Page 26 - Occupational Health & Safety, September 2018

NSC 2018 PREVIEW
NSC Congress & Expo Heads to Houston
More than 14,000 safety professionals are expected to attend this year’s NSC Congress & Expo, being held in Houston from Oct. 20 through 26.
BY JESSICA DAVIS
The National Safety Council will hold this year’s NSC Congress & Expo in Houston, with more than 14,000 attendees expected to attend. The Congress & Expo will take place at the George R. Brown Convention Center in down- town Houston during Oct. 20-26, with the exposition floor open Oct. 22-24. With thriving industries in manufacturing, aeronautics, transportation, and en- ergy—particularly oil and natural gas—Houston will serve as a great background for the safety education opportunities at this year’s event.
According to the council, fatal work injuries have surpassed 5,000 for the first time in almost a decade, marking the third consecutive increase in workplace deaths. This increase in fatalities serves as a remind- er of the importance of workplace safety and how vital it is to continue learning and networking in the safety industry through events such as the NSC Con- gress & Expo.
Educational Opportunities
Monday’s opening session at 8 a.m. Oct. 22 will feature remarks by NSC President and CEO Debo- rah A.P. Hersman and Adm. William H. McRaven, USN (Ret.). The Tuesday keynote, “The Future (of Safety) Ain’t What It Used to Be. . . ,” will be given by SAFEmap International CEO Corrie Pitzer at 8 a.m. Oct. 23. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett will deliver Wednesday’s keynote, “Lessons Learned Af- ter a Major Natural Disaster, Hurricane Harvey,” at 8 a.m. on Oct. 24.
The conference offers more than 125 technical ses- sions in 12 education tracks that include Research to Practice, Construction/Labor/Utilities, and the new Technology track, with sessions ranging in level from introductory to advanced. Many of the technical ses- sions are also tagged as Personal Stories, Case Studies, Journey to Safety Excellence Sessions, or Hot Top- ics. Workplace violence may be especially relevant at this year’s event, with “Hot Topic” sessions including “Workplace Violence: What Really Happens” and “Ac- tive Shooter Preparedness: Going Beyond Workplace Violence Training.”
More than 25 professional development seminars will be offered at the Congress & Expo, including 11 new sessions. The professional development seminars are designed to help in career advancement and job performance in the safety industry; they include top- ics such as conducting workplace safety inspections, creating a safety culture, and root cause analysis.
NSC Congress & Expo also is offering registrants
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the opportunity to take part in a technical tour of Space Center Houston and the Johnson Space Center, the training base and home of the U.S. astronauts and the site of NASA Mission Control, or the ExxonMo- bil Baytown Refinery and Chemicals Complex, one of the world’s largest integrated petrochemical com- plexes. Both of these tours require a separate fee and pre-registration, and there is limited space available.
The Convention Center & Expo Hours
The George R. Brown Convention Center opened in downtown Houston in 1987. It boasts 1.8 million square feet of space, with more than 500,000 square feet dedicated to its exhibit halls.
Expo hours for the event are as follows:
■ Monday, Oct. 22: 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.; dedicated
expo hours 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
■ Tuesday, Oct. 23: 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.; dedicated
expo hours 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
■ Wednesday, Oct. 24: 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.; dedicated
expo hours 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
New to the expo floor this year is the Time Out Lounge, an area designed to be a meeting place to do business or for attendees just to catch their breath. The NSC Learning Lab, also located on the show floor, will play host to 45-minute educational presentations such as “Safety Excellence Maturity Model: A Roadmap to Success,” the ever-popular “OSHA’s Top 10 Viola- tions,” and “The Future of Electrical Saefty: Beyond OSHA and NFPA 70E Compliance.”
Houston’s Warm in October
Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth- largest city in the United States. The average maxi- mum and minimum temperatures for October are 82 and 61 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively, so attendees should be sure to dress for warmer fall weather.
Jessica Davis is the assistant content editor for OH&S. www.ohsonline.com
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