Last Wednesday, I went to Salem to visit the CAMS (Capitol Accessibility, Maintenance, and Safety Projects) Hoffman construction site with their Workforce Wellbeing staff: Heidi Walker, John Criswell, and Mac Janssen. Hoffman is refurbishing, replacing, and repairing various building elements and systems in the state capitol building. The scope also includes areas of new construction, as well as base isolation and seismic upgrades to the historic structure. This project also includes their first GUTS (Get Us There Safely) Room which has arcade games, a pool table, refreshments, refrigerators, video games, and mental health resources.
The GUTS room serves as a hub for the whole construction crew.
On my tour, the workers shared that before the opening of the GUTS room, they took breaks and ate lunch alone in their cars. They appreciate having a space to hang out with other workers and a warm space to eat lunch and unwind with one another. When touring the site, I noticed how loud and difficult it was to converse with my fellow tour group members. Any active construction sites, with the constant noise and need for quick communication, make any conversation, especially ones about mental health issues, nearly impossible. It was awesome getting a first-hand look at the GUTS room and experiencing the conversations and connections with the workers onsite!
You can learn more about the GUTS room concept on this Boom Goes The Stigma podcast episode.
CSPP Presents at Oregon Concrete and Aggregate Producer Association (OCAPA) Annual Refresher and Spring Thaw
While I was in Salem on Wednesday, Max was in Redmond presenting about CSPP’s Suicide Prevention and Rethink The Drink to OCAPA. Along with sharing resources, hard hat stickers, and posters, he connected with leaders within the mining industry.
Most importantly, Max learned about multiple safety challenges facing the mining industry from Don Rowland, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), and Kendra Broadwater, Team Lead Spokane Mining Research Division, CDC. Don focused on the importance of controlling hazardous energy and lockout tagout procedures. Kendra shared how the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) tracks and measures potential hazards and uses the data to mitigate and reduce multiple Occupation Exposure Levels (OEL).
Max also wanted to thank Molly Martin, Client Executive with USI, for coordinating the logistics for his presentation.
Following his presentation, the Washington Aggregates & Concrete Association asked if CSPP could present at their annual refresher in April. We will keep you posted!
Bottom line, We are excited to be connecting with Mining Industry Leaders around suicide and substance abuse prevention.
Toolbox Talk
We started filming our first video toolbox talk! The pilot is focusing on the four ways to reduce suicide. We are ironing out the production kinks and developing our delivery styles, but the pilot is now in the editing process! We are working hard to produce dynamic toolbox talks with diverse voices that capture organic and engaging conversation. Stay tuned for more news on our toolbox talks!
