Hawaii’s Befitel to keynote safety conference

Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle has nominated Nelson Befitel, Hawaii’s director of Labor and Industrial Relations, to represent Hawaii and offer the keynote address at the Northern Marianas Alliance for Safety and Health’s Governor’s 3rd Annual Safety and Health Conference, to be held this Aug. 16-19, 2005 at the World Resort Saipan Hotel.

This year’s conference, entitled “Striving for Excellence in Worker, Public, Environmental Safety and Health Protection,” will start with Gov. Juan N. Babauta’s signing ceremony proclaiming Aug. 15-22, 2005 as “Commonwealth Health and Safety Week.” The proclamation will be delivered at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe, Saipan, followed immediately by a NMASH annual board meeting.

The Governor’s 3rd Annual Safety and Health Conference’s opening ceremonies on August 16 will feature addresses by Babauta, OSHA Region 9 Administrator Frank Strasheim, NMASH officials and Befitel.

NMASH will offer afternoon breakout training sessions in three separate tracks: construction industry, general industry and public sector training, where participants can receive OSHA 502 and 503 certifications.

On the week of Aug. 8-12, 2005, OSHA will conduct OSHA 500 Train-the-Trainer construction industry certification sessions, and on Friday, Aug. 19, 2005, First Aid and CPR training in English, Tagalog and Mandarin Chinese will be held for conference participants. Maritime and Shipyard training will be conducted that Friday as well.

Registration will begin tomorrow, Aug. 3, 2005. The conference costs $50, and includes all sessions from Aug. 15 to 19, including First Aid and CPR training, all Construction and General Industry certification courses, all conference packages and materials, and morning and afternoon light refreshments all week.

Contact the Northern Marianas College at 234-5498 (Al Johnson and David Attao), the Saipan Chamber of Commerce at 233-7150 (Christine Parke), the Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands at 233-1425 (Lynn Knight), the Saipan Contractors Association at 288-0407 (Peter Errett), or the Saipan Garment Manufacturers Association at 235-7699 (James Lin) for private sector registration. Public sector entrants can register at the departments of Public Safety, Public Health, Labor, and Public Works; Division of Environmental Quality and the Northern Marianas College.

Conference entrance and registration fees will be accepted also at the beginning of the conference on Aug. 16, 2005, at the World Resort Saipan Hotel in Susupe. Registration begins at 8am. (PR)