Safety Fest TN Returns, Offering Free Training to Oak Ridge Community

Knoxville Utility Board employees give a demonstration about power line safety, helping inform Safety Fest TN participants about the hazards associated with electricity.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. - Nearly 1,000 people from across the United States attended Safety Fest TN last week to take advantage of free safety and health training. The four-day event offered more than 130 courses, seminars and demonstrations on a wide range of topics.

"We have everything from CPR and automated external defibrillator training to high-end electrical safety classes, rigging, welding, human and organizational performance, and safety culture," said James Rochelle, an event organizer who works for Pro2Serve, a technical support services contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM).

Since launching in 2012, Safety Fest TN has grown significantly through support from federal, state and local governments; large and small businesses; and nonprofits.

The Tennessee Army National Guard black hawk helicopter was a crowd favorite at Safety Fest TN.

This year was notable because it marked the return of Safety Fest TN for the first time since 2019, following the coronavirus pandemic. With safety as its top priority, OREM and its contractors have been instrumental partners in the successful event, providing expertise on important safety insights over the years.

The goal of Safety Fest TN is to share the expertise and knowledge of employees at DOE sites in Oak Ridge and provide access to training to promote safety and health in businesses and homes across the region.

"We feel it's our responsibility to not only keep our people safe at the site, but through this free platform, our experts can share their knowledge to help the community," said Gene Patterson, an event organizer who works for Y-12 National Security Complex management and operations contractor Consolidated Nuclear Security.

Nearly 1,000 people attended training sessions at this year's Safety Fest TN. A variety of government entities, businesses and nonprofits support the event, which is free to the public.

Chris Roscetti, deputy director for Environment, Health, and Safety in DOE's Office of Environment, Health, Safety, and Security, was the keynote speaker and kicked off a session called "Safety Culture - Boomers to Zoomers." This panel, which featured OREM Manager Jay Mullis and UCOR President and CEO Ken Rueter, focused on generational aspects of safety culture. UCOR is OREM's cleanup contractor.

Some of the demonstrations at this year's event included the Tennessee Valley Authority slip simulator, Knoxville Utility Board power line safety, Tennessee Army National Guard black hawk, University of Tennessee Medical Center Lifestar helicopter, and Tennessee Highway Patrol rollover simulation.

"The safety and health information shared at this event is an invaluable tool for our workforce, the local community and for those attending from other states," said Clint Wolfley, UCOR chief safety officer. "We're proud to once again help make this event possible to ensure safety and health remain a key focus in our lives."

-Contributor: Wayne McKinney