The general sessions at Safety Conference and Expo are a special opportunity to come together and share in a common experience and message. Get energized, learn something new and be inspired to make the most of your conference experience.

The Safety 2025 general sessions will be announced in spring of 2025. In the meantime, check out the speakers, panelists and topics that were presented at Safety 2024 in Denver.

• Wednesday, Aug. 7 | 8 – 9:30 a.m. MT

Empower Your Teams With Positive Accountability

Jessica Kriegel, Ed.D.

Chief Scientist of Workplace Culture, Culture Partners

Discover innovative strategies to elevate personal and professional accountability, driving growth and success in your organization. Join Dr. Kriegel as she unveils her four data-driven steps to enhance accountability in any situation, transforming your organizational culture. Learn how to empower your teams to take ownership not only of their individual actions but also of the organization's overall success. Gain a deeper understanding of how accountability can activate your teams and acquire a toolkit of powerful habits based on proven accountability methods. Explore Dr. Kriegel’s two-part strategy for fostering shared ownership to infuse purpose and meaning into daily work.

Leave equipped with actionable insights and practical tools to engage your teams, helping them recognize their contributions to achieving business goals and take an active role in your organization's impact.

Dr. Jessica Kriegel is chief scientist of workplace culture for Culture Partners, leading research and strategy in best practices for driving results through culture. As a data scientist, her mission is “quantify culture.” Her doctoral research and practical application through consulting engagements led to the Culture Equation, a tested model where strategy combines with culture to deliver consistent results. In her work today, Kriegel applies data-driven insights to help organizations increase morale, improve performance, and meet financial goals.

• Thursday, Aug. 8 | 1 – 2 p.m. MT

Artificial Intelligence In EHS: Conquering Fears And Embracing Frontiers

Panel Session

Dive into the dynamic realm of artificial intelligence (AI). Our panelists will explain the transformative potential of AI technologies in shaping the future of work, improving worker safety and elevating the EHS profession. Explore practical strategies for harnessing AI to enhance productivity, streamline processes and drive innovation in your organization. From dispelling common fears to embracing emerging opportunities, our panelists will offer actionable insights to help you navigate the AI landscape with confidence. This thought-provoking discussion is sure to expand your outlook and identify the next steps you can take to leverage AI for professional growth and organizational success.

Moderator:

Kevin Slates, Ed.D, M.P.A., CSP

Clinical Associate Professor, Applied Health Science, Indiana University

Panelists:

Matt Law, Dr.PH., CSP, REHS

Manager, Safety Strategy, W.W. Grainger Inc.

Natasha Porter

Chief Customer Officer, Benchmark Gensuite

Boris Kiprovski, ASP, CHST, C-MESH, SSTM

EHS Director, Skanska USA Building Inc.

• Friday, Aug. 9 | 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. MT

An OSHA Update

Doug Parker

Assistant Secretary of Labor

Assistant Secretary of Labor Doug Parker will discuss the latest OSHA activities to improve workplace safety, including updates on rulemaking priorities, enforcement actions and outreach initiatives. The session will also include an interactive Q&A featuring questions submitted live by our attendees.

• Friday, Aug. 9 | 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. MT

Thinking Inside the Box: How Tough Times Fuel True Creativity & Innovation

Kyle Scheele

Author, Speaker and Patron Saint of Crazy Ideas

We’ve all felt held back by lack of resources or support. But the truth is, real creative work thrives within constraints. Discover how limitations can foster creativity from examples like Apollo 13’s square filters in round tubes. Gain insights on navigating challenges, reframing limitations and finding solutions that will lead to better outcomes in your organization. Leave equipped with tools to overcome creative blocks and thrive. Don't miss this opportunity to reframe your beliefs about creative constraints and redesign your approach to problem solving.

Kyle Scheele has been called “the patron saint of crazy ideas.” Whether he’s having a Viking funeral for the regrets of 21,000 people or hosting the world’s first fake marathon, he is always on the lookout for ideas that produce outsized outcomes. Scheele’s projects have been featured in outlets like Fast Company, WIRED, The Washington Post, BuzzFeed and more. He has spoken to hundreds of thousands of audience members across the U.S., sharing his story to inspire others to chase their own crazy ideas and become the people they were meant to be.