ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – On Friday, workers from a range of fields attended the annual Upper Michigan Safety Conference at Bay College.
Those workers had an opportunity to network, attend sessions on topics like welding safety and the dangers of complacency, and hear from keynote speaker and safety specialist Chad Powers, whose life was changed after coming into contact with 8,000 volts of electricity. Vendors displayed their latest safety gear and equipment.
A major theme of the event was that workplace accidents affect more people than just the ones involved. One vendor said it is important to regularly remind workers to be aware of potentially hazardous situations.
“Industry is important here in the U.P., and it is our friends and neighbors working at these mills,” said Darryl Mattson, General Manager of Applied Industrial Technologies. “By providing the proper safety equipment, we’re making it so they can get home to their families every night.”
In recognition of Workers’ Memorial Day on April 28, the director of MIOSHA read the names of the 31 Michigan workers who died on the job in 2024.
