The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA), in conjunction with construction industry partners, is introducing a training program designed to reduce the amount of muscle sprains and strains that occur during construction. The training course provides an on-the-job training approach to reducing ergonomic injuries. Students will learn about industry-tested techniques for solving problems, including muscle warm-ups at the start of a shift.

"Construction is like playing a professional sport such as basketball," says Penny Wolf-McCormick, health enforcement manager for Oregon OSHA's Portland field office. "It is very physically demanding work, and the better shape a worker is in, the less likely they will be to ache at the end of the week. Much like an athlete, it's important to warm up your muscles before you launch into construction work for the day."

The "Ergonomics in Construction" training workshops are scheduled in the following cities:

Portland on October 8
Sheet Metal Workers Training Center - Room 221
2379 NE 178th Avenue
8:00 a.m. to Noon

Salem on November 18
Labor and Industries Building - Training Room C
350 Winter Street NE
8:00 a.m. to Noon

Eugene on December 4
OR-OSHA Eugene Field Office Conference Room
1140 Willagillespie Road #42
8:00 a.m. to Noon

Beaverton on December 11
Portland Community College Capital Center
18624 NW Walker Road
8:00 a.m. to Noon

Salem on January 20, 2004
Labor and Industries Building - Training Room C
350 Winter Street NE
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Portland on February 3, 2004
Sheet Metal Workers Training Center - Room 221
2379 NE 178th Avenue
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Beaverton on March 11, 2004
Portland Community College Capital Center
18624 NW Walker Road
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

There is no cost for the training workshop.

To register for the workshop, fax your request on company letterhead to (503) 947-7462 or register on the Oregon OSHA Web site, www.orosha.org under "Education." For questions about Oregon OSHA training, call (503) 947-7443 or toll-free within Oregon, (888) 292-5247, Option 2.

The training class is a service of the Joint Emphasis Program (JEP) partnership created by Oregon OSHA to reduce construction injuries and fatalities through education. The partnership includes representatives of management, labor and government.