Conference on health and safety opens today

Local and federal government leaders, business executives, and occupational health and safety experts will gather today for the three-day Governor’s Safety and Health conference.

Led by Gov. Juan N. Babauta and regional Occupational Safety and Health Administration chief Frank Strasheim, the conference will focus on identified issues such as fire prevention, evacuation, food safety, and sanitation.

The three-day conference includes breakout sessions to tackle different issues.

Sessions scheduled for today are food-borne illnesses, food sanitation, and construction safety standards.

Public Health Secretary James U. Hofschneider is scheduled to talk this morning on “what you need to know if you manage food service for your workforce, tourists, or your facility.”

In the afternoon, OSHA representatives will tackle key construction safety issues such as material handling and storage, fire protection, hazardous materials, hazard communication, and personal protective equipment.

A module is designed primarily for public sector managers, teachers, firemen, police officers, industrial hygienists, airline employees, and health care professionals to discuss weapon of mass destruction, respirators, hazwoper, noise, lead and asbestos, heat stress and sun safety, tuberculosis, blood-borne pathogens, and the like.

Tomorrow’s sessions focus on fire prevention, suppression, and evacuation, improving public safety for workers, and continuation of training tracks on construction safety standards.

Thursday’s topics include safe drinking water, module 2 for fire prevention, and the construction safety standards.

Authorities earlier said that participants to the training courses will receive certificates after the three-day conference.

The conference, which will be held at the Dai-Ichi Hotel Saipan Beach, starts today at 8am.

“We had a very successful conference last year and we’re looking forward to making this year as successful, if not even more successful, than last year,” Babauta said.

Conference sponsor Northern Marianas Alliance for Safety and Health said it expects a larger audience this time with its greater focus on certification for the sessions’ attendees.

Last year, the conference was attended by about 200 participants.