ALBANY, Ore. — Attendees at the Willamette Valley Ag Expo toured scores of business booths, tractors and other equipment at the Linn County Expo Center on Nov. 13.

But tucked into a conference room, 20 people prepared for the worst with a CPR and first aid certification course taught by Zach Beugli of CPR Works.

Beugli, a former U.S. Army medic who lives in Lebanon, Ore., said the training is vital for farm and ranch workers, who often are far away from emergency responders.

He said it’s important to understand risks in various environments, and in ag operations that can include hot and cold weather, dangerous chemicals and heavy machinery.

“The more prepared you are, the better the outcome,” Beugli said.

Perfect practice makes perfect

In the first hour of the course, Beugli covered shock, seizures, diabetic emergencies, allergies, poisonings and airborne and bloodborne pathogens.

He used humor to illustrate points, poking fun at Hollywood portrayals, and was full of surprising tips.

For example, cake decorating gel is a superior substitute for glucose tablets in medical kits because it doesn’t freeze, melt or expire.

While light-hearted, Beugli was a stickler for technique during CPR training. “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect,” he said.

In the end, he was satisfied with the students’ efforts. “I feel like if something happened to me, all of you guys would be able to react,” Beugli said.

Strengthening safety culture

Coleman Agriculture, headquartered near St. Paul, Ore., had five workers at the event, including Jennifer Coleman, one of the owners.

The business, which grows hops and other crops including hazelnuts, grass seed and wine grapes, has about 70 offseason employees at multiple locations in the Willamette Valley.

Roughly 25 have first aid and CPR training. “When I started, there were maybe two people who were certified. We gradually tried to strengthen our safety culture,” Coleman said.

If a certified worker is off for the day at a particular site, another person working the shift probably is ready to handle emergencies until public safety agencies arrive.

Plus, if multiple trained people are present during an emergency, that’s helpful, Coleman said.

Tom Miller, manager of Coleman Agriculture’s Valley Hop Farms, was getting recertified. “It’s been about 10 years since I’ve done this,” Miller said, after practicing CPR on a training dummy.

OSHA help

In general, Oregon doesn’t have requirements for first aid and CPR training at farms and ranches.

However, Oregon’s Occupational Safety and Health Division recommends at least one employee is CPR trained for businesses where emergency medical services response time exceeds five minutes.

The agency also provides consultants who can help improve worker safety and health and technical specialists who can help businesses understand requirements and how to apply them at work sites.

For consulting assistance, call 800-922-2689 or email consult.web@dcbs.oregon.gov.

For technical staff, call 800-922-2689 or email tech.web@dcbs@oregon.gov.

Beugli said people are most likely to give emergency assistance to a family member or loved one.

“I think it’s a good idea for everybody to be CPR trained. … It’s not just important at work. It’s also important at home,” Beugli added.

Event background

The Willamette Valley Ag Expo attracted about 3,200 people in 2023. Attendance was up about 15% during the first two days in 2024 and the event continues on Nov. 14.

The event includes pesticide training classes and a youth welding competition.

Due to space limitations, first aid and CPR training has only been held about three times during the past 20 years at the Willamette Valley Ag Expo.