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Safety Leadership

Safety+ 2025 Preview: Continuous Improvement in Health and Safety

July 11, 2025

Chris Williams explains the role VPPPA plays in the workplace safety arena, and offers a preview of the upcoming Safety+ Symposium.

Dave Blanchard

Chris Williams, executive director of the Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association (VPPPA), offers a preview of the upcoming Safety+ Symposium, to be held August 11-14 in St. Louis. This annual event provides attendees with the opportunity to see safety from all angles and better understand its role in the modern workplace. EHS Today's Safety Leadership Conference is an official media sponsor of this event.

In this podcast interview, Williams explains what the VPPPA’s mission is, particularly when it comes to helping companies achieve the VPP Star certification from OSHA. He also outlines the program that VPPPA is planning for its annual Safety+ show, and offers some tantalizing hints as to some forthcoming announcements from OSHA.

Chris Williams, executive director of the VPPPA

About the Author

Dave Blanchard | Editor-in-Chief / Senior Director of Content

During his career Dave Blanchard has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. Prior to joining Endeavor/Informa/Penton, he spent a decade covering the artificial intelligence industry. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.