Oregon Renaissance Faire Hit With Multiple Violations

Oregon Occupational Safety and Health has cited a popular Renaissance Faire with six safety violations, three of them classified as serious.
More than 75,000 guests visited the Vale of Dunrose for the Oregon Renaissance Faire this summer.
The first serious violation was a work platform not firmly secured to a forklift—a $2,118 fine. According to the citation, issued July 24, five or six employees use the forklift’s man basket for hanging ropes and signs and setting up and breaking down the castle.
When not properly secured, Oregon OSHA writes, “a serious injury is the most reasonably expected outcome…including but not limited to lacerations, broken bones and head injuries.”
The other two serious violations both had to do with heat preparedness. The employer did not have a plan in place for when the heat index exceeded 80 degrees—another $2,118 fine—plus, it did not provide heat illness prevention training to employees.
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Despite the current Federal governement shutdown, OSHA is still planning to hold an online webinar on Work Zone Traffic Safety Planning for Supervisors, on Oct. 8 at 1 pm ET.
The one-hour program is designed for anyone involved in projects with traveling equipment, personnel, or machinery.
Participants will gain practical skills in developing and implementing internal traffic control plans, supported by real-world examples.
Key components include BLS injury statistics, a customizable internal traffic control plan template, and resources designed to promote a culture of traffic safety within organizations.
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OSHA announced it has signed a two-year alliance with the West Virginia University Safety & Health Extension and West Virginia State Consultation Program to provide safety and health information, guidance and training to OSHA Training Institute Education Center participants.
Alliance members will share information on occupational safety and health laws and standards; national, regional and local emphasis programs; workers’ rights and employers’ responsibilities under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
OSHA’s Alliance Program works with groups committed to worker safety and health to prevent workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses. These groups include unions, consulates, trade and professional organizations, businesses, faith- and community-based organizations and educational institutions.
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The Associated Construction Contractors of New Jersey (ACCNJ) and OSHA’s Region II office have signed a two-year agreement for a safety alliance, the latest in a series of collaborations between ACCNJ and OSHA, dating back to 2014.
ACCNJ and OSHA both share fundamental goals of curtailing injury, illness and hazards in the workplace. To achieve these goals, the partnership will focus on education and prevention.
The latest collaboration is expected to include efforts promoting awareness of worker mental health challenges and providing resources for effective training with ACCNJ-based organized building trade unions and councils to encourage worker participation in training.
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