BEMIDJI, Minn. — Steve Pecharich will deliver the program “Real Incident Reviews” at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, at the Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation (CRI), located at 3801 Bemidji Avenue North.
A $25 fee will be charged to cover the price of materials and lunch during the 90-minute session, which is part of a Northern Minnesota Safety Council series on safety issues. Advanced registration at least two days prior to the event is required
Pecharich works in the MnOSHA Workplace Consultation program, which provides services to help employers maintain safe and healthful environments.
Pecharich will review real incidents or accidents in the workplace and extract relevant information and actions that apply for business, industry, and organizations today. He will also look at examples from general industry, such as carbon monoxide exposure, that have the potential to result in illness.
“We will look at a clip of the infamous Big Blue crane collapse that took place in 1999, the outcome of which taught us some lessons that translate well into every industry,” Pecharich said. “One of the presentation’s goals is to have participants understand the underlying causes for incidents and accidents, including causes we can’t see such as the culture of an organization.”
Reviews should be completed after any incident that caused or could have caused personal injury or damage to property. Rather than assess blame, the intent is to help people understand what happened and how to change conditions leading to the event.
“The benefit of investigating all incidents is that an employer can identify trends in unsafe acts and conditions,” Pecharich said. ‘This information can be used to develop a plan to prevent them from recurring.”
Action plans might include enhanced training or a focus on where self-inspections might take place. The result could deter problems before they arise, which could reduce operating costs, lost work time and workers’ compensation insurance premiums.
Sponsored by the CRI and the Northern Minnesota Safety Council, the session is part of a series that features experts on topics relating to safety from around the state. Programs are scheduled on the third Wednesday of each month. Safety council presentations are intended to benefit individuals who are responsible for safety within their facilities, safety committee members, investigators of incidents, employees and employers.
Groups on the Bemidji Area Safety Council helping support and organize the presentations include Bi-County CAP, Beltrami County, North Central Door Company, Potlatch and Tri-Valley.
Individuals who would like to be added to the mailing list for the series or want more information may contact the Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation at (218) 755-4900; toll free, (888) 738-3224; email, cri@bemidjistate.edu; or at http://www.cri-bsu.org.
FOR YOUR CALENDAR
Oct. 15 – 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation hosts Northern Minnesota Safety Council presentation, “Real Incident Reviews.” Presenter: Steve Pecharich, MnOSHA Workplace Consultation program. Location: CRI; 3801 Bemidji Ave. N.; Bemidji, Minn. Cost: $25, includes materials and lunch. For information: (218) 755-4900; (888) 738-3224; http://www.cri-bsu.org.