Safety Summit Features Three Keynoters, Exec. Panel
Three business keynotes, an emotionally charged guest presentation and a panel discussion featuring industry executives highlight the agenda for TRSA’s Safety Summit, May 21-22, in Indianapolis.
The heart of the program consists of breakout sessions where attendees will collaborate on new solutions to persistent risks, such as driver safety, ergonomics, bloodborne pathogens and hazard communication. Industry leaders will facilitate these interactive discussions to develop best practices and policies. The goal is to produce tangible, immediately applicable tactics that participants will use to enhance their companies’ safety cultures.
The guest presenter:
“Campaigning from the Heart for Cell Phone-Free Driving,” Jacy Good, Hang Up and Drive, New York. In 2008, Good miraculously recovered from a crash caused by a distracted driver that claimed the lives of both her parents and put her in the hospital for four months. She is unable to use her left arm or lower leg, and has minor lingering cognitive issues. Still, she and husband Steve Johnson have spoken at more than 100 events across the country to nearly 100,000 people, encouraging the public to make safer choices and urging legislators to outlaw all cell phone use in cars, even hands-free. Her specific value to TRSA: prompting Summit attendees to rethink their companies’ mobile policies (or implement them) and compel enforcement of these policies.
The keynotes:
“Driving Profitability While Protecting Your Employees' Safety and Well Being,” Todd Hohn, VP, strategic resources, UL PureSafety, Franklin, TN. Developing a total solutions approach to safety, health and wellness is becoming essential to business survival. Underwriters Laboratories’ (UL) consulting unithelps companies in various industries implement such an approach. UL developssafety standards and helps businesses create safer products and services; you see the UL insignia on almost every electric device you own. Summit participants will discover how UL’s expertise applies to your company’s challenges in improving productivity, complying with regulations and training staff.
"Gribbins Insulation: America’s Safest Company Honoree," Jim Gribbins, CEO, Indianapolis, IN. Distinguished by EHS Today as one of the nation’s best, Gribbins factors safety into every decision made by management, administrators, foremen and all field employees. No one gets job training until they pass safety training first. Every day, foremen conduct hazard analyses and assign tasks and conduct weekly meetings related to these. Bulletins are sent out monthly. Gribbins will discuss routines as well as additional formalities such as mentoring for new employees, CPR/first aid classes and required retraining if policies are violated.
“Hiring Healthy People and Keeping them Healthy,” Roslyn Stone, COO, Corporate Wellness Inc., Stamford, CT. Employees who are on their feet all day operating machinery and transporting goods have a better chance to succeed if they are assessed as job candidates via preplacement physical examinations, drug screens and well-designed physical agility tests. Once on board, they are more likely to prosper if their employers offer a comprehensive drug-free workplace program, carefully selected wellness initiatives and a rapid system for getting good medical information to employees as needed. The presentation will show how such tactics comprise the most direct route to exceptional business performance.
The industry executive panel will discuss the importance of top-down management commitment to the development of a safety culture with continuous improvement and an objective of zero incidents. Panelists include:
- Eric Brady, Brady Linen Services, Las Vegas
- Dan Braun, Cintas Corp., Mason, OH
- John Ross, Mission Linen Supply, Santa Barbara, CA
- Bob Connolly, Prudential Overall Supply, Irvine, CA
- Ed McCauley, United Hospital Services, Indianapolis
- Rob Potack, Unitex Textile Rental Services, Mt. Vernon, NY