Safety Programs This Spring With Six Training Topics From Cintas

Feb 22, 2024 | AOC Business Partner

Sponsored content contributed by AOC Business Partner: Cintas

Turn over a new leaf this spring with a focus on workplace safety. Here are six training topics to keep in mind for your business.

Just as businesses conduct spring cleaning to discard unwanted items, this season should be used as an opportunity to rid the workplace of poor safety habits. To help organizations move their safety programs forward, Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ: CTAS), a leading provider of safety training, personal protective equipment (PPE) and first-aid solutions, has identified six safety spring training topics. Developed from Cintas’ most requested safety training programs, the list offers insight into the issues most impacting businesses today.

“Training isn’t a ‘one and done’ initiative. Businesses need to provide employees with ongoing refreshers,” said Cara Beaumont, Director of Marketing- First Aid and Safety, Cintas. “We know this list helps organizations identify potentially overlooked areas in their operations so they can continue making training a priority.”

CINTAS’ TOP-SELLING ONLINE TRAINING COURSES INCLUDE:

HAZARD COMMUNICATION (HAZCOM)

By June 1, 2015, chemical manufacturers, importers, distributors and employers must comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) modified final rule for the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). Now is an ideal time to train employees on chemical hazards, new labeling elements and the format for safety data sheets.

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

Businesses need to be prepared year-round for a potential fire, meaning employees should know how to properly use a fire extinguisher as well as the various types of extinguishers that exist for different purposes.

BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS (BBPs)

BBPs are microscopic organisms present in blood that can cause infection. To reduce exposure to BBPs, employees need to know what types of PPE are required for certain tasks, how to put on and remove PPE properly and how to respond when an incident occurs.

FORKLIFT SAFETY

According to OSHA, forklifts are the cause of approximately 34,900 serious injuries a year. When dealing with battery-operated forklifts, employers should have an eyewash station installed and working nearby to minimize the impact of injuries caused by battery acid splashes or dust and flying debris. Training helps employees understand how to safely operate a forklift and use an eyewash station during an emergency.

CPR/AED

CPR and the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) can sometimes help an employee whose breathing or heartbeat has stopped during sudden cardiac arrest. Online training teaches employees the signs and symptoms of cardiac arrest, stroke and choking so that they can quickly and properly administer CPR and operate an AED. Oftentimes, organizations will supplement online training with hands-on, instructor-led courses so that employees can use CPR and an AED on a mannequin.

DISTRACTED DRIVING

Each day, more than nine people are killed and 1,153 people are injured in crashes that reportedly involve a distracted driver, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Training reinforces the fact that talking or texting on a cell phone, eating and other activities put drivers and others on the road at risk. Training also provides employees with defensive driving skills so that they can potentially avoid accidents with distracted drivers.

“Our online training platform gives organizations anytime, anywhere access to safety courses specific to their business needs,” added Beaumont. “Not only does this improve safety and productivity, it solves training challenges for a dispersed workforce by ensuring that the information presented is consistent and up to date.”

For more information about training solutions from Cintas, click here. 

CINTAS CAN HELP KEEP YOUR BUSINESS READY™

• On-site assessment to discuss fire protection solutions for your business*
• Customized service dates that fit your busy schedule*
• Routine testing, inspection and maintenance of your fire protection equipment*

*Certain services may not be available in all markets.

Amazon Renewable Energy Commitments Will Bring Clean Power to Eastern Oregon

Feb 22, 2024 | AOC Business Partner

Sponsored content contributed by AOC Business Partner: Amazon Web Services

Amazon has long been committed to Oregon, investing over $28 billion into the state since 2010. The company first established its presence in eastern Oregon over a decade ago when it began constructing and operating Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers in Morrow and Umatilla counties. These investments have had a positive ripple effect on the state economy and local communities. For example, they are supporting small businesses and job creation, developing educational programs, and setting up sustainability initiatives to drive positive change.

Amazon is committed to building a sustainable business and reaching net-zero carbon emissions across its operations by 2040 as part of its Climate Pledge commitment. Last year, the company announced an agreement to work with Umatilla Electric Cooperative (UEC), the electric cooperative that serves AWS in eastern Oregon. This agreement creates an innovative solution that safely and reliably powers data centers in the region and keeps Amazon on a path to achieving 100 percent renewable energy by 2025. Building on that commitment, Amazon is announcing two new renewable energy investments in eastern Oregon.

To bring more clean energy to eastern Oregon communities, Amazon is contributing $1.2 million to the nonprofit GRID Alternatives to fund a community solar energy program. The contribution will support the installation of up to 10 solar photovoltaic systems on rooftops of nonprofit organizations, food banks and other community buildings across Morrow and Umatilla counties. Installation of the solar systems is expected to begin in June, and will take approximately five months to complete.

Amazon is also announcing its first utility-scale renewable energy investment in Oregon, committing to purchase more than 200,000-megawatt hours (MWh) of clean power each year from a Gilliam County-based 90-megawatt (MW) capacity wind farm, Amazon Wind Farm Oregon–Leaning Juniper IIA.

“Amazon has a long-term commitment to the state of Oregon, which includes helping to bring more renewable energy to the grid. Our work with GRID Alternatives will help expand access to renewable energy to eastern Oregon communities, and we’re excited to make that happen,” said Abhishek Sharma, head of energy strategy, AWS. “Our first wind farm investment in Oregon adds to the 2 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity Amazon has already enabled across the western U.S. grid. This has contributed to Amazon being the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy for four years running and will help Amazon remain on a path to utilizing 100% renewable energy for the electricity powering its operations by 2025.”

Amazon’s investment in the Gilliam County wind farm will enable its operator Avangrid to expand the project’s capacity by replacing older wind turbine blades and equipment with modern technology, allowing for more efficient production of wind energy. The company expects these upgrades will enable the wind farm to produce enough clean energy to power the equivalent of more than 22,000 U.S. homes each year. This investment builds on Amazon’s 2023 announcement to work with local utilities to power AWS data centers in eastern Oregon with clean energy. 

“Umatilla County is a diverse, young, vibrant and growing community that values forward thinking. Amazon has not only been a great partner in the growth and development of Umatilla County, they have embraced a goal to power their operations with 100% renewable energy, including its data center operations. This is an actionable and achievable goal that Amazon is demonstrating clear progress toward, and Umatilla County is pleased to collaborate, partner, and participate in. Umatilla County residents enjoy a strong and positive relationship with Amazon which constitutes sustainable growth into the future,” said Umatilla County Commissioner Dan Dorran.

“Morrow County welcomes AWS’s efforts establishing clean renewable energy usage here. These actions demonstrate their continued effort to be a good corporate partner with our county,” Morrow County Commissioner David Sykes said. 

“As the state of Oregon continues on its clean energy transition, commitments such as these from Amazon are a positive step in the right direction,” said Tim Miller, Executive Director, Oregon Business for Climate. “Oregon urgently needs to bring more clean energy resources like wind and solar online to create a cleaner electricity grid.”

Learn more about how AWS investments are stimulating the economy in eastern Oregon.

Greetings From the Wild Side

Feb 22, 2024 | AOC Business Partner

Sponsored content contributed by AOC Business Partner: USDA – Wildlife Services

USDA – Wildlife Services (WS) is pleased to announce that Kevin Christensen has been selected as the new State Director of the Oregon program. Kevin has been with Wildlife Services for 26 years, the last 17 as the Assistant State Director in Oregon. “I am very grateful for the support and encouragement from the field, and from our many cooperators and friends that we work with, and I’m committed to supporting our mission to provide quality public service.”

WS has the opportunity to interact with a lot of individuals statewide, providing expertise and proven field experience to help solve and mitigate conflicts with wildlife. In federal fiscal year 2023, WS made over 13,800 responses to the public.  These responses covered many types of specific resources and included 9,023 for agricultural resources, 3,165 protecting property, 2,029 related to human health and safety, and 836 for natural resources.  

We recently posted a video on the USDA APHIS YouTube channel: “Using Drones to Haze Wolves.” This short video highlights some of the work being done by our WS staff to look at testing and refining various non-lethal methods, including drones, for mitigating wolf conflicts, with the goal of determining times and or locations where tools may be effective in helping to stop or mitigate depredation on livestock.    

Our employees are dedicated to providing support and solutions for your wildlife conflicts.  If you need help with conflicts from predatory animals, please give us a call.

Oregon Counties Reduce the Risk of Drug Misuse With At-Home Drug Deactivation and Disposal

Jan 24, 2024 | AOC Business Partner

Sponsored content contributed by AOC Business Partner: Deterra

Drug overdose deaths increased 76% in Oregon from 2011-2021, according to the Oregon Health Authority. Recently, fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are driving an increase in fatal and non-fatal overdoses, with deaths from synthetic opioids increasing 83% from 2020-2021. 

Counties in Oregon are working diligently to combat this crisis by providing drug deactivation and disposal tools to reduce the supply of unused prescription medications and illicit drugs that can contribute to misuse and overdoses. 

In Clackamas County, District Attorney John Wentworth launched an initiative this summer to provide at-home drug deactivation and disposal pouches to encourage proper disposal of unwanted drugs. 

The DA debuted the Deterra® Drug Deactivation and Disposal Pouches at the Clackamas County Fair in August. Wentworth plans to distribute the plant-based drug disposal pouches across the county as a simple way for everyone to help prevent drug misuse and overdoses. 

The pouches safely deactivate and destroy prescription and over-the-counter medicine, opioids, fentanyl, illicit drugs and vape fluid.

Neighboring Multnomah County has also had success addressing youth substance use by increasing access to proper drug disposal resources. The county health department partners with Big Village Coalition on the “Keep It Safe” campaign to provide youth and families with prevention education and at-home drug deactivation pouches. Each pouch has a custom label adhered to it with a QR code linked to an informational website translated into six languages. 

The efforts in Clackamas and Multnomah counties address fentanyl and prescription drug safety in a way that empowers community members to help prevent drug misuse and protect the environment from the impact of unused drugs. Several counties in other states have started mailing Deterra Pouches directly to households as part of community prevention campaigns. 

Opioid settlement funds and grants support prevention and disposal efforts 

Opioid settlement funds and grant dollars are available to help counties implement evidence-based prevention strategies. 

As the result of a national lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies, Oregon is expected to be awarded around $325 million over 18 years. These funds can be used for evidence-based opioid prevention, treatment, and recovery strategies. 

Participating local governments will receive 55% of these funds, and making an investment in prevention is essential to stop misuse before it starts. One of the most effective ways to quickly reduce the risk of drug misuse is a direct-to-household mailing of educational materials and drug deactivation pouches. A household mailing campaign is ideal for efficiently distributing prevention tools and reaching rural or underserved communities with limited access to other disposal methods.

To see the impact a prevention education and at-home disposal campaign can have on your county, request a free custom assessment. 

Contributed by: Senior VP of Marketing Erica Webb