The online schedule is subject to change! To access the most up-to-date schedule for the 2025 Safety+ Symposium, scan the QR code above and begin using the VPPPA event app!
Saturday, August 9
- 8:00am – 5:00pm Special Government Employee (SGE) Training
Sunday, August 10
- 8:00am – 5:00pm Special Government Employee (SGE) Training
- 5:00pm – 6:00pm Volunteer Orientation – Room 120
Monday, August 11
- 10:00am – 7:00pm Registration
- 7:00am – 8:00am Fun Run
- 7:00am – 1:00pm Scholarship Golf Tournament
12:00pm – 2:00pm Deep Dive Sessions
- SGE Continuous Training
Join VPPPA’s Special Government Employee Committee and Process Safety Management Committee for a joint presentation designed to help new and verteran SGEs continue to learn and grow as professionals. We’ll review VPP Recertification Worksheet, as well as tips, tricks, and guidelines on how to conduit an audit when assisting OSHA. In addition, we’ll cover a PSM primer for SGEs who have not previously worked with Process Safety sites. You’ll learn the who, what, where, why, when, and how of PSM, including what questions to ask in interviews to be most effective. - Early Musculoskeletal Screening and OSHA Approved First Aid by Physical Therapists
Workplace musculoskeletal injuries are a significant concern for many companies leading to substantial costs related to workers’ compensation, lost productivity, and employee turnover. Physical therapists (PTs) can play a pivotal role in mitigating these issues through early screening, evaluation, and administering OSHA approved first aid interventions. This session aims to highlight the benefits of incorporating PTs into workplace safety programs, focusing on injury prevention and cost reduction.
- 5:00pm -6:00pm Annual Meeting of the Membership
- 6:00pm – 8:00pm Grand Opening of the Exhibit Hall Welcome Reception
6:30pm –7:30pm Roco Rescue Demo
Scaffolding Rope and Confined Space Hands-On Demonstration Series: Rescue Tripods vs. Work Tripods & Winches – Booth 1237
A hands-on approach to rescue using tripods and rope systems that goes way beyond the capabilities of a traditional work tripod and winch. Participants will discover why a four-hour tripod rescue class can leave your employees in a bad spot… literally.
To participate, sign up at Roco Rescue booth 735.
Roco Rescue will also perform demos with the modern rescue systems used in our training curriculum. From Dual Main lowering and raising systems to the high tech Petzl Twin Release block and tackle system, attendees will see some of the top systems rescue teams are currently running.
Tuesday, August 12
- 7:00am – 5:00pm Registration
- 8:00am – 1:30pm Exhibit Hall Open
- 8:00am – 9:00am Continental Breakfast Everywhere
8:15am – 8:50am Roco Rescue Demo
Scaffolding Rope and Confined Space Hands-On Demonstration Series: Rescue from Fall Protection – Booth 1237
An unconscious suspended worker is one of the biggest hazards a rescue team can face. Time matters, do you have a plan? Participants will get a hands-on, look at the Roco approach to rescue from fall pro where speed and safety have to work as one.
To participate, sign up at Roco Rescue booth 735.
Roco Rescue will also perform demos with the modern rescue systems used in our training curriculum. From Dual Main lowering and raising systems to the high tech Petzl Twin Release block and tackle system, attendees will see some of the top systems rescue teams are currently running.
9:00am – 10:00am Workshops
- Labor & Management Open Forum
Description to come. - Small Steps to Big Gains: The Power of Cumulative Learning in Safety Training
Ensuring workplace safety requires more than just compliance—it demands continuous learning that keeps employees engaged, informed, and proactive. Traditional safety training often fails to achieve long-term retention, leading to knowledge gaps that can increase risks on the job. This presentation will explore video-based microlearning as a transformative approach to safety and health training, incorporating principles such as cumulative learning, spaced repetition, multi-modal learning, chunking, daily reinforcement, and gamification to improve knowledge retention and behavior change. By integrating bite-sized, easily digestible content into daily workflows, organizations can reinforce critical safety protocols without disrupting productivity. Like compound interest, small, consistent learning moments accumulate over time, embedding safety knowledge into everyday decision-making and reducing workplace incidents. By leveraging these training techniques, organizations can create a culture of continuous learning and proactive safety awareness, reducing workplace incidents and fostering a safer, more compliant workforce - Functional Movement Screening using Motion Analysis for Workplace Wellness Programs
As workplaces strive to improve employee well-being and reduce injury-related costs, innovative approaches such as automated motion analysis for functional movement screening (FMS) have gained prominence. This technology empowers physical therapists to identify movement patterns that may predispose employees to injuries, allowing for early intervention and targeted prevention strategies. This breakout session aims to demonstrate and outline how new technology can improve voluntary wellness programs focusing on employee screening, movement, and injury prevention. - Are your PDAs driving profits, enhancing your safety program, and defending your decisions.
Rethinking PDAs: From Safety Compliance to ROI-Driven Strategy Physical Demands Analyses (PDAs) have traditionally been viewed as safety documents, but they have the potential to be powerful business tools. When leveraged strategically, PDAs can enhance workforce management, mitigate risks, and improve operational efficiency, ultimately driving profitability. The Business Case for PDAs 1. Job Summary Reports – Aligning Expectations with Reality Job descriptions must accurately reflect the physical requirements of each role. By ensuring alignment between expectations and reality, companies reduce hiring mismatches, lower turnover, and minimize training costs. Clear and accurate job descriptions also help candidates and employers set realistic expectations, leading to a more effective workforce. 2. Pre-Employment Agility Testing – Hiring Smarter Hiring candidates who cannot meet job demands leads to increased injury risks and high turnover. Pre-employment agility testing prevents these issues by ensuring a better physical match for job roles. This process reduces injury rates, lowers early attrition, and enhances overall workforce productivity. 3. Ergonomic Risk Identification – Proactive Risk Mitigation Standardized physical demand data highlights variations in movement and strain, allowing companies to implement targeted ergonomic interventions. Proactively identifying and addressing these risks prevents injuries, reduces workplace injury rates, and lowers the costs associated with medical treatment and lost productivity. 4. Physician Summary Reports – Defensible Medical Decisions Providing physicians with objective data enables better medical decision-making. These reports help assess an employee’s ability to work, ensuring appropriate job accommodations while minimizing unnecessary medical leave. By offering clear, data-backed recommendations, organizations can accelerate return-to-work timelines and maintain workforce continuity. 5. Return-To-Work Matrix – Structuring a Smoother Transition A structured return-to-work matrix defines modified duty options based on actual job demands. This approach supports progressive return-to-work plans, reducing lost productivity and minimizing workers’ compensation expenses. A well-structured return-to-work process ensures employees can safely reintegrate into their roles while maintaining operational efficiency. Implementation: Shifting Safety from Cost to Investment Shifting the mindset from viewing safety as a cost center to recognizing it as a business investment is essential. PDAs streamline hiring, reduce workplace injuries, and lower return-to-work costs. Measuring key metrics such as turnover, injury reduction, and cost savings over six months provides clear evidence of their financial impact. Conclusion: Turning PDAs into a Business Asset PDAs are no longer just regulatory documents; they are strategic tools that drive profitability, improve workforce retention, and enhance operational efficiency. By integrating PDAs into key business processes, companies can implement a cost-effective approach to ergonomics and return-to-work planning, transforming workplace safety into both a protective measure and a financial advantage. - From Data to Prevention: Using Wearable Tech & Leading Indicators to Eliminate MSDs, Heat Illness, and Forklift Hazards
Safety professionals widely acknowledge the value of leading indicators—but in practice, many still rely on lagging proxies like meeting attendance or the number of safety observations submitted. These metrics often fail to reflect the real exposures and conditions that lead to injuries. This session reframes the conversation around relevant, real-time leading indicators made possible through wearable safety technology. Learn how organizations are capturing motion, environmental, and exposure data directly from the front lines—without collecting personal or biometric information—to gain early visibility into the most frequent and costly risks: musculoskeletal strain, heat illness, and forklift-pedestrian interactions. Through practical examples and proven use cases, we’ll explore how to move beyond traditional checklists and toward true prevention.
- 10:15am – 11:45am Opening General Session & Keynote
- 11:45am – 1:30pm Lunch in Exhibit Hall
12:20pm – 1:20pm Roco Rescue Demo
Scaffolding Rope and Confined Space Hands-On Demonstration Series: Tender & Taglines, Safely Moving Casualties – Booth 1237
Safely moving casualties is the highest priority in technical rescue. When the patient gets into the air, controlling movement is paramount. This session will explore sending a rescuer with the casualty vs using tag lines to control the load. Attendees will get to experience riding in a basket as a patient, controlling the load with tag lines and learning different methods to control the loads in a live patient teaching format.
To participate, sign up at Roco Rescue booth 735.
Roco Rescue will also perform demos with the modern rescue systems used in our training curriculum. From Dual Main lowering and raising systems to the high tech Petzl Twin Release block and tackle system, attendees will see some of the top systems rescue teams are currently running.
1:30pm – 2:30pm Workshops
- RCA + HOP: Better Together
Our world is growing more complex, and with that complexity comes an increasing number of novel and costly problems. Solving these problems doesn’t happen from a corporate office—it happens at the front lines. To build resilience, we need to equip workers with the right tools to become agile problem-solvers and risk managers. The key is recognizing the importance of context in every event. Modern Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) principles, when used together, create a deeper and more meaningful learning process. Traditional RCA tools like the 5 Whys and Fishbone diagrams have long been criticized for their oversimplification and tendency to focus on human error. Meanwhile, some in the HOP community avoid discussing errors entirely for fear of assigning blame. But neither extreme serves us well. Error is a normal part of human work. The real challenge is understanding the context in which errors occur—the operational, environmental, and organizational pressures that shape human behavior. By integrating modern RCA techniques with HOP principles, we can go beyond simple cause-and-effect chains to explore the multiple, independent storylines that converge in real-world incidents. Rather than seeing RCA and HOP as opposing approaches, we should view them as complementary. While RCA provides structure to uncover contributing factors, HOP shifts the focus to learning and improvement. Together, they create a holistic, adaptive approach that helps teams recognize systemic contributors, uncover hidden risks, and develop meaningful solutions. Despite their benefits, even the best tools will fail if leadership does not commit to long-term learning. A true learning culture requires more than just an investigation methodology—it demands continuous engagement from leadership to ensure that insights lead to action. This session will explore how RCA and HOP can work together, using real-world examples to demonstrate how understanding context leads to better decision-making, stronger safety outcomes, and a culture of resilience. Attendees will leave with practical insights on how to integrate these approaches into their investigations—moving beyond labels and focusing on what truly drives improvement. - New-Hire Safety Orientation: Tips and Tricks to Make It Effective, Impactful, Sticky & Even Fun
Is your new-hire safety orientation program a box-ticking exercise, a “one person show” or a one day event? Or maybe it’s all of the above? Companies often rush through new hire safety orientation (NHSO), effectively treating it as a checklist task rather than a vital component of an organization’s safety and health management system. Providing an effective NHSO is key to reducing workplace injuries, increasing productivity, and ensuring worker participation in the organization’s safety and health program. Considering all these potential positive effects, workplaces of all sizes should prioritize the development of a robust, engaging, and potent NHSO program. In addition to effectively promoting worker safety and health, organizations that implement an effective NHSO can reap the benefits of improved communication and safety culture that go well beyond avoiding injuries, incidents, and OSHA fines. Because no two companies are identical, avoid relying on generic or boilerplate new hire safety programs. Come and learn how, by using simple but creative and effective tips, tricks and tactics, an underperforming new hire safety orientation program, that was nicknamed “Borientation” was revamped and transformed into a vital component that drove incidents down, engagement up and culture forward at of a unionized manufacturing plant - Electrical Safety – The Enigma of EHS Professionals
Electricity is the most common form of energy used within countless industries across the US but at the same time, it is very likely to be the most misunderstood and overlooked area of safety when it comes to its potential to injure or kill workers. For this reason, electrocution is rightly listed under OSHA’s “Fatal Four” causes of deaths in construction. While most EHS professionals understand electricity poses hazards to employees in the workplace, many also assume electrical safety either applies to only qualified electrical workers such as electricians or when exposed to “high voltage”. Without a doubt, electrical occupations contain significant risks of electrical accidents and injuries by the very nature of their jobs and higher voltages normally equals greater risks, but serious injuries and fatalities also plague non-electrical workers and sometimes at a greater rate and lower voltages. When data from OSHA and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is carefully reviewed, we see a troubling trend where the majority of workers suffering life altering injuries and deaths due to electrical energy are those whose job duties are not associated with electrical trades. With the overwhelming number of regulations and standards safety and health professionals are inundate with, those that address electrical safety tend to be an enigma and thus incorrectly prioritized at best or completely forgotten at worse, that is until a serious accident involving electricity occurs. Electrical incidents and accidents infrequently occur so they are often overshadowed by other types of recordable injuries, however while electrical events are rare, the severity of injuries are significant. This presentation will help educate EHS professionals of the dangers of electricity but more importantly how to help keep their employees safe from this marvel of science. - The Homefield Disadvantage – Striking Out Workplace Complacency
In the world of workplace safety, are you unknowingly playing on the dangerous homefield of complacency? Join us for ‘The Homefield Disadvantage’ presentation where we will explore how even the most seasoned safety experts can fall victim to complacency. Discover strategies to strike out complacency, unveiling hidden hazards for a safer, more vigilant workplace. Let’s break free from the comfort zone, learn from the unexpected, and ensure that safety is the true home run in your professional game. - Lithium Batteries in Your Community: What You Need to Know
Lithium battery use is growing rapidly, along with their use in electric vehicles (EVs). Lithium battery use is expanding at a very rapid pace and affecting our daily lives in both a positive and productive way, however, when there are new technical advances in our lives, the mass production advances will always outpace the safety, health, and environmental impacts.
2:45pm – 3:45pm Workshops
- Safety Leadership: From the Board Room to the Break Room
How safety and health is communicated by leaders throughout an organization is key to maintaining an effective program. This session will discuss developing and communicating meaningful goals, keeping safety at the forefront of your company, and techniques to ensuring employees understand their roles and responsibilities. - Strengthening Safety Systems: The NSC Serious Incident & Fatality (SIF) Prevention Model in Action
In an era where more than 5,000 workplace fatalities occur annually in the U.S., the need for strong, proactive safety models has never been more urgent. This presentation will introduce attendees to the NSC Serious Incident & Fatality (SIF) Prevention Model, a comprehensive framework designed to mitigate life-altering workplace incidents by addressing both technical and behavioral risk factors. Attendees will be guided through the model’s six-step Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) process, which includes assessing organizational capacity, identifying hazards, implementing and verifying controls, and driving continuous improvement. Emphasizing real-world applications, this session will also highlight best practices and lessons learned from small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and large organizations that have piloted the model. Attendees will learn about the critical gap revealed by NSC’s recent survey: the lack of formal processes for ranking risks, reporting near misses, and evaluating control effectiveness. By the end of the session, participants will leave with practical tools and strategies to customize the SIF model for their own workplaces, ensuring its effective integration into their safety management systems. - Stop, Collaborate and Listen: Improving Safety Outcomes With Teamwork
Description to come. - Just Calling 911 is NOT an Emergency Plan Ensuring Safety for First Responders
First responders are the professionals we call in an emergency. They are going into places that we are leaving from. While they are highly trained, they are not as well versed of the hazards in every workplace. Industry has an obligation to train first responders of our hazards and what they can possibly encounter d
4:00pm – 5:00pm Workshops
- Safety and The Future of the Maintenance Team
This session will focus on the key topics of Safety and advancements within the Maintenance World. Our Maintenance teams are not being fully equipped or set up for the changing advancements occurring within our industries and as a result, many companies are experiencing increased equipment issues and down times and are seeing impacts of these events in their profits. This session will look specifically at how we can train our Maintenance teams to be successful in maximizing equipment reliability, while performing their jobs safely and efficiently. With a Focus on Workforce Development and providing Maintenance Teams with the tools and skills they need to succeed, we can accomplish both a safer and more productive work environment for the entire company. Understanding the difference between Qualification and Proficiency and what we can do to enhance proficiency is a key part of this. Enhanced Data collection and making Data Driven Decisions to allow our maintenance teams and site leaders to make the best decisions when it comes to equipment repairs, replacement, and enhancements is of paramount importance for establishing a successful maintenance department and maximizing our equipment life span and reliability. Through predictive maintenance practices, we can see huge impacts on the safety and quality of our work sites. Through the increased use of Virtual and Remote Technologies, the Maintenance team will be better equipped to support operations by increasing their proficiency at performing maintenance tasks and allow them to predict when components are failing in order to properly schedule and prepare for upcoming repairs. By doing so, the sites can see drastic reductions in unscheduled equipment down times, which allows the site to perform at its maximum capacity more often, driving production and reducing back orders. - Best Practices in Microlearning: Getting the Most from this Developmental Resource
Microlearning is a laser-focused instructional method, utilizing bite-size chunks of information. Spread out and delivered over time, this thin-slice approach to training helps learners consume large or complex topics more effectively when properly presented. In this session participants will gain perspective regarding best practices identified through a case study conducted in the maritime industry. While microlearning offers a number of distinct advantages over traditional chalk-and-talk classroom sessions, it consistently falls short of performance expectations without proper positioning. For anyone considering microlearning as a developmental resource or wanting to improve outcomes where it now exists, this session is for you! - Combustible Dust: An Explosion Hazard
Combustible dust, comprised of fine particles from various materials, poses a significant and often underestimated hazard in industrial settings. These microscopic particles, when suspended in the air in the right concentrations, can ignite, leading to devastating fires and explosions. The insidious nature of combustible dust hazards lies in its ability to accumulate unnoticed in confined spaces, ventilation systems, and equipment, creating a ticking time bomb that can result in catastrophic consequences. The purpose of this workshop is to provide basic awareness to discover combustible dust hazards and tools to analyze the risks including possible prevention and mitigation methods. First, one should be able to assess if the dust in their facility is combustible or not. Once the dust is deemed to be combustible, then a dust hazard analysis (DHA) needs to be conducted. A comprehensive DHA involves a systematic evaluation of processes, equipment, and potential ignition sources, aiming to uncover hidden dangers and implement preventive measures. Understanding the importance of DHAs is crucial for maintaining a safe working environment, preventing injuries, and safeguarding assets. This workshop delves into the critical role of Dust Hazard Analysis in risk mitigation, emphasizing its significance in promoting occupational safety, compliance with regulations, and the protection of lives and property in industries susceptible to combustible dust hazards. - Saving Your Safety Culture With No-Blame Accountability
Blame suffocates safety culture. But it’s not always easy to see why. For many people—leaders and workers alike—it makes sense to point the finger at a culprit when someone gets hurt, when something breaks or when productivity is lost. If something bad happens, blame can feel like a solution. But that’s a common misconception. Every moving part of an organization contributes to wins and losses. Blame narrows our focus to the point that we can’t see the various elements that combine to produce a system upset. For a strong safety culture to thrive, leaders must adopt a no-blame mindset and demonstrate it through action. But that’s easier said than done. For many, blame is tangled up with accountability, which is a necessary component of how businesses learn and grow. If you can’t point a finger, then how do you even fully recognize a mistake, misjudgment or error? The key is to acknowledge, take responsibility and learn without the culture-killing aspects of blame. This presentation will give audiences the know-how to diagnose blame within their own work cultures, and the tools to cut it out of their organizations. It will demonstrate the measurable benefits of curating a blame-free workplace that improves in the long term thanks to lower employee turnaround and stronger leading and lagging indicators. Using culture-building skills and an understanding of organizational learning loops, accountability without blame is an achievable goal. Attend this session to start curating the positive accountability necessary to strengthen your operations and keep people safe. - Special Government Employee (SGE) Workshop
Description to come.
- 5:30pm – 6:45pm Ballpark Village Tailgating Party
- 6:30pm – 9:30pm Night at the Ballpark
Wednesday, August 13
- 7:30am – 5:00pm Registration
- 8:00am – 1:30pm Exhibit Hall Open
- 8:00am – 9:00am Continental Breakfast Everywhere
8:15am – 8:50am Roco Rescue Demo
Scaffolding Rope and Confined Space Hands-On Demonstration Series: Rescue Tripods vs. Work Tripods & Winches – Booth 1237
A hands-on approach to rescue using tripods and rope systems that goes way beyond the capabilities of a traditional work tripod and winch. Participants will discover why a four-hour tripod rescue class can leave your employees in a bad spot… literally.
To participate, sign up at Roco Rescue booth 735.
Roco Rescue will also perform demos with the modern rescue systems used in our training curriculum. From Dual Main lowering and raising systems to the high tech Petzl Twin Release block and tackle system, attendees will see some of the top systems rescue teams are currently running.
9:00am – 10:00am Workshops
- Incident Investigation: Uncovering the Root Cause
Incidents are rarely the result of a single factor. Whether it’s a recordable injury, a first aid incident, property damage, close call, or near miss, incidents typically occur from the convergence of multiple factors at an inopportune time. This session adopts an engaging and interactive approach to investigation to help determine root cause and contributing factors, highlighting management systems, operational conditions, and other factors playing a significant role in the cause and effect of incidents. We’ll learn and practice simple tools and techniques that can be used to increase the depth of your incident analysis, help determine effective corrective actions, and prevent recurrence for lasting safety improvements. - Teaching the SKILL of Working Safely
As a consultant for the NSC, one of the most common questions I hear from clients is, “How can we get our employees to work more safely?” Well while we don’t blame workers for making errors and we know we cannot eliminate human error, we absolutely can and should work to reduce it wherever we can. When asked what “working safely” means, most will say something like “Wearing your PPE and following the safety rules”. Well, that is only the starting line for developing the true skill of working safely! If we expect our people to work safely, it’s only fair that we teach them HOW! That is what this presentation is about. Along the way, we’ll have some fun, and demonstrate an approach to presenting safety concepts in a way that “locks them in” to your employees’ memories so they are not easily forgotten. This is a 60-minute address with PowerPoint and videos that will describe 4 critical techniques, that taken together, make up the skill of working safely. By offering these techniques as a skill to be developed for their own benefit, rather than a requirement to be enforced by management, we will show how to break down some of the barriers to the improvement of safety performance. The presentation will move quickly and with some humor through these 4 areas ….1) Calibrating our safety meters, 2) Developing our Spider-Sense, 3) Creating small safety habits, and 4) Employing tools for maintaining our focus. Making use of story-telling techniques, examples from our animal friends, and some videos, the attendees will be shown how working safely is not something to be demanded, or observed, but a skill to be taught and developed just like any other job skill. In fact, these techniques work outside of work as well as in their facilities, so this is not just about “working safely”, it’s about “living safely”! Finally, we will discuss the motivation that is required in order for your employees to put in a small amount of effort to develop this skill. Why traditional approaches to motivating employees to work safely generally do not work very well, and so then, how we can get our people engaged in putting forth the effort? - Utilizing AI Tools to Revolutionize Workplace Safety and Mitigate Injury Risks
This presentation delves into the transformative potential of AI-driven ergonomic risk tools to identify, analyze, and mitigate workplace injury risks with unprecedented precision. By leveraging real-time insights, this technology empowers organizations to proactively manage musculoskeletal (MSK) injury risks and enhance workplace safety. Here’s what that process looks like at the work site: first, a phone is used to capture video of employees performing job tasks. Real-time AI processes this data, identifying movement patterns and overlaying risk indicators directly onto the video feed for immediate awareness. The data is then uploaded to a cloud-based platform that provides analytics including risk scores based on industry-standard algorithms. Metrics such as joint positioning, task movement scoring, and risk evaluations like REBA and NIOSH Lifting Equation are synchronized with the video to create detailed, actionable insights. These insights are integrated into centralized dashboards and ABI reporting tools, offering dynamic evaluations of risk at individual, departmental, and organizational levels. Leveraging the 3E Process (Engineering, Ergonomics, and Exercise), targeted interventions are implemented to redesign tasks, optimize workplace ergonomics, and foster safer employee behaviors. - Culture Catalysts: 6 Safety Success Factors for Supervisors
Changing minds and hearts is a lot different than introducing new equipment. Safety culture change is a complex operation, requiring ongoing, active commitment from leaders at all levels. It takes time and effort to gain buy-in and momentum to achieve organizational change, and progress is often measured in years, rather than in weeks or months. Leaders, formal and informal, are key players in the work of directly influencing individuals at a personal level within their own teams. The end goal of culture change is typically to improve both performance and reliability. Based on the results of careful research and field work, this presentation will show how these results can be achieved most effectively by making two strategic decisions. The first is to focus resources and attention on safety climate, as creating improved safety and communication on a small scale within teams and departments can perhaps counterintuitively lead to faster and more sustainable gains. The second is to embed human factors management principles into organizational leadership’s approach to safety, especially in regard to safety climate. The local effects of a healthier safety climate can be leveraged to spread improvements throughout the organization, building organizational change gradually as systems and individuals experience the effectiveness of human factors methods. And taking a human factors-centered approach will allow leaders at all levels to effectively understand the drivers of a positive safety culture and then make meaningful improvements in their floor-level engagement with frontline workers. This session will provide an overview of safety culture and safety climate that are supported by research and will apply in almost any workplace setting. From there, the presenters will review the six critical factors that have proven to positively influence safety climate and lead to long-term changes to safety culture. Given that workplace systems generally require at least some people present, the effectiveness of the organization will depend in part on the people systems such as communication processes, team effectiveness, supervisory skills and employee engagement in safety. This session will examine how effective human factors management can help you stay on top of these people systems, and combine with the six success factors for safety climate, which can lead to fast and sustainable results. After examining a framework for managing human factors and the six influences on safety climate, this presentation will highlight some ways they can be used by organizations to assess progress and drive ongoing improvements. - Revolutionizing Scaffolding: Safety, Efficiency, and Global Best Practices
In 2023 and 2024, the petrochemical and refining industry witnessed alarming rises in scaffolding-related injuries and fatalities. This prompted an industry-wide investigation after a pivotal question from a young BROCK representative: “Has anyone explored better scaffolding solutions?” This comprehensive study builds on the insights from the 2019 Industrial Workforce Efficiency Report including updates from 2021 and 2023. It highlights groundbreaking innovations in scaffolding design, materials, and construction methods, achieving a 26% reduction in labor demands and an 11% decrease in overall costs. Drawing on real-world cases and best practices from supermajors including CPChem, Motiva, VentureGlobal, ExxonMobil and their contractors, this presentation offers practical, immediately applicable strategies to enhance safety and prevent accidents—ultimately saving lives in industrial construction settings.
10:15am – 11:15am Workshops
- Re-writing the Blueprint to Safety Excellence by Reducing Significant Injuries and Fatalities with Biometrics and Artificial Intelligence.
In the last 10 years, we have seen a decrease in minor injuries, while Significant Injuries and Fatalities (SIFs) have risen or stayed flat-lined at best. Understanding where SIF Potential exists in your work environment can be the blueprint for safety excellence. Recognizing SIF potential will allow you to utilize your experience, modify programs, and utilize new technology to drive your program towards accomplishing your safety performance goals. This presentation will define SIF potential in the incident investigation process and, more importantly, in your proactive blueprint for improved safety performance. S. Andrew. Wright will explore the critical role of safety biometrics and proactive technology utilizing Artificial Intelligence to reduce SIF potential. - From Passive Acknowledgement to Belief in SIF Prevention
2025 marks a pivotal year for transformative health and safety performance amid today’s evolving workplace. Serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs) persist as a major concern in workplace safety, even in organizations with strong compliance practices and decreased frequency rates of minor/moderate injuries. This has revealed fundamental gaps in leadership engagement, resource allocation, and system design. The traditional focus on lagging indicators and low-consequence incidents leaves critical gaps in leadership engagement, targeted resources, and intentional system design when it comes to preventing these life-altering events. As organizations increasingly rely on contractors, subcontractors, and temporary labor, managing safety becomes even more complex, as the stakes grow higher. This session will explore cutting-edge methodologies designed to move beyond compliance and embed safety excellence into the fabric of an organization. Attendees will gain practical tools to drive safety transformation through: • Safety 1 & 2 Frameworks: Moving from reactive incident management to proactive risk anticipation and systemic resilience • Human and Organizational Performance (HOP): Integrating human factors and organizational context into safety strategy through an integrated systems approach tailored to today’s workforce • The Alternative Metrics Discussion: Exploring the evolution of global safety standards, such as ASTM E-2920, to develop evidence-based metrics for measuring and improving safety performance This session intends to blend an expert-led presentation with interactive engagement, equipping participants with actionable insights to drive safety innovation within their organizations. Attendees will analyze the limitations of traditional safety compliance models and explore innovative frameworks for SIF prevention. They will learn to develop a systems-based approach to safety leadership—integrating perspectives from legal, operational, procurement, and HSE departments. Additionally, participants will apply emerging methodologies – such as Safety 1 & 2 frameworks, HOP, and ASTM E-2920 standards – to enhance workplace safety strategies. Through a mix of visual storytelling, case study analysis, and collaborative problem-solving, participants will leave the session with a comprehensive understanding of safety’s role in corporate strategy, practical tools to implement a systems approach to safety performance, and strategies for enabling measurable improvements in safety outcomes. - Seeing Safety Differently: A New Lens For Hazard Recognition and Workforce Engagement
Active workforce engagement is essential for fostering buy-in, accountability, and teamwork—cornerstones of a strong safety culture. However, sustaining engagement in safety programs can be a challenge. This presentation introduces Visual Literacy as a dynamic solution, enhancing observation, critical thinking, and hazard recognition skills. We often miss hazards due to visual biases and over-familiarity. Using hands-on techniques from art education, like structured observation and the Elements of Art, workers learn to see their environment more thoroughly. This interactive approach empowers employees and fosters proactive hazard identification, improving engagement and safety outcomes. - Heat Stress: A Landscape Analysis and Best Practice Model
Heat Stress: A Landscape Analysis and Best Practice Model examines the critical challenge of managing heat stress in today’s dynamic work environments. As global temperatures rise and extreme weather events become more frequent, understanding the science and regulatory framework behind heat stress has never been more vital. This session provides a detailed exploration of the environmental and physiological factors that contribute to heat stress, highlighting how elements such as high ambient temperatures, humidity, and urban heat islands interact with human factors like metabolic activity and acclimatization. Attendees will receive a comprehensive update on the evolving federal and state regulatory landscapes. With the Occupational Safety and Health Administration moving toward enforceable heat stress standards and pioneering regulatory measures emerging in states like California, this presentation breaks down the latest developments in a clear and practical manner. The session will explain how these regulatory changes are redefining heat stress management protocols and what that means for organizations striving to maintain compliance while protecting their workforce. Central to this presentation is a Best Practice Model built on a four-stage strategic maturity framework. This framework categorizes organizations from Basic Compliance to World-Class Practices, providing a clear pathway for enhancing heat stress management programs. Through detailed case studies and interactive discussions, the session illustrates how organizations in sectors such as construction, agriculture, manufacturing, and healthcare are successfully progressing through these stages. Specific examples will demonstrate the implementation of advanced monitoring systems, dynamic work-rest cycles, and comprehensive emergency response procedures that not only ensure regulatory compliance but also improve overall worker safety and productivity. The role of technology in modern heat stress management is also a key focus. Advanced wearable sensors, real-time environmental monitoring systems, and mobile applications are transforming the landscape by providing instant feedback and predictive analytics. These technological innovations enable organizations to detect and respond to heat stress risks before they escalate, ensuring proactive and informed decision-making. The session details how these tools integrate with traditional risk assessment strategies and outlines best practices for their effective deployment. Additionally, the presentation covers essential elements of a robust heat stress management program, including policy development, training initiatives, and stakeholder engagement strategies. It emphasizes the need for a systematic approach that incorporates regular self-assessments, targeted training for both workers and supervisors, and continuous improvements based on emerging data and regulatory updates. By focusing on both immediate and long-term strategies, the session equips organizations with the practical tools necessary to design and implement effective heat stress interventions that are tailored to their specific operational challenges. This session is designed for corporate EHS leaders, safety professionals, and industry stakeholders who require a deep understanding of both the scientific and regulatory dimensions of heat stress. It offers actionable insights to evaluate existing practices and to build or refine comprehensive heat stress management programs that protect employee well-being and enhance operational resilience. - Bridging the Gap: Empowering Frontline Workers Through Craft Safety Representatives
Have you noticed a disconnect between the safety culture on the frontline and upper-level management? Are your upper management’s policies not resonating with Craft personnel, or is there a gap in the safety conversations that needs bridging? Join us for “Bridging the Gap: Empowering Frontline Workers Through Craft Safety Representatives” and discover actionable solutions to these challenges and more. In this session, we will spotlight the success story of the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) and their Craft Safety Representative (CSR) role, a pivotal position that has helped foster a robust safety culture. CSRs act as vital liaisons between management and Craft professionals, ensuring that safety concerns are addressed efficiently and equitably for all individuals on site. But that’s not all—CSRs also provide a confidential outlet for workers to voice safety concerns anonymously, reinforcing trust within the organization and promoting a learning culture. We will cover the roles and responsibilities of CSRs, share how they collaborate with management to cultivate a safer, more inclusive workplace, and explain how you can implement a similar Frontline Worker Safety Representative program at your own organization. By the end of this session, you will be able to: 1. Identify the roles and responsibilities of Craft Safety Representatives and how they support safety culture development. 2. Explore strategies and tools used by Craft Safety Representatives to foster an open and learning-driven safety culture, with the aim of improving communication and safety reporting within your organization. 3. Create a partnership plan with your Craft professionals to establish an inclusive safety culture, outlining at least two actionable steps you can implement in your organization. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to transform your workplace’s safety culture by bridging the gap between management and frontline workers. Join us to learn practical methods that will empower both your Craft professionals and management to build a safer, more connected work environment.
11:30am – 12:30pm Workshops
- Industrial Hygiene – The Mystery Explained!
Industrial hygiene is defined as “a science and art devoted to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, control, and confirmation of protection from those environmental factors or stresses arising in or from the workplace which may cause sickness, impaired health and well-being, or significant discomfort among workers or among citizens of the community.” Does that sound confusing or intimidating to you? If so, you’re not alone! But implementing an industrial hygiene program is one of the most effective ways to identify serious workplace hazards. Exposures are easy to identify when they are visible to the naked eye. It’s when the exposures are “hidden” or not as obvious that they can go unrecognized and therefore remain uncontrolled. Occupational disease hazards fall into this category. And Industrial Hygiene is a key tool in recognizing, evaluating and controlling them. This presentation will help the Safety Professional better understand all that Industrial Hygiene encompasses, and how it can and should be an important component of a company’s safety and health program. Using examples of occupational disease hazards in the workplace, it will breakdown the various areas where industrial hygiene can be used as a tool for identifying, evaluating and controlling hazards; discuss how someone would identify if an industrial hygiene assessment would be necessary; provide items a Safety Professional can or should do to prepare for an industrial hygiene assessment; and walk through the components of a basic industrial hygiene assessment. - Blue Line Discovery: Accessing the Unique Operational Intelligence of Your Workforce
Description to come. - Why Electricians Are Still Being Injured by Arc Flashes: The Four Horsemen of Arc Flash Injuries
Despite advancements in safety standards and PPE, arc flash incidents continue to result in preventable injuries. This presentation explores the “Four Horsemen” of arc flash injuries—Irresponsibility, Defiance, Neglect, and Complacency—and their role in workplace accidents. Attendees will gain actionable strategies to improve PPE selection and use, enhance compliance, and implement robust de-energization verification protocols. The session will also review OSHA’s 2024 arc flash guidance, addressing emerging hazards like EV infrastructure and advanced grid technologies. Learn how to build a proactive safety culture that protects workers and reduces risks. Ideal for safety professionals and those overseeing electrical safety programs. - New Perspectives on the Hierarchy of Controls and the Bowtie Model
Description to come. - From Loco to Local: Managing Employee Engagement with Local Safety Teams
The Savannah River Site is celebrating 75 years of a strong and healthy safety culture. As a DOE-VPP Legacy of Stars Site, employee engagement is one of our strengths, with our Local Safety Improvement Teams (LSITs) at the foundation. Ensuring employees understand the intent behind seemingly “crazy” safety rules can help your organization flourish. Employees are at the root of safety programs, so engaging them is crucial to success and growth. Making safety relevant to employees is where the “Local” in our LSITs comes into play. We hope you will join us for this interactive workshop where we will share practical and effective ideas along with collaborative and compelling activities that can be implemented to encourage safety engagement.
- 12:00pm – 1:30pm Lunch in Exhibit Hall
- 12:00pm – 5:00pm Prairie State Generating Company (PSGC) Site Tour
12:20pm – 1:20pm Roco Rescue Demo
Scaffolding Rope and Confined Space Hands-On Demonstration Series: Rescue from Fall Protection – Booth 1237
Rescue from Fall Protection
An unconscious suspended worker is one of the biggest hazards a rescue team can face. Time matters, do you have a plan? Participants will get a hands-on, look at the Roco approach to rescue from fall pro where speed and safety have to work as one.
To participate, sign up at Roco Rescue booth 735.
Roco Rescue will also perform demos with the modern rescue systems used in our training curriculum. From Dual Main lowering and raising systems to the high tech Petzl Twin Release block and tackle system, attendees will see some of the top systems rescue teams are currently running.
1:45pm – 2:45pm Workshops
- Revolutionizing EHS Management with Risk-Informed AI
Revolutionizing EHS Management with Risk-Informed AI explores how practical, data-driven artificial intelligence solutions are reshaping the landscape of Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) management. This session dissects the convergence of decades of EHS expertise with cutting-edge AI technologies to address persistent challenges such as serious injury and fatality (SIF) risks. Attendees will gain an understanding of how predictive analytics, natural language processing, and other AI tools are transforming risk prioritization and mitigation, leading to safer and more efficient work environments. The discussion begins with an in-depth look at the systemic challenges facing traditional EHS programs. Despite significant progress in various safety metrics, SIF rates have plateaued, indicating a critical need for innovative solutions. The session outlines the fundamental concept of risk-informed AI: leveraging robust, empirically validated data to guide decision-making rather than relying on intuition or best guesses. This approach not only identifies high-severity risks with precision but also optimizes resource allocation in environments where time and financial constraints are significant factors. Central to the presentation is a detailed examination of the partnership between two industry leaders—What Works Institute (WWi) and Bowers Management Analytics (BMA). By combining WWi’s extensive experience in EHS leadership and strategy with BMA’s advanced capabilities in big data and AI-driven risk analytics, the partnership has created a suite of actionable tools tailored specifically for EHS professionals. These tools range from entry-level training modules and webinars to advanced, bespoke implementations designed to integrate seamlessly with existing safety management systems. The session emphasizes practical application over speculative theory. Participants will explore real-world use cases that illustrate how AI can streamline incident analysis, enhance risk prioritization, and enable efficient compliance with evolving regulatory frameworks. Detailed examples will demonstrate how AI-driven solutions can reduce SIF risks, improve safety training outcomes, and foster a culture of proactive risk management. This practical focus ensures that every strategy discussed is immediately applicable, regardless of an organization’s current level of technological sophistication. In addition to technical insights, the session also covers strategic considerations necessary for successful AI adoption in EHS. Topics include overcoming resource limitations, integrating new tools with legacy systems, and building a collaborative learning community for continuous innovation. The presentation highlights how AI tools complement human judgment, offering enhanced clarity and precision while freeing up valuable time for decision-makers. Through a combination of expert analysis, interactive case studies, and forward-thinking strategic guidance, attendees will leave with a clear roadmap for revolutionizing their own EHS programs using risk-informed AI. Designed for EHS professionals, executives, and safety innovators, this session provides actionable insights into the deployment of AI technologies that deliver measurable, tangible results. It invites participants to rethink traditional approaches to safety management and embrace a new era of data-driven decision-making that promises not only improved compliance but a fundamental enhancement in workplace safety. - CLEAR Audit Management – A Digital VPP Audit Solution
The session will open with a background on a push for the modernization of the VPP process and will lead into a demonstration of the platform. Time will be left for questions and for the audience to interface with the solution - The Beginners Guide to Creating Site Emergency Response Plans
Having an up-to-date and detailed Emergency Response Plan, (ERP,) is a critical tool you should have as an EHS professional to prepare for and manage through site emergencies. This presentation is intended for EHS professionals that may have no to little experience in creating emergency response plans or using them in training exercises. The information that would make up this presentation would not be created or delivered in a manner that would present itself as the only way to complete this task. But, if an EHS professional didn’t have an ERP and was unfamiliar with that type of document, the information covered in this presentation would be a good place to start the ERP building process for that professional. In this presentation we will talk about scenarios where you could use an ERP, review the proposed sections for an ERP, where you can get examples or templates to assist you in writing your ERP, and how to use it in training at your place of business. It would also be very important to stress to attendees that this presentation is for people unfamiliar with ERP’s and not for veteran emergency planners. We would review how an ERP with the proper pre-planning for realistic scenarios with real scenario solutions can assist in managing though emergencies. Some of the section that would make up this presentation would include creating lists of important information prior to creating the document. Some of those lists would include Chemical hazards, special geographic items of interest, special facility processes, third party responders, local contacts, and regulatory contacts. Next would be the sections of the ERP. Some of those sections would include: The importance of site contact information, corporate contact information, regulatory contact information, contact information for your neighbors, roles and responsibilities, low level introduction to the National Incident Management System and the Incident Command system, (not all sections are listed here.) Lastly, we would introduce attendees to the tabletop drill at a very low level and how to use their ERP as a tool for that exercise. - Labor Summit Live: Union Impacts on Community
Description to come. - VPP Complacency: How We Reinvigorated Our Program
Join us for an engaging and insightful session at the National VPPPA Conference, where we tackle the critical issue of complacency within the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). This presentation is designed to inspire and equip you with the tools and strategies needed to breathe new life into your VPP initiatives. What You’ll Learn: Historical Insights: Discover the journey of the Westlake PE&O VPP program, from its initial certification in 1996 to overcoming challenges and achieving significant improvements by 20191. Post-Pandemic Challenges: Understand the unique challenges faced in the post-pandemic era, including disruptions in safety and engagement, and learn how to address these issues effectively2. Reinvigoration Steps: Explore five key steps to revitalize your VPP program, including honest evaluation, management commitment, reimagining the program, implementation, and continuous improvement34567. Westlake Safety SPHERE: Get introduced to the innovative Westlake Safety SPHERE initiative, focusing on safe practices, human empowerment, and robust engagement89. Team Structure and Principles: Learn about the structure of the Safety SPHERE teams and the key principles for a successful VPP Safety Program101112. Why Attend? This presentation is not just about identifying problems but providing actionable solutions. You’ll leave with a clear understanding of how to evaluate and improve your VPP Safety Committee, engage your team, and implement effective safety practices. Whether you’re a seasoned VPP professional or new to the program, this session offers valuable insights and practical tips to enhance your safety initiatives. Interactive Elements: Engaging Activities: Participate in interactive discussions and activities designed to foster collaboration and idea-sharing13. Q&A Session: Have your questions answered and gain further insights during the concluding Q&A session14. Don’t miss this opportunity to reinvigorate your VPP program and take your safety initiatives to the next level. Join us and be part of a transformative experience that will empower you and your team to achieve excellence in safety and engagement. I hope this course description excites you and your audience! If you need any more details or adjustments, feel free to let me know.
3:00pm – 4:00pm Workshops
- Hazard Analysis on Job Tasks – What is the best method?
In this Breakout Session we will discuss methods of performing Hazard Analysis on job tasks. We have all seen many ways to do this, the Job Safety Analysis (JSA), the Job Hazard Analysis (JHA), or even the Job Safety and Environmental Analysis (JSEA). In this Breakout Session we will discuss the ways to properly perform a Hazard Analysis on Job Tasks and review some examples. If you have an example, you are proud of, please bring it to our workshop to discuss. - Emerging Safety Leader Panel
Description to come. - Essentials of Machine Safety
If you’ve ever wondered whether your machine safety program is based on proven practices or simply luck, our course “Assessing Your Machine Safety Program” is the essential guide you need. The course is designed to shed light on the unique issues and challenges linked to machine safety, a critical but often mishandled component of EHS programs. The course guides you through the complexities of machine safety, covering everything from risk and compliance regulations to OEM design assumptions, machine specifications, technical processes, and management strategies, offering a clear route to success. Our machine safety trainer unit offers a hands-on demonstration highlighting visible and hidden hazards. This experience allows course attendees to engage directly with the material, making the learning process more impactful and effective. Led by industry experts Ryan Hayworth, a certified Electrical Safety Controls Engineer; Certified FS Engineer (TÜV Rheinland #16027/16, Machinery); and MPSA Division Manager John Guckin, this technical presentation is firmly rooted in hands-on experience and expertise. Their backgrounds in technical and process safety and machine safety applications lend depth and relevance to the material presented. Our method is twofold: We blend technical know-how with a management-process approach. Our aim is to equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to get started improving your machine safety program. We believe that no EHS leader should manage a machine or any safety program purely by luck. With this course, we aim to replace luck with facts, best practices, and structured processes that can be scaled and replicated across any industry. By the end of the course, you will be well-equipped to launch a well-managed, functional machine safety program capable of withstanding and overcoming challenges in your workplace - OSHA’s VPP Supplement B and How Do Contractors Fit
Description to come. - Advancing Safety Culture: From Compliance to Collective Responsibility
A strong safety culture is not built solely on policies, procedures, and compliance checklists—it thrives when every individual in an organization embraces safety as a shared responsibility. In today’s fast-paced and complex work environments, moving beyond mere compliance to a culture of collective responsibility is critical for achieving sustainable safety excellence. This session will explore the evolution of safety culture, the barriers that keep organizations stuck in a compliance mindset, and actionable strategies for fostering a deeply embedded sense of ownership at every level. Many organizations start their safety journey by focusing on regulatory compliance. While meeting legal requirements is essential, a compliance-driven approach often leads to a “check-the-box” mentality rather than genuine engagement. Workers may follow procedures out of obligation rather than conviction, limiting their proactive involvement in identifying hazards, preventing incidents, and continuously improving safety practices. The challenge is to shift from this compliance-based model to one where safety becomes a core value—woven into the fabric of how work is performed. At the heart of this transition is leadership. Leaders set the tone for safety culture by modeling behaviors, reinforcing expectations, and creating an environment where workers feel empowered to speak up and take action. This session will explore how leaders can transition from enforcers of rules to enablers of safe work by fostering trust, psychological safety, and open dialogue. We will discuss practical ways to encourage frontline engagement, including strategies such as perception surveys, behavior-based safety programs, and learning teams that place workers at the center of problem-solving. Additionally, this session will highlight the importance of interdependence—where safety is no longer just an individual responsibility but a collective effort. Moving toward an interdependent culture means that workers actively look out for one another, intervene when necessary, and collaborate to improve safety performance. Drawing on real-world examples and case studies, we will examine organizations that have successfully made this transition and the key takeaways from their journeys.
- 4:00pm – 5:00pm Honeywell Reception
- 6:00pm – 7:00pm Awards Ceremony and VIP Reception (Invitation Only)
Thursday, August 14
- 7:00am – 10:00am Registration
- 7:30am – 8:30am Continental Breakfast
- 7:30am – 8:30am Regional Meetings
8:30am – 9:30am Workshops
- Mastering Chemical Assessments Step-by-Step
Every year, there are ~2.6 million global work-related illness deaths of which ~40% are from chemical exposures. There are a few reasons for this. There are estimates that there are ~200 million chemical substances in existence; however, not all these substances have occupational exposure limits (OELs). In addition, there is a shortage of industrial hygienists trained to recognize chemical health hazards and how to monitor and measure them. Therefore, it is imperative that we equip all safety professionals with the skill set needed to master chemical assessments. So how do we protect the workforce from chemical exposures? We will walk through the industrial hygiene paradigm and the occupational health cycle to anticipate, recognize, evaluate, control, and confirm chemical hazards. There will be a discussion on how to grade a chemical using health hazard statements, chemical and physical properties and comparing existing exposure limits. There will be an overview of what variables are needed to do a qualitative assessment including how to factor in the hierarchy of controls. Based on the chemical qualitative assessment, there will be some guidance given on how to develop a chemical monitoring plan. There will be a brief discussion on the different types of chemical sampling methods and instruments used to quantify exposures and confirm controls along with their limitations. - NFPA 70E (2024)-Emphasis on Equipment Maintenance and PPE Best Practices Mitigate the Consequences of Human Error
The latest NFPA 70E (2024) standard edition emphasizes the importance of correctly assessing the condition of equipment maintenance and the use of appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to safeguard electrical workers from arc flash hazards. Accurate risk assessment – per Annex S of NFPA 70E, along with NFPA 70B, which both provide guidance on establishing a well-maintained equipment condition minimizes likelihood of arc flash occurrence and ensures accurate incident energy/PPE Category information on electrical equipment labels. Accurate equipment labels dictate appropriate PPE selection. PPE selection also includes assessing the condition of an organization’s PPE-FR, arc rated clothing program! Is your current arc flash body PPE task based or daily wear? If utilizing FR, arc rated daily wear clothing, is the FR/AR clothing being utilized inconsistently like task bask based PPE because the FR/AR clothing is deemed uncomfortable and is not worn consistently and correctly? Per NFPA 70E, the risk assessment procedure shall address the potential for human error and its negative consequences and PPE selection (or lack thereof) is impacted by human performance! Comfort = Protection as PPE cannot protect if it’s not worn consistently and properly! If the daily wear clothing is comfortable, it will be worn which will mitigate the consequences of human error. Discover the role of human performance (Annex Q of NFPA 70E) and the condition of equipment maintenance (Annex S of NFPA 70E) on incident occurrence likelihood and severity of injury mitigation. Improve your organization’s arc flash risk assessment accuracy (emphasis on condition of maintenance) to reduce likelihood of occurrence and “best practice” PPE selection (emphasis on sustainable, comfortable, properly arc rated clothing) to mitigate severity of injury should an arc flash occur! - Serious Injuries & Fatalities: Navigating the Definitions and Prevention through Cultural Change
Efforts to reduce serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs) are often influenced by the identification and classification of SIF events. How organizations choose to define serious injuries has an impact on injury tracking and the measures taken to help prevent future incidents. There are several ways of categorizing SIFs that vary in scope and application. Understanding the differences can help safety professionals navigate the nuances and elevate injury prevention strategies to protect workers. This session will provide an overview of some common SIF definitions, with a special focus on OSHA’s SIF definition and ASTM’s more granular Level-One injuries criteria to highlight the similarities and the differences between the two. To drive home this point, the presenter will share insights from SIF data collected from over 55,000 U.S. companies that was analyzed using both OSHA’s SIF definition and ASTM’s Level-One injury criteria. The data will showcase trends to inform data-driven decision making for safety professionals. The data analyses will also explore common SIF trends in various industries. Equipped with an expanded view of SIF definitions, attendees will then be presented with the role human and organizational performance can play in helping reduce serious injuries and fatalities. Health and safety practices often focus on enforcing policies and procedures and sideline the importance of human behavior and its role in bringing about cultural change. Attendees can expect to leave with a greater appreciation for the human and organizational factors that contribute to cultural change for safer work environments. - Communicating Change: Proven Strategies to Navigate Change with Ease
Change is challenging, but it doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Research shows that change disrupts our brain’s wiring, triggering resistance and uncertainty. With the right strategies, leaders and teams can transform these challenges into opportunities for growth. This session explores the neuroscience behind change, helping participants understand natural reactions and enabling them to lead with clarity and compassion. We’ll introduce an 8-part framework to help navigate change effectively. Attendees will discover how to set a strong foundation for the change, communicate in ways that inspire buy-in, and reduce resistance. They will also learn how to ensure successful implementation and long-term alignment. Packed with practical tools, real-world case studies, and actionable insights, this session equips you to guide your organization through transitions with confidence. Whether managing large or small-scale changes, you’ll gain strategies to foster trust, collaboration, and success—helping your team not just adapt to change but thrive through it. - “Can you Dig it” (Safely?)
2022 was a deadly year for working in trenches in the US. Fatality rates more than doubled from the previous year. Was there a common thread or theme in those fatalities we can learn from? Let’s review what it takes to work in trenches safely and dig into the reports to identify the gaps that led to so many tragedies.
9:45am – 10:45am Workshops
- The Industrial Athlete: Mindset Tools For Safety, Resiliency and Self-Mastery
Industrial athletes have been defined as the men and women of the construction and general industry who perform services with high physical demand, using strength, endurance, flexibility, and coordination. However, like any high performing athlete, the industrial athlete mindset understands that in addition to the physical demands of the trade, equal time energy and training must be spent on training their mental strength, endurance and flexibility. All too often the majority of all employee training is centered on the physical skills, but 99% of how we perform when stakes are high (game day or on the jobsite) is how mentally conditioned we are. Come explore the coaching tools and techniques that will make you a stronger Industrial Athlete and Coach who understands the importance of a “People First” approach to your work and all aspects of your life. Come gain some real time tools and strategies to improve your performance in the emotional intelligence space. Don’t skip this workout! - Follow the Leader- The Importance of Active Management Engagement in the VPP Process
The importance of actively engaged management cannot be stressed enough for VPP sites. In this session, we will discuss the requirements for management leadership from Section I of the VPP worksheet and the value of actively engaged leadership in safety and health management systems. This leads to stronger employee engagement and an overall safer worksite. Testimonies from managers and observations from worksite visits will highlight the value of true management commitment. - Are Contractors the Weakest Link?
Are contractors the weakest link? How easy is it to blame the contractors for their mistakes and incidents? During our root cause analysis do we truly investigate our contractor program, our onboarding process of contractors for site requirements, do they have a point of contact, is the job scope specific? Most importantly do we verify they have a robust safety program. When we have incidents, do we really look at the whole picture or do we just say it was a contractor error?
- 11:00am – 12:00pm Closing Keynote
12:45pm – 2:45pm Deep Dive Session
- Confined Space
Did you know that 89% of confined space fatalities occurred with jobs authorized by supervisors, and 80% of fatalities happened in locations that have been previously entered by the same person who later died? You may be able to enter an enclosed space, but could you get back out safely? This training will help you understand the hazards associated with confined spaces and the procedures your employer has in place to protect you and those around you. It can make the difference between life and death!
Upon course completion, you’ll be able to:
• Understand the hazards associated with confined spaces and the procedures your employer has in place to protect you and those around you.
• Analyze and address the dangers of a permit-required confined space.
• Understand the risks of confined space entry to properly mitigate them.
12:45pm – 4:45pm Deep Dive Session
- From Ignored to Impactful to Engaging – Transforming Safety Communication
“I can’t get them to listen to me!!!” Safety professionals often face the challenge of ensuring their critical messages are heard and acted upon. They also experience the frustration of feeling like they are not being heard. Despite everyone acknowledging that safety is important, it can be difficult to capture the attention and commitment of employees along with middle and upper management. This presentation delves into the common obstacles that safety professionals encounter when communicating safety measures and provides actionable strategies to overcome these barriers. We will explore practices rooted in Dale Carnegie principles and teaching methodology to understand why safety messages are frequently ignored and how to transform these messages into impactful calls to action. Attendees will learn how to craft compelling safety communications, utilize storytelling to make safety relatable, and leverage various channels and formats to maximize reach and engagement. Through real-world examples and interactive discussions, this session aims to equip safety professionals with the tools needed to not only deliver their messages effectively but also to foster a culture of safety that resonates throughout the organization. Join us to discover how you can move from being ignored to making a lasting impact that engages your workforce and workplace’s safety culture. Learning Objectives • Identify and practice key principles for building connection and rapport • Demonstrate skills for engaging and connecting with an audience. • Integrate storytelling techniques into communication and presentations. • Learn techniques to transform presentations from being numbing to being memorable