a day to recognize employer and worker successes in creating and maintaining safe and healthy workplaces. It’s a day to speak up about addressing workplace hazards and to focus on employee participation and feedback. It’s a day to reflect on what is going well and what can be improved, and, with renewed effort, to develop plans to minimize or eliminate workplace hazards.

Employers and workers across the state are invited to take part in Safety Break for Oregon, coordinated by Oregon Occupational Safety and Health (Oregon OSHA), a division of the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services. The annual event – now in its 22nd year – offers an opportunity to employers, supervisors, and workers in a variety of industries across Oregon to celebrate their safety and health achievements, and to examine and discuss their efforts to protect people from harm while on the job.

Will you take the Wednesday, May 14, stand-down as a time to refresh your knowledge and training? Will you conduct an assessment of where safety and health could be improved at your workplace? Or will you celebrate your successes, including showing appreciation for safety committee members and emerging safety leaders?

Perhaps your answer is “yes” to all of the above. How you honor Safety Break is up to you. Sign up now for Safety Break. You could win a $100 prize.

“We encourage employers across all types of industries to pause their operations and put a spotlight on the critical importance of building a culture of safety and health in the workplace,” said Renée Stapleton, administrator for Oregon OSHA. “Safety Break for Oregon is an event that brings employers and employees together to engage in open conversations about safety and health, and to identify proven methods for protecting workers from injury and illness.”

Oregon OSHA encourages employers and workers to share their Safety Break activities on social media; tag Oregon OSHA on Facebook and LinkedIn with #SafetyBreak.

As you celebrate Safety Break for Oregon, Oregon OSHA encourages you to use the division’s free resources. If you want free and confidential help reviewing and improving your safety and health program, contact our consultation services. If you have questions about how to apply Oregon OSHA rules to your workplace, contact our technical specialists for free. Moreover, Oregon OSHA offers many free education and training resources that you may want to use as part of your Safety Break for Oregon activity.

Employers that sign up online for Safety Break by Friday, May 9, and participate in Safety Break for Oregon will be entered to win one of three $100 checks to be used for a luncheon of their choice.

The prizes will go to participating companies as part of a random drawing. The Oregon SHARP Alliance sponsors the contest. The nonprofit group promotes safety and health management by encouraging teamwork and cooperation among people, employers, and organizations to improve workplace health and safety for Oregon workers.

Get Safety Break ideas, logos, sample awards, and other free resources by visiting the Safety Break for Oregon website.

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Oregon OSHA, a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, enforces the state's workplace safety and health rules and works to improve workplace safety and health for all Oregon workers. For more information, go to osha.oregon.gov.

The Department of Consumer and Business Services is Oregon's largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. For more information, go to oregon.gov/dcbs.

The Oregon AFL-CIO is the statewide federation of affiliated unions, representing more than 300,000 working Oregonians. For more information, visit Oregon AFL-CIO.

Contact information

Aaron Corvin,
public information officer
971-718-6973
Aaron.corvin@dcbs.oregon.gov