Do you know what to do if there’s an active shooter in your building? What do you do if you suspect the air you breathe in your office makes you sick? What if you lifted something heavy at work that permanently damaged your back? Are you getting workers’ compensation?
Wonder no more -- our next health and safety conference has got you covered!
Workplace health and safety is important to workers because unsafe working conditions could lead to injuries or even death. That’s why AFGE’s National Veterans Affairs Council (NVAC) hosts a health and safety conference every year to educate and train AFGE members to protect themselves and the veterans they care for.
This year’s conference will take place in Portland, Ore., between April 17 and April 21, 2023. If you have not signed up, registration is open until March 30. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to empower yourself with skills and knowledge that will make a difference in your life and those around you!
Here’s what to expect at NVAC’s Health & Safety conference this year:
1. All are welcome – even non-VA folks
That’s right. Even though this event is hosted by NVAC for VA employees, AFGE members at other agencies might find this training helpful. While many classes are healthcare focused, others are more general health and safety. So, talk to your local or agency and see if they can cover your registration and travel expenses. Agencies are required to provide H&S training to local union H&S reps and if your agency hasn’t, you can request to go to this one.
2. Chock-full of awesome classes
Get ready to learn from the many exciting classes that you will find helpful in real life! Indoor air quality class, for example, helps lower your risk of getting respiratory diseases and cancer. OSHA class teaches you how to identify and report safety issues in the workplace. Workers’ compensation class helps explain the process of when and how to file a workers’ compensation claim. Active shooter class trains you on what to do if there’s an active shooter in the building. Office safety and ergonomics class helps you avoid carpal tunnel syndrome and chronic back pain. And much more! Click here for the full agenda.
3. Meet our keynote speaker Kathleen McPhaul
McPhaul is an associate research professor at Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health. She’s an occupational and public health researcher who has worked on COVID-19 issues including how to protect workers from the virus. In her address titled, "This is your workplace. Make it safer. Protect it. Pass it on," she will talk about the current state of occupational safety and health nationally and in the healthcare industry and identify key steps forward. Her work in infectious disease, pandemic preparedness and response, workplace violence prevention, and safe patient handling are a few of the important topics she will address. She will also conduct two workshops on Pandemic Preparedness and Response.
4. VA Secretary supports the conference
VA Secretary Denis McDonough fully supports the conference and has written to VA leaders telling them these health and safety courses are important to employees and their well-being as they provide care to veterans. Gina Grosso, Assistant Secretary of Veteran Affairs for Human Resources and Administration and Operations, Security and Preparedness will be speaking at the conference on the first day of classes. Official time will be provided to VA employees who attend the training.
5. Ready to sign up?
Head over to Cvent Registration: www.afge.org/nvacsafety to register.
Follow the link to make a Hotel Reservation: https://book.passkey.com/go/NVAC23
Other useful info:
TRAVEL DAYS: Monday, April 17, and Friday, April 21
CHECK-IN: Monday, April 17 (1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. PST)
CLASS DAYS: Tuesday, April 18 - Thursday, April 20
LATE CHECK-IN: Tuesday, April 18 (6:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. PST)
For questions, please reach out to the Training & Education Department at [email protected]
The Office of Personnel Management last week took a huge step toward aligning the locality pay maps for employees on the Federal Wage System and General Schedule.
Read More
With the election approaching Marcial Gomez talks about what’s on the line for TSA employees and his concerns about Project 2025.
Read More
Members of AFGE’s DEFCON Steering Group met along with AFGE staff and elected leaders to discuss ways to better serve employees throughout the DoD in the year ahead.
Read More
