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Agricultural safety seminars

For more than 25 years, thousands of farm owners, managers, and workers have attended SAIF's agricultural safety seminars, learning how to be safe in one of the most hazardous occupations.

Held in several cities across the state, these free, half-day trainings will begin in October 2023 and run through March 2024. Some trainings are conducted entirely in Spanish.

Although the seminars are designed for owners, operators, supervisors, and foremen, anyone working in the agricultural industry is welcome to attend. Small agricultural employers attending the seminar will meet one of the four requirements that exempt small ag operations from random OSHA inspections.

Dealing with serious injuries and fatalities on the farm
573 fatalities. 11,880 serious injuries. Those are the annual fatalities and injuries that occur within the U.S. agricultural industry (including farms, forestry, and fishing). More staggering is the fact that the number of deaths is more than five times higher than all other U.S. industries. In this training, we:

  • Look at several case studies showing what types of accidents and injuries are causing these high numbers
  • Discuss what serious injuries are occurring within Oregon
  • And discuss what farms throughout the U.S. are doing to help bring these disturbing numbers down

Anatomy of a “comprehensive consultation”
Oregon OSHA’s program directive regarding qualification for the small-farm exemption from random inspections says, “the employer must have had a comprehensive consultation within the last four years.” What does that mean?? This section:

  • Details the consultation process, alleviating anxiety about what on our farms might be reviewed
  • Gives you an updated list of items to maintain throughout the four-year cycle
  • And provides larger employers not eligible for the exemption with a snapshot of the safety and compliance programs OSHA expects them to administer in their workplace

Hot work/Welding safety | Control measures, precautions, and PPE
At the most inconvenient times, our equipment and tools decide to break down. It might be a tractor attachment, a trailer hitch, a livestock gate, or a multitude of other items. And fixing them they oftentimes requires welding. In this training, we discuss some of the dos and don’ts when welding and how to protect yourself from injury, along with choosing the right type of PPE so you’re better prepared for whatever your day throws at you. 


Fields to freeways 2.0
Vehicle crashes remain one of the leading causes of workplace injuries and fatalities, so driving safety—both on and off the farm—is one of our most frequently requested topics. “Fields to freeways 2.0” revisits many of the concepts last discussed in our 2018-19 seminars. We review and address the latest statistical trends, case studies, and training materials to  make sure our teams are driving as safely as possible, whether behind the wheel of a combine, UTV, pickup, or anything in between.

Eric Lloyd 

is a safety consultant with Oregon Risk Management Solutions, Inc. His exposure to safety and agriculture began at an early age, when he spent summers working on the family ranch in Idaho and watching his father provide training and consulting services to promote ag safety throughout Oregon. Eric earned a degree in criminal justice from Western Oregon University, and served in law enforcement for several years until being drawn back to his roots and joining the family business in 2016.

Wes Koester

is a SAIF senior safety management consultant living and working in the Willamette Valley area. He grew up working in his family's farm and nursery business in Riddle, Oregon. Wes graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. Over the past five years, he's educated farms and agri-business around the state through a variety of technical and practical seminar topics.

Edgard García-Ramírez

is a native of Nicaragua. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Lewis & Clark College in Hispanic studies and Spanish literature and is a member of the Board of Alumni of the college. Edgard has been a Spanish presenter for the seminars since 2003. He joined SAIF as a full-time translator in 2014.

Omar DeMarco 

is a bilingual SAIF safety consultant. He spent eight years before coming to SAIF as a police officer, and before that as an elementary school teacher. Omar earned a bachelor's degree from Oregon State University in psychology and a master's degree from Willamette University in teaching. He's excited to be a part of the annual ag seminars.

All seminars are from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Bandon
Monday, February 26, 2024
"The Barn" Conference and Community Center
1200 11th Street SW, Bandon 97411
Register

Boring
Tuesday, January 16, 2024
Mt. Hood Center
29450 SE Lariat Lane, Boring 97009
Register

Central Point
Monday, January 29, 2024  
Jackson County Expo - Mace Building
1 Peninger Road, Central Point 97502
Register

Corvallis
Thursday, November 30, 2023
Benton County Event Center & Fairgrounds - Guerber Hall
110 SW 53rd Street Corvallis 97333
Register

Eugene
Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Lane Events Center
796 West 13th Avenue, Eugene 97402
Register

Hermiston
Tuesday, January 9, 2024
Hermiston Community Center
415 South Hwy 395, Hermiston 97838
Register

Hillsboro
Wednesday, January 3, 2024 
Wingspan Event & Conf Center at Washington County Fair Complex
801 NE 34th Ave, Hillsboro, OR  97124 
Register

Hood River
Wednesday, November 8, 2023
Hood River County Fairgrounds
3020 Wyeast Road, Hood River, OR 97031
Register

Hood River
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Hood River County Fairgrounds
3020 Wyeast Road, Hood River 97031
Register

Klamath Falls
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Klamath County Fairgrounds - Exhibit Hall #2
3531 South 6th Street, Klamath Falls 97603
Register

Madras
Tuesday, November 7, 2023
Inn at Cross Keys Station
66 NW Cedar Street, Madras, OR  97741
Register

Milton-Freewater
Thursday, October 26, 2023
Milton-Freewater Community Building
109 NE 5th Avenue, Milton-Freewater, OR  97862
Register

Mt. Angel
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
Mt. Angel Community Festhalle
500 S. Wilco Highway, Mt. Angel 97362
Register

Mt. Angel
Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Mt. Angel Community Festhalle
500 S. Wilco Highway, Mt. Angel 97362
Register

Ontario
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Clarion Inn
1249 Tapadera Avenue, Ontario 97914
Register

Pendleton
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Pendleton Convention Center
1601 Westgate, Pendleton, OR  97801
Register

Salem
Tuesday, November 28, 2023 
Oregon State Fair Expo Center - Cascade Hall
2330 17th Street NE, Salem OR 97301
Register

Salem
Monday, January 22, 2024
Oregon State Fair Expo Center - Cascade Hall
2330 17th Street NE, Salem 97301 
Register

The Dalles
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum
5000 Discovery Drive, The Dalles 97058
Register

Wilsonville
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Holiday Inn Portland South (New location!)
25425 SW 95th Avenue, Wilsonville 97070
Register

Boring
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Mt. Hood Center
29450 SE Lariat Lane, Boring 97009
Register

Central Point
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Jackson County Expo - Mace Building
1 Peninger Road, Central Point 97502
Register

Hermiston
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
Hermiston Community Center
415 South Hwy 395, Hermiston 97838
Register

Hillsboro
Thursday, January 4, 2024
Wingspan Event & Conf Center at Washington County Fair Complex
801 NE 34th Ave, Hillsboro 97124
Register

Hood River
Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Hood River County Fairgrounds
3020 Wyeast Road, Hood River 97031
Register

Madras
Thursday, March 14, 2024
Inn at Cross Keys Station
66 NW Cedar Street, Madras 97741
Register

Mt. Angel
Wednesday, February 7, 2024
Mt. Angel Community Festhalle
500 S. Wilco Highway, Mt. Angel 97362
Register

Salem
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Oregon State Fair Expo Center - Cascade Hall
2330 17th St. NE, Salem 97301 
Register

The Dalles
Thursday, January 25, 2024
Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum
5000 Discovery Drive, The Dalles 97058  
Register

Wilsonville
Thursday, February 22, 2024
Holiday Inn Portland South (New location!)
25425 SW 95th Avenue, Wilsonville 97070
Register

2023-24 webinars 

English
Day 1: Wednesday, December 6, 2023 | Register
Day 2: Thursday, December 7, 2023 | Register

English
Day 1: Monday, March 18, 2024 | Register
Day 2: Tuesday, March 19, 2024 | Register

Spanish
Day 1: Wednesday, March 20, 2024 | Register
Day 2: Thursday, March 21, 2024 | Register

English resources

Ag seminar 2023-24 book

Dealing with serious injuries and fatalities on the farm

Anatomy of a “comprehensive consultation”

Hot work/Welding safety | Control measures, precautions, and PPE

Fields to freeways 2.0

Recursos en español

Cómo enfrentar lesiones serias y muertes en el rancho

Anatomía de una "Consulta completa"

Trabajo caliente/Seguridad para soldar: medidas de control, precauciones y equipo de protección personal

Desde el campo hasta las carreteras

Related pages

Agriculture

Farm safety, including pesticides, vehicles, and seasonal workers.

Agriculture
Orchard ladders

Ag seminar resources

Find resources from previous years of SAIF's ag seminars.