News Release

Safety Issues To Be Spotlighted in September

Itasca, IL - National and international safety issues will grab center stage in September when 16,000 people are expected to converge on New Orleans, LA. for the 92nd annual National Safety Council Congress & Expo, the world's largest annual safety and health conference. During the September 10-17 event, some of the nation's foremost authorities will address safety issues and challenges confronting workers, society and employers.

Highlights of the event include:

• NSC President Alan McMillan will highlight safety leadership and the role of safety directors in his keynote address at the Opening Session on September 13.
• The Columbia Space Shuttle disaster will be the focus of a keynote address at the Opening Session of Congress on Monday, September 13. Retired Navy Admiral Hal W. Gehman, head of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, will discuss the causes of the disaster and lessons learned in managing safety.
• Addressing the problem of motor vehicle crashes, the single largest cause of worker deaths in America, will be the focus of remarks from the heads of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Dr. Jeffrey Runge, head of NHTSA, is invited to speak on September 13. John Henshaw, head of OSHA, will address motor vehicle issues, along with other occupational safety matters, in his keynote address on September 14.
• Safety initiatives in the mining industry will be discussed by David Lauriski, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health, on Tuesday, September 14.
• The first Robert W. Campbell Award will be presented at the Opening Session on September 13. The Award will be presented to a company that best integrates safety, health and environmental (SHE) management as a key business value and that demonstrates how SHE performance is linked to productivity and profitability. The Award, sponsored by Exxon Mobil Corporation, will be presented by Jed Bullard, NSC Chairman of the Board, and E.G. Galante, Senior Vice President of ExxonMobil.
• The rebuilding of Iraq and the safety challenges faced in reconstruction will be the focus of an address from Susan Tianen, Chief Safety Officer for the United States Army Corps of Engineers, on September 14.
• "OSHA's Top Ten List" identifying the most common workplace safety violations in American industry will be discussed by National Safety Council representatives on September 13 and 14.
• Motivating workers to improve safety behaviors will be the focus of keynote presentations on September 15 by Dr. Scott Gellar and Charlie Morecraft.

In addition to these presentations, the Congress will include more than 200 other educational seminars and sessions on a broad range of safety and health issues. A number of sessions will be offered in Spanish. The Expo will feature approximately 750 exhibitors displaying the latest safety and health products and services. The National Safety Council will unveil several new programs, products and partnerships focused on emergency care, transportation safety and child safety. Other events include a Blood Drive on Tuesday, Sept. 14, conducted by the Blood Center of New Orleans. Johnson & Johnson will provide a free health screening at its Expo booth that includes checks of blood pressure and pulse and information on heart disease risks.

National, international and corporate safety issues will be addressed in a series of special meetings and events to be held in conjunction with Congress & Expo.

• The annual meeting of the National Safety Council will be accompanied by annual meetings of the Council's Boards of Directors, Delegates and Trustees.
• Thousands of volunteers involved in the National Safety Council will meet during annual division and section meetings.
• Events involving Federal employees include meetings for safety and health representatives from the Department of Defense, OSHA, and the U.S. Air Force.
• Ministers from Caribbean nations will gather for a Pan American Health Organization meeting.
• Officials from the U.S. Department of Labor and OSHA will meet with officials from Mexico and Canada to discuss NAFTA-related safety and health issues.
• Companies holding corporate safety meetings include Adelphia, Comcast, ExxonMobil, Georgia-Pacific and McWane Industries.

For more information on the 2004 Congress & Expo, visit www.congress.nsc.org. Media interested in obtaining press credentials for the event should contact the Council's Communications & Public Affairs office at (630)775-2160.

The National Safety Council is a nonprofit, nongovernmental, international public service organization dedicated to protecting life and promoting health. Members of NSC include more than 45,000 businesses, labor organizations, schools, public agencies, private groups and individuals. Founded in 1913, and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1953, the primary focus of the NSC is preventing injuries that occur in workplaces, homes, communities and motor vehicles. For more information about the NSC, visit the website at www.nsc.org or contact your local NSC chapter.