Page 68 - OHS, September 2022

PRODUCT LAUNCH
The Future is Bright
The voice that advocates for the safety
and health of workers has never been louder.
BY SYDNY SHEPARD
One of the most exciting things about being on the publishing side of the safety and health industry is the unique viewpoint I am afforded. Over the past three years, the safety and health industry has seen a roller
coaster of ups and downs as a result of the global pandemic, supply chain issues and continuous emerging threats.
Back in June, I wrote a piece discussing how even in the darkest moments of our world’s history, the safety and health industry continued to innovate bringing in new products, solutions and software to not only protect against Covid-19, but manage it. While the pandemic is far from over, companies and organizations have learned to conduct business under the ever-present threat of Covid-19. Through the products, solutions and software brought to them by the safety and health industry, not only are organizations conducting business, but they are successful.
I have heard a lot of safety professionals talk about how, in a way, the pandemic did something good for this industry that they were not expecting to see. The pandemic highlighted the need for the safety and health of workers to be at the forefront of a company’s business plan. While finances, productivity and other business ideals are still dominating departments of business, none of those items would be possible without employees. We saw the shift in conversations. We saw the chair being pulled up to the table for safety professionals. The voice that advocates for
the safety and health of workers has never been louder and the future of the industry has never been brighter.
You can’t stop now, though. As an OSH professional, it is your duty to ensure that your voice continues to be heard and not only at the volume it is at now, but with the tenacity of more than just one voice. Bring into the fold like-minded employees, managers and solution providers who can help to advocate for employees with you.
As I said at the beginning of this article, being on the publishing side of this industry gives me a unique perspective. One of the ways that I can see how the industry continues to shift and innovate is through the hundreds of press releases I get each week touting new products and services, each one more innovative than the last. While it is one thing for me to write that the safety and health industry has a bright future ahead of it, it is another for me to show you.
In the next few pages of this issue of OH&S, you’ll see listings for our Product Launch section of the magazine. Twice a year, we highlight products, solutions and software that give readers an inside peek into what they can expect from the industry. I hope you like what you see.
Sydny Shepard is the editor of Occupational Health & Safety magazine.
64 Occupational Health & Safety | SEPTEMBER 2022
www.ohsonline.com