News Release

The Business of Safety: Brave, Bold, Brilliant

Itasca, IL – The modern business climate is presenting new and emerging challenges that are significantly impacting safety and health programs and those who implement them.

The National Safety Council’s 94th Annual Congress & Expo, “The Business of Safety: Brave, Bold, Brilliant,” will address corporate safety and health vulnerabilities and provide the tools safety and health professionals need to meet and exceed evolving professional demands. The Congress & Expo is being held at the San Diego Convention Center, Nov. 3-10.

According to NSC President and CEO Alan C. McMillan, workplace safety is no longer just about reducing injuries and accidents. In an era of escalating health care costs, shifting workplace demographics and the ever present risk of catastrophe or industrial accident, companies are recognizing the importance of a corporate culture of safety.

“Corporate safety and health programs are critical to saving lives and saving businesses,” McMillan said. “The response from those of us in the business of safety must be brave, bold, brilliant.”

This year’s Congress & Expo will raise the visibility of a number of “hot topics,” ranging from a changing workforce to off-the-job safety. Highlights include:

• Mon., Nov. 6, Jack Groppel, Ph.D., vice chairman of The Human Performance Institute and author of “The Corporate Athlete,” will present the opening session keynote. Dr. Groppel is an internationally recognized authority and pioneer in the science of human performance and an expert in fitness and nutrition.
• Also Monday, keynote occupational presentations will be given by David Dye, acting assistant secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health; Dr. John Howard, director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and Edwin G. Foulke Jr., assistant secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
• Tues., Nov. 7, the NSC will introduce its Off-the-Job Safety Keynote, focused on safety and health strategies to reduce injuries away from work that, today, cost businesses $200 billion a year, nearly two-thirds of all injury related costs. Keynote speakers are Nicole Nason, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; Dr. Ileana Arias, director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Nancy Nord, acting chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
• To address the safety and health issues associated with the fastest growing segment of the American workforce, Hispanic and Latino workers, who account for nearly one-sixth of all unintentional fatalities in the workplace, the Council is launching its first Hispanic Safety + Health Congress, Nov. 6-7. Sessions will be presented in Spanish and simultaneously interpreted into English. This Congress within a Congress will address the unique safety needs of Hispanic and Latino workers, including a keynote presentation by Manuel Rodríguez Arriaga, general director for occupational safety and health with the Mexican Secretary of Labor and Social Prevision.
• A number of “hot topic” sessions have also been added, including lessons learned from the Texas City explosion that killed 15 workers in March, 2005; emergency and disaster preparedness; and the changing workforce.

For more information on Congress or for information on press registration, visit www.congress.nsc.org or call the National Safety Council’s media line at (630) 775-2307.

The National Safety Council is a nonprofit, nongovernmental, international public service organization. Members of the NSC include businesses, labor organization, schools, public agencies, private groups and individuals. Founded in 1913 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1953, the National Safety Council is committed to preventing accidental injuries in the workplace, on roads and highways, and in homes and communities.

The National Safety Council’s Annual Congress & Expo is the largest annual event in the world dedicated to the safety and health industry and is ranked among the top 200 tradeshows in the nation.