Executive Q&A: Making the Business Case for Ergonomics -- Occupational Health & Safety

Executive Q&A: Making the Business Case for Ergonomics

Date: Tuesday February 24, 2026 at 2:00pm ET - 1:00pm CT - 11:00am PT

Many safety managers know ergonomics is a major driver of injuries, lost time, and rising costs, but struggle to explain its true impact in a way leadership understands. While some might view ergonomics as an operational or safety “sidecar,” it is a non-negotiable business imperative, given its impact on risk, cost, productivity and workplace sustainability. However, without a clear business case, ergonomics programs often remain underfunded, reactive, or sidelined in favor of more visible safety priorities.

In this live Executive Q&A session, Blake McGowan, Head of Product Marketing for VelocityEHS and Senior Principal Ergonomics Technical Fellow, will explore how safety and health leaders can reframe ergonomics as both a business risk and an opportunity that executives understand. The discussion will focus on translating musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risk into leadership language, uncovering both known and hidden ergonomics-related risks, and connecting ergonomics efforts to outcomes such as productivity, quality, absenteeism and turnover.

While Occupational Health & Safety Executive Editor and Publisher David Kopf will interview McGowan on key ergonomics topics, most of the session will be dedicated to answering audience questions. So, bring your real-world challenges and get candid insight into how leading organizations are approaching ergonomics decision-making today.

About the Speaker:

Blake McGowan, Head of Product Marketing and Senior Principal Ergonomics Technical Fellow, VelocityEHS

Blake McGowan is Head of Product Marketing and Senior Principal Ergonomics Technical Fellow at VelocityEHS, with more than 25 years of experience helping global manufacturing organizations design, deploy, and sustain formalized ergonomics programs that achieve best-in-class performance. In his current role, Blake is responsible for translating deep customer and market insights into go-to-market strategy, positioning, and thought leadership, ensuring VelocityEHS ergonomics solutions deliver measurable business, risk, and workforce outcomes.

Moderator:

David Kopf, Executive Editor and Publisher, OH&S

A career business media professional, David Kopf has led OH&S since January 2023. He has been with OH&S’s parent company 1105 Media since 2007, previously publishing and editing titles for the post-acute healthcare market. Prior to that, Kopf has served in various editorial capacities in the telecommunications, data communications, banking and power sports industries. Kopf is committed to reinforcing and expanding OH&S’s value and range of services for workplace safety professionals, and the Executive Q&A webinar series is the latest example of that initiative.

Date: Feb 24, 2026

Time: 11:00am PT

Duration: 1 hour

First Name

Last Name

Company

Job Title

Country

Address

State/Province

City

Postal Code

Phone

Phone ext

Please select the primary function for which you are responsible.

Which category best describes the primary end product manufactured or service performed at your business?

I agree to receive email communications from 1105 Media, Inc. containing news, updates and promotions regarding offers from select vendors. I understand that I can withdraw consent at any time.

Your e-mail address is used to communicate with you about your registration, related products and services, and offers from select vendors. Refer to our Privacy Policy for additional information.