Facilities Management hosted its third annual Safety Best Practices Conference Wednesday, June 27, to showcase the organizations in Iowa with the best practices in safety. The conference brought together businesses, business agents and associations, regulators and university staff who are invested in adopting and sustaining practices that promote a safe workplace. More than 400 participants registered for the day-long event, held at the Iowa Memorial Union.

Left to right: Facilities Management staff John Kolosik, Mike Kirkey, Joe Brinson and Bob Kutcher attend the Safety Best Practices Conference Wednesday, June 27, 2007.

David Sarkus (far right), The Safety Coach, kicked off the conference and kept the group energized throughout the keynote presentation. He stressed caring, employee involvement, effective leadership and coaching.

The UI Power Plant team, (left to right) Randy Richter, Becky Mohn, and Janiece Ford, did an exciting team presentation on the Lockout/Tagout procedures.  They created an innovative game show format that made their session much more interesting and fun.

Attendees indicated they carried away tips and tools for embedding safety into their own work practices and a new appreciation for a systems approach toward safety. 

John Grahek, Assistant Foundry Manager of Clow Valve Co. said, " This was a good conference, we got a lot out of it, and wished we could have stayed later."

Route 66, a safety-training program created at the University of Iowa, was recognized at the conference for being selected by APPA (a professional organization for facilities professionals) to receive its 2006 Effective and Innovative Practices Award.

The conference was sponsored by a number of partners, including the Heartland Center for Occupational Health and Safety, AFSCME, UI Wellness, Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Consultation and Education, UI Health Protection Office, UI Risk Management, Van Meter Inc., Virtual Soldier Research Program, and UI Facilities Management.

Presenters at the conference included representatives of the UI Power Plant, UI College of Public Health, UI College of Engineering, UI Human Resources, UI Risk Management, Monsanto, Atlas Ergonomics, Clow Valve Metal Castings, Rockwell Collins, AFSCME, IOSHA, M.A. Mortenson, and Seedorf Masonry, Inc.

A team of seven workers from Clow Manufacturing in Oskaloosa presented as a team and spoke about their involvement with VPP and improving workplace safety.	Karen Pollion (middle), UI FM Custodial, won an Olympus Digital Camera donated by Van Meter Industrial. Chad Struve (left), Van Meter and Todd Taylor (right) IA House District 34.
Brent Parizek (middle), FM electrician, meets David Sarkus (left), The Safety Coach	FM staff Darlene Clausen (left) and Valerie Richard (right) talk to a representative from Kimberly Clark about safety gloves.
Ben Purrel (far left) from Kaivac talks to custodians about a new floor cleaning machine.	The luncheon speakers included Don Guckert, Associate Vice President and Director, Facilities Management; Shashi Patel, IOSH Education and Consultation and VPP Coordinator Region VII; Ken Matveia, EHS manager Cedar River Paper and VPPPA officer; and Todd Taylor, Iowa House District 34 and AFSCME Council 61 Rep.