Author: Events Team

Ken Smith, Executive Director of EHS at the University of California, delivered a roundtable on “Key Metrics and Message mapping for CEOs”

A roundtable discussion on the three most important metrics that every CEO should know about their EH&S program. The participants were able to share the key performance indicators shared by their senior leaders and the three key message points that every CEO should be able to convey about their companies health and safety program.

ABOUT KEN SMITH
Ken Smith is the Executive Director for Environmental Health and Safety for the University of California. In this position with the UC Office of the President, Ken provides systemwide direction, guidance and expertise to all 10 UC campuses, 5 UC Health Medical Centers that encompass 11 hospitals, as well as Agricultural and Natural Resources and 3 UC managed National Laboratories on matters of Environmental Health and Safety. Ken has served the UC system for 25 years in the practice of Environmental Health and Safety. An alumnus of UC Santa Cruz, Ken received his degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Ken holds board certifications in both Industrial Hygiene and Health Physics. Ken is a nationally recognized expert in Health and Safety in complex academic and research environments. He has been an invited speaker for organizations such as the American Chemical Society, American Industrial Hygiene Association, The California State University System, the California Industrial Hygiene Council, and the Campus Safety Environmental Health and Management Association. Ken also serves on the boards of the Laboratory Safety Institute and the UC Center for Laboratory Safety.

Max Rutz, Managing Director – Safety Strategy & Optimization, Delta Global Services (Delta Airlines) closed the OHS Leaders Summit USA with a presentation around “How will new technology solve the hardest safety problems we face?”

New technology will solve the oldest, hardest safety issues that we still face – and we don’t even exactly know how… yet. But, we can see the promise of new tech that is already here (or is on the horizon) that will change how we live and work, and can start to take action now to understand what’s possible, and see results sooner rather than later. Starting now means not needing to wait until these technologies are widely adopted, and we can partner with innovators to begin using this technology to solve our toughest problems today while also assisting in the development of what these technologies will look like in the coming years.

ABOUT MAX RUTZ
Max is the Managing Director for Safety Strategy at Delta Global Services. He is responsible for the development and implementation of key EHS strategies, analytics, and process improvements; as well as DGS’s EHS management framework and overall training implementation and compliance.

Vinay Ramanathan, Head of EHS, Sustainability and Remediation, Nokia Corp delivered a presentation around  “Sustainability – Setting long-term, transparent targets to differentiate the company”

Following a decade of profound global shifts, including rising support for protectionism and populism, major advances in technology, and increasing environmental and social challenges, the term sustainability and corporate responsibility has caught on in the boardroom, courtroom and living room.

However, in an era of fake news, Whatsapp news and rising mistrust in the media, the creditability of the movement is under fire. As stakeholders become disillusioned and distrustful, sustainability reporting must prove itself – quantifiable goals, real achievements green or blue washing. And, all of it must be verified by an outside source.

This session will talk about how some companies are setting long-term, contextual, practical and transparent targets utilizing different approaches. It will cover:

1. Market forces driving long term targets
2. What is Science based targets
3. How did Nokia go about setting long term targets?
4. Reporting requirements and other considerations

ABOUT VINAY RAMANATHAN
With multiple years of management consulting experience, Vinay has a broad base of strategy and operational experience across large and mid-size companies, developing and implementing various transformational strategies such as business process outsourcing, organizational restructuring, strategic cost reduction, process improvement, and technology implementation.
 

Patrick Hudson, Professor at Delft University, and Tim Hudson, Partner of Hudson Global Consulting, delivered a roundtable session on “Just and Fair Culture – Managing Compliance and Leadership”

This workshop examined why people break the rules and what you can do about it, using a state of the art model – Meeting Expectations. This model not only represents the most recent thinking about non-compliance, but also can be integrated into a model for Safety leadership. In particular the workshop explored the roles and responsibilities of workers, supervisors and management.

ABOUT PATRICK HUDSON
Patrick is a psychologist with wide experience of safety and management in a variety of high-hazard industries. Patrick has worked with the Oil and Gas sector, both upstream and downstream, commercial and military aviation, shipping, mining and hospital medicine. Patrick was one of the developers of the Tripod model for Shell, together with Jim Reason and Willem Wagenaar, better known as the Swiss Cheese model. Patrick was part of Shell’s team developing the theory of SMS in response to Piper Alpha and am now involved in teaching and developing SMS concepts in Civil Aviation, primarily in Asia and Australasia. Patrick developed the HSE Culture ladder, together with Dianne Parker and is now working on improving concepts of risk analysis in hospital medicine, transferring knowledge and experience between industries. Patrick is an Emeritus Professor at Delft University of Technology in The Human Factor in Safety at the Department of Safety Science.

ABOUT TIM HUDSON
Tim Hudson is a global thought leader in risk management and risk culture. Tim is currently engaged in developments in risk space and cultural theory understanding. In addition he consults in a range of industries including aviation, oil and gas, mining, and healthcare, where he has helped create true change within organisations as a partner at Hudson Global Consulting. A background in theoretical physics and business management enable a unique perspective on the challenges of modern operations.

Eric Linder, Executive Director, Health Safety and Security and Las Vegas Sands Corp, delivered a roundtable on “Advance Travel to Developing Countries”

Learn to advance your companies employees and VIPs into developing and unsafe locations without them feeling any sense of fear. Learn to prepare and advance the locations, hospitals, embassies as well relations with local governments. Learn to respond to natural disasters and how to repatriate if necessary.

ABOUT ERIC LINDER
Over 25 years in Law Enforcement, Military, International Peacekeeping and Corporate Security & Safety. Started in 1986 in Aerospace Rescue in the USAF, later cross trained to Security Police (Honor Graduate) and served in Operation Desert Storm. Served as a Diplomatic Protection Agent. Recipient of several medals and accommodations to include the USAF Achievement Medal. Later joined the Las Vegas Metro Police Department and served in several units to include; Gang Intelligence, Fugitive Detail, Problem Solving Unit, Felony Apprehension Team, Field Training Officer, Tactical Medic and Crisis Negotiator. While on LVMPD, I received a international fellowship to Israel for intelligence, tactical medicine and counter terrorism. Worked in units to include; INTERPOL, Border Guard and IDF Special Forces Unit 669 (Pararescue), EPT for former Chief Rabbi of Israel. In 2002 after 9-11 I joined the newly revised Federal Air Marshal Program as an Agent and Instructor. I worked as a FAM for 2- 1/2 years in the Las Vegas Field Office. Received two on the spot cash bonuses for outstanding work ethics and creating a class now used in the FLETC academy. 2004 deployed to Kosovo on a International Peacekeeping mission as the Director of Major Crime, Command Staff position with 509 peacekeepers directly under my command and 7500 in-directly. Worked in forward post war area and personally conducted media briefings and traveled for delegations with Serbia officials. In 2007 I was hired by the Las Vegas Sands Corp., which owns and operates The Venetian Hotel, Palazzo Hotel, Sands Convention Center, Venetian Macau, Sands Macau and Singapore. I hold the position of Executive Director of Health, Safety & Security for the Aviation Department and international travel. As a remote medical practitioner (RMP) I practice expedition medicine in austere & remote locations in a professional and volunteer setting.

Robert Sheninger, Vice President – Health, Safety & Environment at Talos Energy, delivered a workshop around “Increasing Employee Engagement & Empowerment Utilizing a Recurrent Risk Assessment Approach”

Most organizations have a variety of tools in place to identify hazards, yet the quality and effectiveness of these tools are often lacking. Inadequate hazard identification often leads to incidents because organizations have not invested the time and effort to develop a robust hazard identification and control process. This session focused on the synergies created by incorporating existing hazard identification tools (Job Safety Analysis, Behavior-Based Observations, Incident Investigations, Management of Change) into a continual risk assessment methodology that ultimately gets more people involved in the HSE process while promoting the use of Stop Work Authority.

ABOUT ROBERT SHENINGER
Robert Sheninger currently serves as the Vice President Health, Safety, Environment (HSE) for Talos Energy, an independent oil & gas company focused on offshore exploration and production. Mr. Sheninger is an energetic leader with over 21 years of progressive HSE experience focusing on global leadership and sharing of best practices including, but not limited to, implementation of HSE Management Systems, incident reporting/analysis with focus on Tap Root methodology, and use of leading indicators to influence performance. Mr. Sheninger has extensive experience in the oil/gas industry and has facilitated an interface with business and functional leaders working to develop sound strategic initiatives. Mr. Sheninger has a Master of Science in Industrial Health from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor and is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and Certified Safety and Health Manager (CSHM).

Robert Emery, Vice President/Professor at University Texas, delivered a workshop around “Health and Safety’s Role in Mitigating Insider Threat Security Risks”

While organizations maintain many layers of controls to prevent outsiders from gaining unauthorized access to cause loss or harm, persons who have been granted legitimate access can become an “insider threat”, and because they are very difficult to detect, cause over $100 billon is losses annually. Although the typical insider targets assets or data, in some cases their actions can also have significant impacts on workplace and environmental health and safety. Because much of an organization’s health and safety program activities are carried out with the workers in their workplace, this represents a unique opportunity to assist in the possible detection of insider threats. This presentation will discuss the threats represented by insiders and will detail their recognized traits so that health and safety professionals can enhance their situational awareness and report suspicions to the appropriate authorities.

ABOUT ROBERT EMERY
Dr. Robert Emery is Vice President for Safety, Health, Environment & Risk Management for The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Professor of Occupational Health at the University of Texas School of Public Health. Bob has over 30 years of experience in health & safety and holds master’s degrees in health physics and environmental sciences, and a doctorate in occupational health. Bob is unique in that he possesses national board certification and registration in seven main areas of health & safety.

Wesley Witt, Director of Quality & HSE North America at Siemens Gamesa delivered a workshop around “Social Media Platforms and Behavioral Influence for Improvement of Proactive Safety”

One of the many challenges in safety management today is how to influence culture, safe actions, and decision making in an open loop system with employees spread across the country. Basically, the challenge is how do we get people to make the lower risk decision when nobody is looking and free will is the biggest influence in the room. This means effectively influencing employees to act with the core values and expectations communicated to them from their leadership when they have the choice to take safe action or look the other way. The key is utilizing a page from the playbook of social media platforms and consumer influence and apply this to safety management to influence behavior and decision making. If Starbucks can influence millions of people to stop for a coffee because they watched their friend check into Starbucks on Facebook, then we can use the same concept to drive employees to take safe actions to mitigate risks or hazards with social influence.

ABOUT WESLEY WITT
Wesley is currently the director of the quality management and environmental health & safety for Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Service North America. Wesley has more than 12 years in the energy service industry in quality and safety management from the project level to executive management. Wesley has been implementing human performance and resilience engineering practices into Siemens energy service operations in 2008. Wesley has a patent pending with Siemens for a Resilience Management System process to manage risk and error likely situations to reduce safety and quality loss to organizations. Wesley has authored several articles on resilience engineering and human performance practices and received his master’s degree in Safety, Security and Emergency Management from Eastern Kentucky University.

Fred Bonewell, Chief Security and Safety Officer at CPS Energy, delivered a presentation around “Generation Y & Safety”

Many of us in the workforce who provide training today went to school at a time when the teacher was the “source of knowledge”, putting facts on a blackboard with students copying the text and then being tested on their recall of that knowledge. The generation joining the workplace for the first time now were not taught at school like this, and don’t expect to be taught at work like this. Generation Y (and Z) , which includes anyone born after 1980, were taught using active, participative methods. They were expected to research facts for themselves, and the younger millennials watched YouTube videos for homework. Instead of essays, they made papier-mâché models of cells for biology, and videos about climate change for geography. Understanding how to strive to obtain ZERO HARM with the Generation Y employees calls for a particular style of learning and leading.

ABOUT FRED BONEWELL
Fred Bonewell Chief Security & Safety Officer at CPS Energy as a direct report to the President & CEO he oversees all of CPS Energy’s Enterprise & Public Safety, Cyber & Physical Security, Fleet Operations, Business Continuity, and Labor Relations. As a result of a behavior-based safety program, the company continues to experience a reduction in employee accidents through the promotion of safety awareness. A similar approach is being implemented externally to encourage safety among contractors as well as customers.
Bonewell has more than 30 years of progressive leadership experience in employee health and safety, risk, workers’ compensation, and labor relations. In 2016, he was recognized by the National Safety Council for Distinguished Service to Safety. He has worked for Louisville Gas & Electric, Florida Power & Light, and Enel Spa based in Rome Italy.
Bonewell is a graduate of Indiana State University.