Oak Ridge, TN – This week, the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (EM) is participating in Safety Fest Tennessee. The annual event provides training on important safety disciplines that are helping local workers create one of the safest workplaces in the region.

This year’s training includes 45 courses that align with EM’s missions and oversight. All of the classes are offered for free to attract as many employees and companies as possible. Topics range from first aid/CPR to power tool safety, fall prevention, investigation of workplace fatalities, protective clothing, hazardous waste, hoisting and rigging compliance, effective safety communication, evacuation and emergency planning, and fire safety.

“Since our employees oversee complicated and sensitive projects daily, these group exchanges and training opportunities are extremely valuable for our staff,” said Sue Cange, Oak Ridge’s EM acting manager. “They provide exposure to safety issues happening nationally, and they help us learn and plan from others’ experiences to enhance our safety record and culture.” 
  
The Oak Ridge Business Safety Partnership hosts the annual event. The partnership is a community-led effort that focuses most of its attention on worker safety at the Department of Energy’s three sites in Oak Ridge. The organization began in 2004, and since that time, the local EM program has proven to be one of its most committed supporters.

“The support and participation from Oak Ridge’s EM program is one of the reasons Safety Fest Tennessee has reached its current level of success,” said Jenny Freeman, one of the event’s planners.

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 hear presentations about safety programs from commercial companies and sites across Department of Energy’s national complex. Speakers brief participants on the best practices and lessons learned from near misses. 

In the event’s third year, EM is continuing its support for Safety Fest Tennessee at all levels of the organization. Together, participants can apply the knowledge presented during the classes to continue working safely at the site’s diverse cleanup areas.