7:00 am - 5:00 pm Registration by VPPPA National Office
Registration Desk
7:45 am - 8:15 am Meeting of the Membership
Red Room
Region III by John Dyer
Cocoa Terrace
Region II by Rich Finnegan
8:30 am - 10:15 am Conference Opening
Red Room
10:15 am - 11:15 am Vendor Hall (First 50/50 Drawing at 11:00 am)
White Room
11:15 am - 12:15 pm Opening Keynote: Staying Focused on a Safety Mindset by Ryan Lavarnway
Red Room
12:15 pm - 1:15 pm Lunch is Served
Red Room
1:30 pm - 2:15 pm Breakout Session 1
Cocoa Terrace
Just Calling 911 is NOT an Emergency Plan- Ensuring Safety for First Responders by Rich Sarnie/United Safety
First responders are the professionals we call in an emergency. They are going into places that we are leaving from. While they are highly trained, they are not as well versed of the hazards in every workplace. Industry has an obligation to train first responders of our hazards and what they can possibly encounter during an emergency. Whether its confined spaces, excavations, chemical process hazards, or explosion possibilities, industry must take a role in education prior to calling 911.
Rich is a Safety & Risk Professional with over 30 years of industrial experience. He is a Board Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Licensed Professional Safety Engineer (P.E.), Associate in Risk Management (ARM), Authorized OSHA Outreach Trainer in Construction & General Industry, and Certified by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers as a Chemical Process Safety Professional (CCPSC).
Cocoa Boardroom
Basic Active Shooter Training with Demos by Donny Hawkins/Sentinel Security Group
This session is Basic Active Shooter training, problems with Run Hide fight, mitigation factors, tactical solutions, and weapons familiarization.
Donny is a Veteran of Naval Intelligence, & USAF Security Forces, and State, Local, & Federal Law Enforcement. He has been on the International Police Task Force, a Police Officer, Deputy Sheriff, Fugitive Investigator, and Swat Team Member. He has also served in Foreign Dignitary Protection, Instructor in Firearms, Driving, Non-Lethal weapons, investigations, Defensive Tactics, and Combat Stress.
Cocoa Suite 1
Title TBD by Name TBD/Company TBD
Abstract
Bio
Cocoa Suite 4
A New Philosophy for EHS Compliance in “Green Energy” by Sonny Protzman/Solar Landscape LLC
A problem all new industries face today is that they do not develop their Environmental and Health (EHS) programs due to the understanding, applicability, and speed to transition to a green energy provider. It takes a large amount of time and energy to create a comprehensive EHS Program that aligns with green energy philosophies. The green industry leaders must also be willing to pass along their knowledge, programs, and polices to help other companies propel other industries into the green energy spectrum. Green energy providers must take the lead, such as Solar Landscape, LLC (SL) has done by creating A New Philosophy for EHS Compliance.
I am the Director of EHS for Solar Landscape LLC based in Asbury Park, NJ, for the past 2 years. We are now operating in 7 seven states (When I started, we were only in NJ), constructing and managing commercial rooftop Solar Arrays for Community Solar Programs. This was a ground-up build with no pre-existing safety infrastructure. I will have a guest speaker, Rick Foster, of Access Compliance (VPP member), retired OSHA Area Director.
Cocoa Suite 5
Best Safety Message Ever Told by Dale Lesinski/DiVal Safety
A problem all new industries face today is that they do not develop their Environmental and Health (EHS) programs due to the understanding, applicability, and the speed to transition to a green energy provider. It takes a large amount of time and energy to create a comprehensive EHS Program that aligns with green energy philosophies. The green industry leaders must also be willing to pass along their knowledge, programs, and polices to help other companies propel other industries into the green energy spectrum. Green energy providers must take the lead, such as Solar Landscape, LLC (SL) has done by creating A New Philosophy for EHS Compliance.
Dale Lesinski is the Vice President of DiVal Safety in Buffalo, NY. DiVal is an international leader in safety supplies & training. As the creator of the ‘Safe 4 the Right Reasons’ message and Safe 4 Culture Program, Dale has assisted hundreds of companies and their employees in taking their safety performance to new heights. As a Keynote & Featured Speaker at over 100 Safety Conferences in the US and Canada, Dale has educated, motivated, and inspired tens of thousands of attendees. He has turned his focus to improving safety cultures through human behaviors.
Cocoa Suite 6
Navigating the Future of Occupational Safety and Health in an Era of Unprecedented Change by Scott Gaddis/Intelex Technologies
Discover how rapid technological advancements, shifting demographics, worker health, and evolving work cultures will shape the future of occupational safety and health. Learn about innovative tech solutions, the lasting impacts of the pandemic, and the imperative strategies for future OSH resilience that must be considered, such as E.S.G and D.E.I. We will explore trends, challenges, and opportunities prioritizing worker well-being in the next decade.
Scott Gaddis leads thought leadership and is vice president and global practice leader for safety and health at Intelex Technologies. Scott leads the building of partnerships with key clients and other top influencers in EHS. He is responsible for the engagement of EHS professionals across the globe to provide a platform for sharing information and collectively driving solutions that mitigate workplace loss.
2:15 pm - 3:15 pm Vendor Hall (50/50 Drawing at 3:00 pm)
White Room
3:15 pm - 4:00 pm Breakout Session 2
Cocoa Terrace
Process Safety: It is Not Just for Chemical Plants & Refineries by Richard Sarnie/United Alliance Services Corporation
This presentation is a rationale as to why a risk-based rather than a regulatory-based approach to managing process safety and other risk exposures is prudent. I will discuss the continuing movement by many organizations to more formal and comprehensive enterprise risk management systems, provide an overview of chemical industry best practices for managing process safety (with a focus on AIChE CCPS recommendations as described in the CCPS Guidelines for Risk Based Process Safety and many other CCPS books), and discuss how proven process safety management practices and use of multiple layers of protection can help better manage risks in manufacturing and cold storage facilities.
Rich is a Safety & Risk Professional with over 30 years of industrial experience. He is a Board Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Licensed Professional Safety Engineer (P.E.), Associate in Risk Management (ARM), Authorized OSHA Outreach Trainer in Construction & General Industry, and Certified by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers as a Chemical Process Safety Professional (CCPSC).
Cocoa Boardroom
Mental Health & Suicide Prevention in Construction: The Next Dimension of Safety by Sonya Bohmann/Construction Industry Alliance
This session will address the factors that put the construction workforce at a heightened risk of suicide and educate leaders on ways to build in practical protective factors to help minimize these risks. It will demonstrate the many benefits of building a caring culture where employees feel safe to ask for help for themselves or their co-workers, as well as equip participants with information on warning signs that someone may be struggling or at risk of suicide and ways to start a productive conversation and offer help
Sonya Bohmann is the Executive Director for the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention, a 501 c (3) that was started in 2018. Our mission is to provide and disseminate information and resources for suicide prevention and mental health promotion in construction to create a zero-suicide industry. Sonya comes from a reconstruction background, having spent over a decade in the commercial remodel and refresh and facilities maintenance space. Giving her the unique understanding of how the industry works as well as the mental health challenges faced daily by construction workers. This experience has given her insight into how companies, both large and small, are tackling this worker crisis and what work still needs to be done.
Cocoa Suite 1
The Class 1 and 2 Standard Changes & Their Impact to Pre-Existing HLL and Engineered Systems by Bill Specht/Ark Safety
The Class 1 and Class 2 ANSI standards went into effect in 2023. Since then, we've seen many mistakes in the field, despite good intentions in safety professionals' pursuit to meet the new standard. In this presentation, Bill will review the standard and explain how to determine whether your pre-existing horizontal lifelines or engineered systems are equipped to handle the average arresting force of a new class SRD. This presentation will provide real field examples and allow for discussion and questions.
Bill has decades of experience in the safety industry, getting his start early in life in his family glove manufacturing business, Seal Glove Mfg., Inc. He spent many years learning the ins and outs of hand protection, customer service, and integrity alongside his father and mentor. Early in his career, Bill recognized a deficit in the industrial safety industry and got to work to meet the needs of employers across the country by starting Ark Safety. More than three decades later, Ark Safety has stayed true to Bill’s commitment to be more than a safety supplier. Bill and his team at Ark Safety back quality products with personal attention, dependable and devoted service, and cost-effective safety solutions.
Cocoa Suite 4
Lithium Batteries in Your Community, What You Need to Know by Rick Foster/Access Compliance LLC
Lithium battery use is growing rapidly, along with their use in electric vehicles (EVs). Lithium battery use is expanding at a very rapid pace and affecting our daily lives in both a positive and productive way; however, when there are new technical advances in our lives, the mass production advances will always outpace the safety, health, and environmental impacts. Some examples of these new products from our history include the use of lead, asbestos, mercury, PFAS, fluoride, talc, tobacco, etc. Most of these examples have an even greater impact when they are involved in an extreme heat (Fire) environment. Lithium batteries are no exception to this impact and are now a part of this list of examples.
Rick began his career with OSHA in 2010 as a Compliance Safety and Health Officer (CSHO) in region 2 (Albany, New York). Rick also worked for OSHA as a CSHO in Region 9 (Honolulu, American Samoa, Guam, and Saipan) for seven years before returning to the Albany OSHA office in 2017, and he was the Assistant Area Director for OSHA in Region 2 before his retirement in 2020. Rick has over 40 years’ experience as a safety professional, with most of that as the Corporate Safety Director.
Cocoa Suite 5
Speaking the Same Language: Multi-Generational Communication by Kristy Shinn/Rettew
Are you and your colleagues speaking the same language? With many offices having four to five different generations working together, this can be difficult. The trends of each generation will be discussed, including how they prefer to work and how they prefer to communicate. Participants will leave with information regarding each generation’s preferences, best practices, and prompts to start better communicating in their departments and teams.
Kristy Shinn, MS, CIT, is an accomplished entrepreneur, trainer, and presenter in the Human Capital space. As the Training & Development Manager at Rettew. Kristy is developing and expanding training to impact all areas of our lives - from Front-Line Leadership to Culture and Communication. Kristy is a captivating speaker, blending a mix of laughter, vulnerability, and challenging reflection.
Cocoa Suite 6
How to Build a Hand Safety Program: Reduce Hand Injuries & Improve Work Safety by Kate Crespo/Superior Glove
This session provides a comprehensive look at building a well-rounded hand safety program that prioritizes injury prevention and compliance. Participants will gain practical insights into foundational safety principles, understand the role of standards in guiding PPE choices, and learn how consultative, worker-focused approaches enhance program effectiveness. The session also highlights collaborative strategies for maximizing safety resources, offering a strategic framework that equips attendees with actionable knowledge for creating a safer workplace.
Kate Crespo, Hand Safety Program Manager at Superior Glove, has over 20 years of experience as a strategic account manager in the manufacturing vertical. Her focus is providing a program that helps companies understand the "why's" around the right PPE for each hazard.
4:15 pm - 5:30 pm Keynote: Stop, Collaborate, and Listen: Improving Safety Outcomes with Teamwork by SAFESTART
Red Room
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm - Networking in the Vendor Hall Grand Opening
White Room
50/50 Drawing at 5:50 pm