Chicago is Buzzing with Safety Professionals at Safety 2022
- By Sydny Shepard
- Jun 27, 2022
While Chicago is an amazing place, I don’t think the Windy City had much to do with the electric buzz felt between attendees at the American Society of Safety Professional’s Safety 2022 Professional Development Conference & Exposition on Monday, June 27. As safety professionals filed into the Skyline Ballroom at McCormick Place bright and early, the animated greetings between attendees was evidence of the excitement at the conference’s Opening Session.
The conference and exposition, which will take place from June 27 - 29, will provide attendees with an opportunity to network, learn and professionally grow in an atmosphere where they are surrounded by professionals itching to connect with one another.
In a way, the first day of the conference felt like a celebration, like a collective sigh of relief in acknowledgment that the last two and a half years had more downs than ups and, yet, somehow made it through to the other side.
While the Covid-19 pandemic still gets top billing in the movie rights of 2022, there’s finally light at the end of the tunnel for those who worked tirelessly to ensure that essential workers were safe in one of the most uncertain moments of our lifetimes. There’s finally space to stop and reflect on the last few years and the inspiring work that has been done, space to realize that you are a hero.
When you ask Kevin Brown, keynote speaker at the Opening Session, what a hero is, he will tell you.
“What does it mean to be a hero?” Brown asked the crowd Monday morning. “It means bringing the best version of yourself to this little place called now.”
But what makes up the best version of yourself? Is it your upbringing? Your education? Or is it the people you surround yourself with? The influencers and educators you learn and grow from?
For safety professionals, it’s the coworkers, leaders, educators, CSPs and CIHs you surround yourself with to shape your best version.
In Chicago, and online through their virtual platform, this week, ASSP has given thousands of safety professionals the opportunity to reach beyond. An opportunity to not only work on their best selves but to invest in the best selves of others — strengthening thijs community of professionals who serve the OSH industry each day.
To learn more about ASSP’s Safety 2022, visit safety.assp.org or follow OH&S’ coverage at the event at ohsonline.com/live.
About the Author
Sydny Shepard is the former editor of Occupational Health & Safety.