9:00 am – 10:00 am
Duncan Room
Learn how AI is changing behaviors by coaching next level safety efforts. See real video evidence of injury prevention and learn solutions to identify predetermined conditions, actions, and behaviors that are leading indicators of injuries. With Paul’s 30+ years of practical safety experience he will show how this technology can be added to new and/or antiquated equipment, machines, facilities and even construction sites. These solutions ALERT workers via audio and visual devices, causing them to check and change their activities B-E-F-O-R-E an injury occurs.
Paul Thurber
VP/GM of Manufacturing & Safety, Everguard.ai
9:00 am – 10:00 am
Owens Amphitheater
Prior to COVID-19, many of us were already feeling “stressed” out. For some of us, today’s ever-changing ‘rules of the game’ have not made life more comforting. This session will allow us to reflect on what stress is and how we can move beyond merely coping with it. The audience will be afforded several opportunities to provide input at various stages of the presentation plus walk away with some techniques and strategies they can implement upon completion. Everyone who attends this session is highly encouraged to download and review the workbook prior to the commencement of this session.
Dr. John Gaal, CPS, CHW-C, LAP-C
Director – Worker Wellness, Missouri Works Initiative
9:00 am – 10:00 am
Grason Room
Commercial vehicle inspections are a critical component in ensuring road safety, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency within the transportation industry. These inspections involve systematic evaluations of vehicles such as trucks, buses, and vans to identify mechanical issues, ensure adherence to safety standards, and verify proper documentation. Conducted at various levels—ranging from routine fleet maintenance checks to government-mandated roadside and facility audits—these inspections play a vital role in preventing accidents caused by equipment failure and non-compliance.
Christopher Chatfield
MD State Police
9:00 am – 10:00 am
Lindsay Ballroom
With many offices having four to five different generations working together, this can be difficult. In this training, we will discuss trends of each generation, including how they prefer to work and how they prefer to communicate. Participants will leave with information regarding each generation’s preferences, best practices, and prompts to start better communicating in their departments and teams.
Kristy Shinn, MS, CIT
Training & Development Manager, RETTEW
Duncan Room
Explore how AI backed camera systems are revolutionizing workplace behaviors on construction sites and in manufacturing and distribution facilities. Travis brings his expertise in video surveillance systems to solve any business issue including identifying unsafe equipment and worker behaviors.
Attendees will learn how real-time video analytics can detect risks such as PPE non-compliance, falls, unsafe behaviors, and vehicle-pedestrian conflicts—BEFORE incidents occur.
Learn proactive safety management by providing instant alerts, automated reporting, and deep insights into operational risk and ultimately make the work more efficient and SAFER.
Travis Griffin
Senior Vice President of Operations, SECOM
Owens Amphitheater
Discover how your Experience Modification Rating (EMR) directly impacts your bottom line—and how to take control of it. This session explores the key factors that influence your EMR and provides strategies to improve it. Learn how to identify hidden costs, compare what you’re currently paying to what you could be paying, and uncover the financial benefits of managing these factors. Don’t leave money on the table—find it in your safety program.
Jeffrey Hixon, CRM, ALCM
Director, Loss Prevention, AssuredPartners
Grason Room
Chemical exposures causing hearing loss is a relatively newly discovered safety hazard. Scores of chemicals have now been determined to cause hearing loss in humans. This hearing loss can occur completely void of noise exposures or synergistically when chemical exposures are coupled with noise exposures. With new information and data from recent years, employers must start identifying these chemicals in their workplace and implement hearing conservation programs for employees who are exposed to Ototoxic Chemicals. Special emphasis needs to be placed on the medical surveillance of employees who are exposed to both ototoxic chemical and noise exposures in the workplace. Uncontrolled ototoxic chemical exposures can have drastic impacts on Total Worker Health and cause a severe detriment to safe and efficient workplace operations.
Eric Littlefield, MS, CSP, REP
EHS Director, Triumvirate Environmental
Lindsay Ballroom
In fast-paced, high-risk environments, “clear enough” communication can be dangerous. With growing linguistically diverse crews in the Chesapeake region, even simple commands or safety briefings can be misunderstood. This session explores how communication breakdowns are quietly becoming a top safety concern and how leaders can adopt straightforward, bilingual–ready practices to reduce rework, prevent incidents, and build trust.
Monique Lewis
Corporate Language Trainer, Next 2 Native Language Learning
Duncan Room
As the construction industry faces mounting complexity, operational risks, and regulatory demands, daily planning conversations remain one of the most critical—yet often underutilized—tools for improving safety, reliability, and team performance. This session introduces a new approach that combines AI-powered technology with proven leadership and communication practices to transform daily planning into a strategic opportunity for alignment, learning, and continuous improvement.
Barry Nelson of FactorLab will demonstrate how leading contractors are using AI, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and “game tape” analytics to improve the quality of safety planning conversations—giving safety leaders and field teams real-time insights to detect issues early, foster authentic engagement, and create a collaborative environment where best practices are continuously shared and evolved.
Attendees will learn how these innovations provide leaders with greater visibility into day-to-day operations, creating opportunities to reward, recognize, and coach frontline performance, and build a solid foundation for a more proactive and resilient safety culture.
Barry Nelson
CEO & President, FactorLab
Owens Amphitheater
In this presentation, James Woodward Sr. will detail how his organization has been able to incorporate an effective leading indicator program into their safety management system. He will review lagging indicators and the role that they play in the industry, and provide the specific components of his organization’s leading indicator program that have proven to be effective. In addition, he will show data to support the effectiveness of using leading indicators to improve upon traditional lagging metrics. There will also be a discussion on behavior-based safety, human and organizational performance, new-view of safety, and the ANSI Z16.1-2022 standard, and the role that they play in developing an effective program.
James Woodward Sr., MS
Safety Director, McLean
Grason Room
On a daily basis, lone workers face a unique, dynamic, and high-risk set of health and safety hazards. If you are responsible for lone worker safety in your organization, then your goal should be to implement a carefully considered and rigorous lone worker safety program. Lone workers inherently face greater health and safety risks because, in the event of an emergency, no one else is around to help. This session will answer questions on Lone Worker Safety and offer Solutions on how to protect your employees.
Eugene Scherer
Director of Services, DiVal Safety Equipment Inc
Lindsay Ballroom
Explore the foundations of effective safety and health management systems, offering practical insights into identifying and mitigating workplace risks. Drawing on current workplace statistics and trends, he will demonstrate how organizations can move beyond mere regulatory compliance to build proactive, performance-driven programs. Attendees will gain actionable strategies to enhance safety outcomes, foster a culture of continuous improvement, and drive long-term organizational success.
Nicholas DeJesse, MS
President/Owner, DeJesse Consultation Services, LLC
Save on Attendee Registration and Exhibitor Booths by registering by July 31, 2026!
