Corporate Executives Share Safety Perspectives at ASSE's Annual Conference
Business leaders discussed their views on the importance of occupational safety and health in their organizations and the expectations business and industry leaders have for their companies' safety and health practitioners at the "Executive Summit" on June 27, 2007 during the American Society of Safety Engineers' Professional Development Conference and Exposition. Some of the advice given: Know the business, develop management and leadership skills, partner, and be selective.
Participants on the panel included Barclay Olson, president of the Textron Industrial Segment; Renee Rizzuti, NHA, assistant vice president for Carolinas Healthcare System; David Swindle, president of IAP Worldwide Service; and Gerry Schepers, senior vice president of ABB. Presented to an audience of nearly 2,000 occupational safety, health, and environmental professionals, the discussion covered corporate safety needs and what was expected from a company's occupational safety and health staff. A wide array of real-time examples and suggestions from a global perspective were provided.
Rizzuti noted that when it comes to instilling the importance of safety among employees, safety is part of her company's core values, along with integrity. These carry over in the way the employees work with the general public and the community.
Speaking about budget-related barriers to implementing new safety systems for them, Rizzuti said "there is never a bad safety idea, but it is tough when we're faced with having to choose, such as when dealing with the capital budget."
More than 3,600 people from 44 countries attended the June 24- 27 Safety 2007 conference.