Expanding the Profession of Safety Management in a New Era

Aug. 26, 2003
The National Safety Management Society (NSMS) will examine the new frontiers facing safety managers at its conference at Chicago's Palmer House Hilton on Sept. 10-11.

The conference opens Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. with an awards ceremony to recognize and honor safety professionals who have founded and promoted the modern safety management movement. Awards of recognition will be presented by NSMS, NSMS Golden Gate Chapter and the West Virginia University Student Chapter of the NSMS.

NSMS award recipients include W. C. Pope, Frank E. Bird Jr., Bob LeClerg, Goeffrey M. Hertzel, C. Everett Marcum and Stephen G. Minter, editor of Occupational Hazards magazine. Golden Gate Chapter award recipients are Macondray Steiger and Michael Warning. The WVU Student Chapter will recognize Mark A. Friend, Julius Jimeno, Jeff Lester, Jerry Oakley, Anthony Veltri, Fredric D. Rine, Doris Morgan and Robert Trinkleback

Featured speakers at the educational conference, held Thursday, Sept. 11, includes some of the best the safety profession has to offer.

At 9 a.m. on Thursday, Robert Pater makes the case for "Taking Safety Leadership to the Next Level." This is a critical time in the safety profession, he notes. "The opportunity to fulfill safety's mission even job survival may depend upon the strategy, approach and communications safety leaders create," he says. This seminar is designed to provoke thought and planning that will enhance the safety professional's strength and effectiveness during challenging and cost-cutting times. Sample topics include "Safety Leadership Do's," "Safety Leadership Don'ts," Planning for the Unexpected in a Changing World," "Developing Support Lines to Activate change" and "Maximizing the Odds of Programmatic Success."

A Professional Safety Management Forum will be held at 10 a.m. The forum speakers will speak on current issues that affect safety managers in the private sector. Speakers and topics include:

  • Jeffrey Lester: The Changing Role for the Transportation Safety Manager - This seminar provides information concerning the new DOT Regulation that addresses hours of service for commercial vehicle drivers and its impact on safety management. In addition to discussing these new changes, this session will also address the changing role of safety managers as it relates to security issues.
  • Julius Jimeno: The Safety Manager in a Global Economy - The regional integration that is now shaping the social, political, legal and economic landscapes of the Americas is creating both risks and opportunities in the improvement of working conditions across the Western Hemisphere. This presentation will focus on the emerging safety, health and environmental protection challenges that directly impact regional cooperation and economic development in the Americas. Jimeno will focus on common problems, opportunities and potential challenges for occupational safety and health managers.
  • Robert W. Trinkleback: The Safety Management Professional's Increasing Value in Tough Economic Times - The days of guaranteed cost insurance programs when corporations were not concerned about their property and casualty losses are gone. Post 9/11 awareness and a hard insurance market has almost required corporations to take on more financial risk in the form of higher self insurance retentions. Learn what it takes to win over senior management that the role of the safety professional is the key to controlling and lowering insurance costs (i.e.. adding value).
  • Fred Rine: The Future Role of the Safety Consultant - This seminar is specifically designed to focus on the role of consulting as it relates to the future of safety and health professionals. Discussion topics include the changing responsibilities of the safety and health professional, out sourcing and down sizing, the future of technology, and globalization.

Following lunch, a 1:15 p.m. session features Stephen Minter, who will discuss the National Safety Survey conducted by Occupational Hazards magazine. This survey of more than 800 safety and health professionals offers insights into what they are doing, how their jobs are changing, what steps they are taking to improve their companies safety programs, and how they see the safety profession evolving over the next 10 years

At 2:15 p.m., another Professional Safety Management Forum will feature speakers who will talk about current issues that affect safety managers in the fields of education and technology. Speakers and topics include:

  • Anthony Veltri: A New ESH Graduate Level Curriculum: Creating a Compelling Learning Experience - This presentation will focus on the new Ph.D., M.S., and graduate certificate programs in Environmental Health and Safety at Oregon State University. Special attention will be placed on the rationale for the change, the curriculum strategy and structure and sample of the course titles, descriptions and instructional content areas. In addition, a model depicting a unique tools set for making the business case for ESH will be presented.
  • Gerald Oakley: EPA's Plan for Implementing Effective Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and the Subsequent Impact on (Safety & Health Programs) - This is an overview of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) strategic plan for the development and implementation of EMS at 35 of its offices and laboratories. Executive Order 13148, "Greening the Government through Leadership in Environmental Management" requires that all federal departments and agencies establish an EMS at all "appropriate" facilities prior to December 2005. EPA has taken a unique approach to accomplish this effort and to minimize the impact of its own operations on the environment. Oakley will describe the steps taken, materials developed, and the management commitment cultivated that has enabled EPA to take a leadership role on EMS within the federal community. In addition, Oakley will discuss the subsequent impact (pro and con) that the EMS process is having on safety and health programs and the joint EPA/DOL (OSHA) initiative to integrate these programs throughout the federal government.
  • Mark A. Friend: Safety Management Education: Challenges and Solutions - The face of safety will change radically in the next few years due to rapid improvements in technlogy. Global positioning systems (GPS) and the integration of information into every science and engineering-related discipline may have the greatest impact. Application of GPS and related technology will be discussed.

Alan Larson wraps up the conference at 3:45 p.m. with a discussion of "Successful Professional Chapters... Elements for Success." The session will review the plans, practices and philosophy behind recognized success of a long standing and well known professional society chapter. What attracts attendance, participation in events and activites, and provides service to our profession? How does the chapter attract and retain officers, committee chairs and volunteers? Larson will share the experience of the Golden Gate Chapter of NSMS and other society chapters through the years.

For more information about the conference or registration information, visit the NSMS Web site at www.nsms.us/pages/conference03.html.

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