ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – Bay College hosted its annual Upper Michigan Safety Conference in observance of Workers’ Memorial Day on April 28.
More than thirty vendors participated this year. Many sold workplace safety equipment or insurance. Attendees also had the opportunity to network with local businesses and safety organizations.
This year’s keynote speakers were Russ and Laurel Youngstrom, a couple who shares their story of life after a workplace injury in hopes that others can learn from their experience.
“Everyone needs to think when they go to work, who’s at home?” said Renee Lundberg, manager of Workforce Training at Bay College. “They have to be responsible for their personal safety. Our goal is to ensure that everyone thinks about safety and they are coming home to the important people in their lives.”
Bart Pickelman, director of the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA), opened the event by reading the names of each worker in the state who died on the job this year.
“All of these folks are here to learn how to keep their workplaces safe and watch out for each other,” said Pickelman. “I just implore everybody to work as safely as possible so that I don’t have to read any names at the beginning of these types of conferences.”
Organizers say their goal is for attendees to leave the Safety Conference with new information and tools to help them stay safe at work.
