After you’ve been to enough safety conferences, you start to see the pattern. Agendas at these events are generally chosen to fit a specific theme, which is primarily explored through a concurrent series of expert presentations—individual presenters delivering 45–90-minute lectures on theme-appropriate topics. Panel discussions are usually a welcome change of pace. They provide a change of format from the rest of the conference sessions, they feel more like a conversation between a group of people than a prepared speech, and they tend to be less formal too. No wonder safety conference-goers like panel discussions so much.
Panels also give you the chance to hear differing opinions on a particular topic. High-level executives, subject matter experts and industry professionals with real-world experience are typically chosen to sit on panels, sharing the stage and providing their unique perspectives on a topic, dynamically shaping the session. And the diversity of thought doesn’t end on the stage. In addition to the multiple speakers on the panel providing several viewpoints on the topic to consider, you’re also likely to gain keen insights from the audience—greatly increasing your potential learning opportunities.
The moderator and panel members can include the audience either during the panel or toward the end of the discussion, heightening the engagement of the session. Standard safety conference sessions sometimes leave time at the end for Q&A but typically only a handful of questions are answered—panel discussions, meanwhile, tend to involve the audience more. Questions from the audience can spark new avenues for conversation between panelists, and inspire comments from the moderator. Attendees also have the opportunity to research the panelists’ backgrounds before attending the session, and this can help with understanding the knowledge and expertise behind the responses.
The best panel moderators ensure that the audience is fully involved in their session. The role of the moderator is to direct the flow and timing of the discussion while being conscious of the large group of people. They are neutral parties who have significant knowledge of the topic, can break the ice, ask good questions relevant to the topic, and ensure the panelists have enough time to communicate their opinions and expertise. With expert moderation, a panel can feel like a discussion you’re participating in rather than a rehearsed presentation.
The upcoming SafeStart Forum offers a selection of four different panels with the option to choose from two each day. The carefully selected moderators and panel members represent the most qualified experts on each particular subject. On day one, attendees can choose to attend Fatigue Management or Taking Safety Beyond the Workplace. On day two, attendees can choose between Best Practices in Implementations or It Doesn’t End with Safety. Check out the full breakdown of the sessions, moderators and panelists below to get a better idea of what to expect as an attendee.
Fatigue Management
Fatigue is one of the most common human factors that affect safety, quality and productivity. Moderated by Larry Wilson, author of SafeStart, this session explores the research behind fatigue management best practices, new technologies for identifying this stealthy human factor, and skills that a workforce can deploy on an individual level to stay awake and alert on the job. Larry is joined by a dream team of experts for this panel: Nelson Bodnarchuk, Vice President, Health & Safety, Torex Gold Resources Inc.; Claire Bryant, Senior Program Manager, Workplace Wellbeing, National Safety Council (NSC); Barb Tait, Chief Executive Officer, SafeStart; and Rodd Wagner, Executive Advisor, SafeStart.
That’s a ton of fatigue management expertise on one stage. Torex Gold Resources Inc. is engaged in a multiyear strategy to support its workforce in identifying and reducing operator fatigue, part of which includes piloting real-time wearable fatigue detection technology and rolling out site-specific fatigue management interventions. The Fatigue Initiative at the NSC was launched in June 2016 and is focused on educating employers and providing resources to effectively manage fatigue risk in the workplace. And SafeStart has put a specific focus on training leaders and workers about the effects of fatigue and what can be done about it. Attendees will be sure to walk away with a deeper understanding of this elusive workplace danger and what they can do to address it.
Taking Safety Beyond the Workplace
Taking Safety Beyond the Workplace focuses on the fact that preventable injury-related deaths occur at a much higher rate off the job than in the workplace. Off-the-job safety expert Don Wilson will be the moderator for this session. He will be speaking with George Irving, Corporate Project Safety Manager, NAES Corporation; Jennifer McNelly, Chief Executive Officer, ASSP; Rhonda Piggee, Implementation Specialist, SafeStart; and Paul Thompson, Training & Development Specialist, Epsilyte LLC.
Each member of this panel brings their unique expertise to the table. George is known for his ability to change a plant’s safety culture from the bottom up, believing that employee safety does not stop at the plant gate and that safety off the job is as important as safety on the job. Jennifer is well-versed in companies needing a 24/7 strategy and safety-first mindset (and if you want to hear more from Jennifer, she’s also delivering a session at the Forum entitled: Make Safety the Catalyst for Greater Organizational Performance). Rhonda is an implementation specialist who helps companies take safety home. Paul has first-hand experience successfully implementing and maintaining an off-the-job safety program at his facility.
Best Practices in Implementations
Best Practices in Implementations takes a targeted look at what clients do to find success in their SafeStart implementations. SafeStart’s Vice-President, Implementation Services Kelley Norris is the moderator for this panel, which is made up of three SafeStart clients who have done exactly that—Chris Anderson, Director of EHS, Pennex Aluminum; Steve Crider, Safety & Compliance Officer, RedGuard LLC; David Bianco, Owner Consultant, Safe and Sound Texas LLC. Further contributing to the lineup is SafeStart’s Director of Continuity Initiatives, Dennis Carnrike, who has traveled to client sites to conduct follow-up visits and site assessments in order to recommend opportunities for improvement to help with long-term safety success.
When it comes to understanding best practices, nothing beats lessons from real-life experience. This discussion will let you hear first-hand what works and what doesn’t when it comes to implementations, and get specific recommendations for gaining more involvement, buy-in, and support throughout the organization.
It Doesn’t End With Safety
When reviewing a company’s safety program, human factors management and an off-the-job safety mindset are often overlooked contributors to success. Moderated by Lara Russell, Vice-President, Sales, Strategic Accounts for SafeStart, It Doesn’t End With Safety is a panel that discusses how human factors affect non-safety issues, including production, employee engagement and workforce happiness.
SafeStart has spent 25 years teaching companies to shift their focus when it comes to safety, and this panel includes Larry Pearlman and John McGillivray, two incredibly knowledgeable SafeStart consultants who have applied this mentality in both a SafeStart capacity as well as outside of SafeStart. They are joined by Max Allen, Vice President/General Manager of StandardAero, a business leader for over twenty years whose focus on individual safety resulted in cultural transformations, innovative improvements and a highly engaged workforce within his company. Attend this panel discussion to see how focusing on human factors management and 24/7 safety can reshape an organization for the better.
The SafeStart Forum will take place April 23–24, 2024 in Orlando, FL. Registration is open and the Forum encourages attendees to come ready to participate, not only for the panel sessions but the entire conference. This interactive event will be unlike any other and having quality participants in the audience is one more benefit to attending with all attendees contributing their valuable insights and perspectives to sessions, networking and more. Please join us—we can’t wait to see you there!