Keynote / Opening Session - Eric Giguere

Safety Awareness Solutions, The Buried Truth Uncovered

Learning Objectives

• Learn that an accident only takes a second to happen and a lifetime to overcome.
• Understand the importance of damage prevention.
• Know what safety procedures to follow to prevent devastating accidents.

The cost of workplace injuries: learning from 25 years of the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index

Workplace safety has come a long way to reduce injury rates in the United States. Vigilance remains needed, however, to achieve further reductions for the good of society and to address rising costs that negatively impact workers and business performance. The Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index has estimated the national burden of disabling non-fatal workplace injury for 25 years, providing insights on the top causes of loss. This presentation will describe the Workplace Safety Index, trends uncovered from 25 years of publication, its value to industry and society, and strategies to help reduce risk going forward.

Learning Objectives: 

• Understand the sources of workplace injury cost at a national scale
• Learn strategies to help combat workplace injury risk.

OSHA Enforcement Predictions for 2025-2026 and Beyond: Key Workplace Safety Focus Areas, Strategies for Compliance and the Use of AI 

This presentation will address current and predicted OSHA enforcement trends and workplace safety focus areas, and strategies for safety professionals and businesses to ensure compliance.  From evolving enforcement campaigns on heat illness prevention to ergonomics, to new rules for personal protective equipment and infectious diseases, OSHA continues to regulate and target new areas of concern for workplace safety professionals.  These enforcement trends highlight the growing need for safety professionals to support employers with enhancing worker safety programs and practices, ultimately ensuring OSHA compliance in addition to reducing injuries.  You will learn what to expect in key areas of OSHA enforcement, and what safety professionals and businesses can do to prepare for these quickly evolving regulatory changes.

We will also consider the use of AI on both the OSHA enforcement side to conduct walkaround inspections, as well as on the business side to identify potential workplace safety hazards.  With new real-time safety technologies being advanced through AI, safety professionals and businesses should be aware of the safety and health advantages, and OSHA compliance and exposure risks, associated with the use of AI in their operations.

Learning Objectives: 

• Learn about OSHA’s enforcement priorities for 2025-2026 and beyond.
• Understand the changes to workplace safety regulations and how they impact safety obligations.
• Discuss strategies for enhancing worker safety and compliance with OSHA’s evolving standards.
• Understand the benefits and risks of using AI in your operations.

The Ripple Effect: How Workplace Safety Effects Those We Love Most

Kayla Rath was nine years old when her father, Brad Livingston, was injured on the job. Kayla's presentation is a personal recounting of the impact her dad's accident had on her family. She walks the audience through the moments when she first learned of the accident, to the evening when she and her sisters learned how badly he had been injured, to the first time she walked up to his bedside and listened to the beeping of the machines keeping him alive.

Kayla then describes growing up with a handicapped dad, and all the ways her life had to adjust to accommodate his needs, rather than her wants. The audience will hear of Kayla’s mental battle to overcome anger and improper blame, what it was like for herself and her two sisters as they grew up with a handicapped father and how the effects of the accident still impact her life today.

Kayla's presentation will challenge attendees to consider their own family, and will move what is known in our heads to be true, to our hearts, where we hold those who will be most affected by the safety choices we make each and every day.

Learning Objectives

• Familial impact of safety
• Accountability to coworkers in everyday working environment
• Positive forward-thinking in tense situations

Early Utilization of Therapy Leading to Reduced Workers' Compensation Costs

Discuss Bureau of Labor Statistics Work Related Injury and Illness data.  The phases of healing, review research of spinal imaging, discussion on whether surgery is appropriate and the benefits of early utilization of physical and occupational therapy will be covered. In addition, the opioid epidemic will be discussed as it relates to workers’ compensation.

Learning Objectives:

• Review benefits of early utilization of physical and occupational therapy for return to work. 
• Introduce Modern Pain Movement and Biopsychosocial model. 
• Review research on spinal imaging. 
• Compare outcomes with surgery and medicine vs. PT. 
• Review research supporting early PT and OT. 
• Explore effective utilization management to drive outcomes

Continuously Improving Safety Performance with Human & Organizational Performance Fundamentals

A systematic approach toward safety performance is a valuable strategy for any organization. A five-part safety performance model is presented. It is based on the philosophy that Human Performance Tools reduce errors & risks to Hazards and Defenses (Hazard Mitigation Controls) eliminate events of  consequence. Tools are focused on behaviors. Defenses “defend” against events when errors occur, or risks are taken. The systematic approach consists of the following:

• Organizational Behaviors – the culture / climate of the organization.
• Programs, Processes, Procedures, and Training –the foundation to achieve production and safety goals.
• Hazard Risk Assessment - A risk assessment where mitigation controls, barriers, and oversight are needed to either eliminate or reduce the likelihood of an error or this risk to hazards.
• Leader/Team Behaviors – Leaders are not just hierarchical (e.g., by title). Leaders are anyone willing to step up, even in the face of adversity, to do the right thing. Leaders influence every part of the systematic approach to safety performance. Teamwork is determined by how people are treated by its members, both by the supervisor and by peers.
• Individual Behaviors - The word Individual can be defined as “being or characteristic of a single thing or person.” We focus on the individual when we want to reduce errors.

Learning Objectives:

A safety initiative that focuses on a systematic process to improve and sustain safety performance derives its power from awareness and active participation of everyone in the organization. Active participation with the process creates a culture that is to valued every day. Two learned outcomes:

• A tools and defenses approach can lead to reduced errors and zero events
• A systematic approach can yield improved safety performance.