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The source for safety and health professionals to find "infinite solutions" to workplace challenges is this year''s National Safety Council''s (NSC) Congress & Expo 2000 from Oct. 16-18, in Orlando, Fla.
The "infinite solutions" theme is the centerpiece of this event, combining the annual NSC meeting, technical sessions, professional development seminars and the Expo.
Headlining the opening keynote session Monday, Oct. 16 will be NSC President Gerard Scannell. Scannell will unveil an "insider'' look" at where the safety industry is headed in the new millennium. Plus, satirical group the Capitol Steps will perform musical parodies and other comical routines.
Following the opening session at 9:45 a.m., the first session in a premier forum on Hispanic safety, health and the environment will focus on safety in agriculture. The forum will address pressing safety, health and environmental protection needs of the Hispanic community, not only in the United States but also in Central and South America and the Caribbean Basin. Other forum topics from Monday to Wednesday include safety in construction, asbestos abatement, highway safety and occupational risks in traffic accidents.
Technical sessions begin at 10 a.m. Monday. Morning session topics covered feature behavior-based safety, ergonomics, mine safety, industrial hygiene, fall protection, hearing conservation and emergency response.
Corporate leaders will discuss what it takes to have an exemplary safety program from the top down at Monday afternoon''s keynote address.
The "Corporate Leaders Forum," moderated by 20/20''s John Stossel, will include Mark C. Lorenz; vice president, operations and logistics for Delphi Automotive Systems; Leo Pasini, president of Fisher Tank Co.; and James L. Hawk, vice president of manufacturing for Yokohma Tire Corp.
OSHA Deputy Assistant Secretary R. Davis Layne will moderate Tuesday''s occupational keynote at 8 a.m. Attendees will hear from a panel of OSHA executives on OSHA standards, enforcement and Voluntary Protection Programs partnerships.
Morning technical sessions start at 10. "Employee Participation in Your Safety and Health Program" features a panel with employer, union and OSHA representatives discussing how employees can have meaningful involvement in health and safety.
Other morning sessions include "Eliminating a ''Fear Environment,''" "Traffic Work Zone Safety," "Guide for Managing Contractor Safety" and "Emergency Response to a Spill Incident and Recovery."
The afternoon''s plenary sessions include "Worker Restriction Protection in the OSHA Ergonomics Standard: Necessary or a Worker Scam?" A panel of experts will discuss employee safety committees and similar employee involvement programs in this contradictory framework.
Web-based training, risk assessment, pesticides, contractor liability, fall prevention, respirators, risk management and problem solving are among the afternoon''s many technical session topics.
Attendees will have their choice of three plenary sessions at 8 a.m. Wednesday.
Get "just the facts" on climate, weather, safety and health from Joe Friday, director of the Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate.
A panel of experts will discuss safety concerns and training required for an aging work force in an industrial and public employee setting in "Concerns for an Aging Workforce."
The third plenary session, "New Federal Agency Focuses on Truck and Bus Safety," will look at how the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration plans to reach its goal of reducing truck and bus fatalities by 50 percent in the next 10 years.
Wednesday technical sessions begin at 10 a.m. Deborah DiBenedetto, president of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, will focus on principles of integrated disability case management as they apply to workers'' compensation and disability cases.
"Update on OSHA Training Requirements" will review the latest training requirements on such issues as ergonomics, respiratory protection, forklifts, and recordkeeping. "Workplace Violence and You" will show attendees how understanding the complexities of workplace violence is the key to overcoming the problem. This session addresses how to identify rage buildup, how to cope with it and how to prevent it.
Afternoon technical session topics include workplace drug testing, laser safety, risk control, global behavioral safety and forklift operator training.
A panel of experts will attempt to explore issues surrounding the development of the draft ANSI Z590 standard in "Are You a Safety Professional? What Will Z590 Say?" Panel experts include Tom Lawrence, principal for RRS Engineering; Don Robinson, Ph.D., director environmental health and safety at the University of Massachusetts; Jim Howe, United Auto Workers International; Pat Conroy, president of King & Neel Consulting; and Tim Fisher, manager of professional affairs and standards for American Society of Safety Engineers.
Thirty-three professional development seminars will take place before and after the conference from Friday, Oct. 13 to Sunday, Oct. 15 and from Thursday, Oct. 19 to Friday, Oct. 20. These daylong workshops include "Certified Safety Professional Examination Preparation," "Incident Investigation: A Management Approach," "Coaching the Lift Truck Operator," "Safety Management Leadership" and "Safety Through Design: Principles and Practices."
NSC also gives attendees the opportunity to view more than 800 companies offering the newest safety, health and environmental products and services.
Exposition hours are Monday, Oct. 16 , and Tuesday, Oct. 17, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday, Oct. 20 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Visit Occupational Hazards at Booth 2013. Not going to the show? Log on to www.occupationalhazards.com starting Monday and get live, daily updates from the conference on technical sessions and special events.
by Virginia Sutcliffe