National Conference to Highlight OSHA's Future, Nation's Safest Worksites
Contact: Julie Phillips of the Voluntary Protection Programs
Participants' Association, 703-761-1146;
Web site: http://www.vpppa.org
FALLS CHURCH, Va., Aug. 23 /U.S. Newswire/ -- OSHA's future, as we enter the next millennium, will be among the topics discussed during the 15th Annual National Conference of the Voluntary Protection Programs Participants' Association (VPPPA), Sept. 15-17 at Washington, D.C.'s Washington Hilton and Towers hotel.
More than 2,000 hourly employees, safety and health managers, occupational safety and health professionals and government personnel are expected to attend.
Former and current Assistant Secretaries of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will offer their expert views on safety and health compliance in the workplace, focus on OSHA's direction and how it relates to today's workplace challenges, and how the agency can best fulfill its mission into the next millennium during this year's VPPPA Premier Focus, scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 15, 8:30-10 a.m.
Moderating the panel will be Greg Watchman, of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky and Walker, and former Acting Assistant Secretary OSHA, will be joined by current OSHA Assistant Secretary, Charles Jeffress and other former Assistant Secretaries for the agency, including Gerard F. Scannell, president, National Safety Council; Joseph Dear, chief of staff, Gov. Gary Locke of Washington (state) and Thorne Auchter, President, Health Risk Management Group.
In addition to his panel participation, Jeffress will speak to leaders from some of the nation's safest companies leading in workplace safety and health during the Opening General Session at 3 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 14. Joining Jeffress at the Opening General Session will be Secretary of Labor, Alexis Herman and President and CEO of Georgia-Pacific, A.D. "Pete" Correll.
The Annual National VPPPA Conference provides a forum where workers, managers, occupational and environmental health and safety professional from a wide variety of industries can get together to network and share ideas with each other on the best safety, health, and environmental practices and programs in the nation. Participants will be able to visit more than 50 exhibits and attend more than 70 workshops on topics such as incentive programs, hazard recognition, VPP for small businesses and healthcare facilities, workplace violence, and model safety and health programs on Sept. 15 and 16.
Recipients of the VPP Outreach award, Safety and Health Outreach Award and the VPPPA Achievement Program award will be announced during the Opening General Session, Sept. 14.
Brian Halloway, former NFL All-Pro, and powerhouse and team leader of the 1985 New England Patriots Super Bowl team, will speak during the conference closing session, Sept. 17.
------ The VPPPA, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization, is a leader for safety, health and environmental excellence through cooperation among communities, workers, industries and governments. In existence since 1985, the VPPPA is a forerunner in the evolutionary relationship between government, labor and industry in the United States.
The Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), administered by OSHA and DOE, are a cooperative effort among labor, management and government. Acceptance into the VPP requires safety and health programs that exceed OSHA's standards. Sites participating in the VPP have overall lost workday rates 50 percent below the industry average. More than 550 U.S. worksites are VPP participants, and greater than three-quarters of a million workers in the U.S. are directly impacted by VPP.
-0- /U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/ 08/23 08:00
Copyright 1999, U.S. Newswire
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