BAKERSFIELD -- State Compensation Insurance Fund will sponsor a comprehensive workplace safety seminar in Bakersfield March 20. The seminar will cover ergonomic workplace strategies, safety basics, and Cal/OSHA’s top ten workplace safety violations. Each section of the seminar will address the benefits of prevention in workplace safety.

Featured speakers at the seminar include R.J. Banks, State Fund's Senior Ergonomist; James Boretti, Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and CEO/President of Boretti, Inc.; and Michael Smith, Cal/OSHA Safety Engineer.

In the first section of the seminar, “Ergonomics: Common Sense? Nonsense? Business Cents,” Banks will conduct a dialogue with employers and show them how to apply problem-solving techniques to better understand why accidents and injuries occur at their worksites. Banks will also dispel the myth that ergonomics is too time-consuming and cumbersome to justify the expense. Attendees will learn why using ergonomics can be an effective and cost-saving strategy for their business and they will hear successful intervention strategies from peers in their industries.

During the second part of the seminar, “Getting Back to Basics with Safety,” Mr. Boretti will give attendees an overview of how to create and implement an effective safety program for their worksites. Boretti will challenge common misconceptions about safety programs and explain why it is essential for businesses to have safety programs. He will also talk about what makes a safety program effective, including setting safety and health goals, and aligning safety with corporate objectives.

During the final portion of the seminar, “Cal/OSHA's Ten Most Cited Violations,” Michael Smith of Cal/OSHA Consultation will review and discuss the ten most commonly cited safety violations. He will also address the deficiencies at worksites that lead to these citations. He will explain how to comply with Cal/OSHA standards and provide ideas for cost-effective compliance solutions. Additionally, Smith will help employers understand citations related to the Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP), which are the #1 most commonly cited violations, and how employers can make their programs more effective.

The seminar is scheduled from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Select Hotel in Bakersfield, 801 Truxtun Ave. Free parking is available. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and a continental breakfast will also be served.

The Bakersfield seminar is part of a series of educational programs State Compensation Insurance Fund is holding throughout the state in order to help employers create safe workplaces. State Fund has the largest safety and health services program among California workers’ compensation insurance carriers.

Register now for this or other available seminars.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Established by the California Legislature in 1914, San Francisco-based State Compensation Insurance Fund is a self-supporting, nonprofit, fairly competitive public enterprise that provides workers’ compensation insurance coverage at cost to California employers.