OAK RIDGE, TN. – Oak Ridge’s Environmental Management (EM) program is participating in this month’s Safety Fest TN, an annual safety training event for the region’s workplaces. Now in its fifth year, the event provides an extensive list of free safety and health training opportunities in Oak Ridge and Knoxville from September 12-16.

The event’s training includes more than 80 classes, many of which align with EM’s diverse field work. All of the classes are offered for free to attract as many employees and companies as possible. Select classes will also be offered in Spanish. Topics include confined space, power tool safety, fall prevention, protective clothing, hazardous waste, effective safety communication, evacuation and emergency planning, and fire safety. 

This year, new safety topics were added to the catalogue including education on the Zika virus, enhancing safety through employee engagement, emerging trends in terrorism, and skin cancer cause and effects.

“We are proud to support this valuable local initiative that not only highlights safety, but it also makes training available and accessible to everyone in the community,” said Sue Cange, Oak Ridge’s EM Manager. “Our employees oversee complicated and sensitive projects on a daily basis, and these group exchanges provide an excellent opportunity to learn from other experts and organizations from across the region.” 

Each year, Safety Fest TN has grown in its attendance and in its offerings. In 2015, the event recorded more than 850 participants representing 172 organizations from 79 cities in 6 states, and the expectations for 2016 are even higher.

The annual event is hosted by the Oak Ridge Business Safety Partnership, a community-led effort that began in 2004 and focuses on worker safety at DOE’s three sites in Oak Ridge, which are the Y-12 National Security Complex, East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

Apart from the annual training event, the partnership also holds quarterly community safety forums that are heavily attended and supported by EM employees.  Private sector and government employees participate to learn about safety programs from DOE sites and commercial companies. In addition, they are briefed on lessons learned and receive relevant safety messages from the contracting community.

More information and registration opportunities are available at https://safetyfesttn.org/.