Sending employees home in the same condition than which they arrived for their shift - its what every business strives for. But how do we actually achieve this objective?

Building on the principles of OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program, the Journey Toward Safety Excellence identifies the key components on the roadmap to building and sustaining your site's safety and health management system. Using the core elements of VPP along with lessons learned from sites and companies who have achieved VPP status, this presentation will arm attendees with a better understanding of the pathway toward building a culture where employee involvement and management commitment drive continuous improvement across the board.

This presentation tackles the most common and severe industrial hazards: struck-by and caught-in incidents, amputation prevention through safeguarding power transmission apparatus and points of operation, and identifying hazardous movements of end effectors, piece-parts, and equipment in automated processes. We will cover risk measurement, implementing effective primary and complementary controls, and validating those controls for maximum effectiveness. The session introduces a proactive blueprint, establishing timeliness and an order of operations for hazard detection-from conceptual design through initial implementation, pre-production validation, and ongoing intervals. We will review risk management processes, including assessment formats and structured team involvement, define key focus areas such as equipment inventory, hazard identification and risk measurement, and outline strategies for mitigation. Finally, we will examine Safety Management Systems (SMS) checks and balances to ensure validation and repeatability, maintaining long-term safety integrity.

Roughly 98% of all fatal electrical incidents are from electrical shock. This is due to commonly misapplying the NFPA 70E standard or the workers not truly understanding what the standard is really asking of them. In this workshop we will explore these common misconceptions, and how we can better explain to the workers on what they need to do to be safe when working near or on electrical equipment, whether they are in a facility or on a construction site.

Industrial workplaces in all sectors are familiar with industrial hygiene sampling. Done by a consultant or in-house, it proceeds in a similar manner: a scope is created, sampling equipment/media is secured, and monitoring occurs over one or more shifts. The results are received from the laboratory and are below the exposure limits. Is all well? Sometimes the reason the results were good is that the wrong chemicals were assessed. This is not the fault of those in charge of monitoring...SDSs can omit critical information, unknown reaction products can be created, or processes unknowingly changed. In my 20+ years of industrial hygiene sampling I've encountered many surprises that initially seemed absurd, but in hindsight made perfect sense. My hope is to present case studies that show such results so that safety professionals can apply the knowledge to their own companies.

This presentation will introduce a software platform using Computer Vision and  AI technologies to enhance existing safety efforts. These “NEXT LEVEL” safety opportunities will be demonstrated via real video evidence. Solutions will be shared that were designed to identify predetermined conditions, actions, and behaviors that are leading indicators of injuries, which can be added to new and/or antiquated equipment, machines, and facilities alike.  These solutions ALERT workers via audio and visual devices, causing them to check and change their activities BEFORE an injury occurs.

Item descriptioTo keep up with evolving technologies and related equipment in the fall protection industry, the ANSI/ASSP Z359 standards - or Fall Protection Code - are continuously advancing to provide organizations with best practices. During this session, attendees will learn how recent and upcoming changes to Z359 standards will impact an organizations fall protection program. The presenter - the Past Chair of the ANSI/ASSP Z359 Committee - will provide an overview of the standards, key changes in the updated documents, and recommended ways to implement this new information. Safety professionals can use this overview to determine the best strategy for applying the new information to reduce risk for workers at heights.n

Ladders have long been a common tool, but under today's safety standards, they carry new responsibilities. OSHA's update to Subpart D requires fall protection on any fixed ladder that extends 24 feet or more above a lower level - including continuous runs across multiple sections. This session explains what the regulation means for facility managers and safety professionals responsible for work at height. We'll focus on practical compliance: assessing existing ladders, planning updates before the 2036 deadline, and avoiding costly mistakes. Attendees will examine the difference between traditional cages and modern fall protection systems - and why OSHA is moving away from outdated designs. We'll also discuss retrofit feasibility, when replacement makes more sense, and how to improve safety without disrupting operations or draining budgets. Whether you oversee a few ladders or many you'll leave with clear guidance to move forward confidently and protect your workforce.

In a stand alone 50-minute session, participants will hear a high-level overview of psychological safety and mental health in construction. Drawing on Clayco/Concrete Strategies' research backed mental health studies (2024-2026) alongside broader industry-backed data, participants will hear key trends impacting workforce well-being. Attendees will learn to recognize early indicators of team stress, apply best practices for fostering trust and communication on the job sites, and take actionable steps to improve psychological safety in the field.

In this focused 50 - minute workshop, participants will dive into the critical topics of psychological safety and mental health in construction. The session begins with a concise overview of the mental health a relevant and actionable priority on site. Attendees will learn how to lead effective mental health toolbox talks and gain practical techniques for conducting meaningful one-on-one conversations that foster psychological safety. Through interactive discussion and real-world examples, participants will leave with tangible tools they can immediately apply to create healthier, more open work environments.