25-Year View: Howard to Headline ISEA/NIOSH Symposium
How will workers be protected in 2033? The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) seeks to answer that question with a Nov. 10-11 symposium in Arlington, Va., being held in cooperation with NIOSH. Protection2033 is that name, and ISEA -- now celebrating its 75th anniversary -- notes the symposium will examine workplace hazards and worker protection in what will be the association's centennial year.
The speakers will include Dr. John Howard, who recently ended a six-year term as director of NIOSH; futurist John Mahaffie, author of "Future Work," who will discuss the changing nature of work; and Richard W. Siegel, professor of materials engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and director of its Nanotechnology Center, who will look at the role of new materials in the design and manufacture of PPE. Howard will discuss the future of worker safety and regulation and probably will delve into nano himself, given his interest in and knowledge of the subject. The luncheon speaker will be Howard Fineman, Newsweek's chief political correspondent, who will be able to survey the outcome of the U.S. election one week earlier.
The symposium is part of the ISEA Fall Meeting, including the general membership meeting, which will be held Nov. 10 from 3 to 5 p.m. Product group chairs will report on revisions of standards and standards projects underway. ISEA Chairman Bill Lambert of MSA will present the 2009 ISEA Strategic Plan, and members will vote on the association’s 2009 budget.
On the evening of Nov. 10, ISEA will honor John T. Ryan III, board chairman of MSA and the 2008 recipient of the Robert B. Hurley Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes individuals who have dedicated their professional lives to workers' safety. The Fall Meeting takes place Nov. 10-12 at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City Hotel, with a registration fee of $575 covering all activities.