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EDITOR’S COMMENTARY D Da ad d ’ ’ s s C C o o m m p pu u t t e er W r Wh h e e t th he e r r o ol l d ds sc ch h o o o ol lo or r A A I I , , t te e c c h h n no ol lo o g g y yc co on n t ti i n nu ue es s t to oe e n nh h a an nc ce e w w o o r rk ke e r r s s a a f fe e t t y y . . The evolving, give-and-take relationship between technology and the workplace never ceases to intrigue me. When I was young, my dad brought me to his office for “take your child to work” day. He asked, “Would you like to see my computer?” Now, at the risk of dating myself, computers were still making their way into day-to-day business life, and I was eager to see what a computer actually looked like. He brought me into a common area in front of his office and proclaimed, “Here it is.” There sat a typical wooden library card catalog that my father somehow used to manage a nationwide ground transportation network for a multiplicity of manufacturing plants, warehouses and customers that spanned the country. Interstate trucking, rail cars and local delivery all hinged on this cabinet of tiny drawers packed with index cards—but it wasn’t the computer I was hoping to see. I was crestfallen at my dad’s little joke to say the least. But as I grew older, that chagrin turned to admiration, particularly as technology entered what I do for a living. By the time I entered the workforce, computers were on the verge of revolutionizing what I do for a living. Within a year, my profession went from phototypesetting and manual paste-up to desktop publishing. Then we took media online with the web and e-newsletters and later added interactive content and new media such as webinars, videos and podcasts. And now we’re adding artificial intelligence to the mix. AI is helping us edit, find new workflow efficiencies and even play with graphic design concepts and images. The same holds true for worker safety; it’s been a continual evolution. In recent years, we’ve seen the Internet of Things collect and analyze real-time data to identify potential safety hazards; technical design and material innovations in PPE; data visualization and reporting tools; and virtual reality training tools. Moreover, like so many other professions, AI is making itself felt in safety. AI is sharpening predictive analytics, broadening and deepening employee monitoring, enhancing total worker health and helping to identify faulty equipment and tools. And naturally, AI is a topic that OH&S is regularly monitoring and discussing. Most recently, at the tail end of May, we hosted a webinar, “Real-Time Data and AI: How Collision Avoidance Taps New Tech to Boost Facility Safety,” from Brian Jones at Matrix Design Group. I encourage you to register to watch that as an archive at ohsonline.com. A whole lot has changed since Dad showed me his “computer,” but I continue to marvel at his ingenuity. Moreover, his card catalog and every innovation I’ve seen arrive in the workplace since show that people will develop the tools they need to do their jobs better— and that includes enhancing worker safety. I’m eager to see what’s next. DAVID KOPF Executive Editor, OH&S Magazine ID STATEMENT Occupational Health & Safety (ISSN 0362-4064) is published 7 times a year, Feb/Mar, Apr/May, June, Jul/ Aug, September, October and Nov/Dec by 1105 Media, Inc., 6300 Canoga Avenue, Suite 1150, Woodland Hills, CA 91367. Periodicals postage paid at Woodland Hills, CA 91367, and at additional mailing offices. Complimentary subscriptions are sent to qualifying subscribers. Annual subscription rates payable in U.S. funds for non-qualified subscribers are: U.S. $79.00, International $149.00. Subscription inquiries, back issue requests, and address changes: Mail to: Occupational Health & Safety, P.O. 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For more information, please contact your Integrated Media Consultant. 8 Occupational Health & Safety | JUNE 2023 www.ohsonline.com VOLUME 92 NUMBER 3 EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR E-NEWS EDITOR CONTENT EDITOR ART STAFF David Kopf Brent Dirks Alex Saurman Laurie Layman Joanne Kim Barbara Blake 972-687-6718 Jenna Conwell 610-436-4372 Daniel LaBianca Irene Fincher Susan May Scott Newhouse Tammy Renne Tillie Carlin Rajeev Kapur Sanjay Tanwani Erik A. Lindgren Michael J. Valenti SENIOR ART DIRECTOR PRODUCTION STAFF PRINT MEDIA TECHNICIAN SALES STAFF INTEGRATED MEDIA REPRESENTATIVE-WEST INTEGRATED MEDIA REPRESENTATIVE-EAST INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTIONS GROUP PRESIDENT GROUP CIRCULATION DIRECTOR GROUP MARKETING DIRECTOR GROUP WEBSITE MANAGER GROUP WEBINAR ADMINISTRATOR GROUP PRODUCTION MANAGER CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT REACHING THE STAFF Editors can be reached via email, fax, telephone, or mail. A list of editors and contact information is at www.ohsonline.com. Email: To email any member of the staff please use the following form: FirstinitialLastname@1105media.com. Dallas Office: (weekdays, 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. CT) Phone: 972-687-6700; Fax: 972-687-6799 14901 Quorum Drive, Suite 425, Dallas, TX 75254 Corporate Office: (weekdays, 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. PT) Phone: 818-814-5200; Fax: 818-734-1522 6300 Canoga Avenue, Suite 1150, Woodland Hills, CA 91367 www.ohsonline.com