By MITCH LIES
Capital Press

HOOD RIVER, Ore. -- One of the first things pear packer Duckwall-Pooley Fruit Co. does after remodeling a packing line is call the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division for a consultation.

"We make it a goal to have them come in when we do a remodel," said Fred Duckwall, president of the company.

The consultations help the company meet its goal of providing a safe work environment for its employees.

"Injuries don't benefit anyone," he said. "They don't benefit employees, and they don't benefit the company."

OR-OSHA has been to Duckwall-Pooley several times in recent years for the consultations. The consultations are free and confidential.

"The service is really underrated," Duckwall said. "It's just common sense to me to use it."

"They can explain the rules much better than we can get out of reading the rules," said operations manager Wade Root.

OR-OSHA tailors consultations to fit individual businesses or organizations, said Melanie Mesaros, spokeswoman for OR-OSHA.

"A lot of times, consultants look around and talk to an owner and say, 'What are issues you've been having?'" she said.

The services are available for operations of all sizes, she said. "We do big and small. There is no limit to how small or how big you may be to be able to benefit from it."

At the end of a session, inspectors propose solutions for companies to implement to mitigate or control a potential workplace hazard.

The consultations address everything from machinery safety to health and ergonomic issues.

Duckwall said concerns that the consultation service is communicating with OR-OSHA's enforcement arm are unfounded. "We have complete confidence they're not associated," he said.

Mesaros echoed Duckwall's comments. "Our consultation people are not communicating with our enforcement people. They do not share information."

"They are there to help," Duckwall said. "They are not adversarial at all. And when you have two entities working together to arrive at a solution, you get a positive result."

The consultations have helped Duckwall-Pooley establish an excellent health and safety record over the years.

"We've had clean audits," Duckwall said. "We've had very few deficiencies, and I attribute a lot of that to the consultations."

OR-OSHA consultations can be requested by calling 800-922-2689. Expect a four- to six-week wait.

Staff writer Mitch Lies is based in Salem. E-mail: mlies@capitalpress.com.