PARK RIDGE, Illinois — Workplace safety professionals across all industries can depend on the American Society of Safety Professionals’ (ASSP) Seminarfest 2019 in Las Vegas for an educational experience that is immersive, engaging and relevant to their jobs. This year, attendees can learn why the Total Worker Health model developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is the way of the future.

“The Total Worker Health approach can help break down organizational silos and foster a more holistic view of employee well-being,” said ASSP Senior Vice President Deborah Roy, MPH, COHN-S, CSP, corporate director of health, safety and wellness at L.L.Bean. Roy will lead a session on Total Worker Health at the Jan. 24-31 event.

Traditional occupational safety and health protection programs have concentrated on ensuring that workers are protected from the harms that arise from work itself. Total Worker Health builds on this approach by recognizing that job-related factors such as wages, hours of work, workload and stress levels, interactions with coworkers and access to paid leave can all impact the well-being of workers, their families and their communities. Risk factors in the workplace can contribute to health problems previously considered unrelated to work, such as abnormal weight fluctuations, sleep disorders, cardiovascular disease and depression.

“Safety professionals need to understand that Total Worker Health is a more comprehensive view of what they do,” Roy said. “It’s important to focus on the broader mission and what can be done to positively impact a worker’s overall well-being.”

According to Roy, one of the most important aspects of Total Worker Health is its emphasis on collaboration and coordination. Depending on the organizational structure, it’s possible that safety professionals, human resource managers and occupational health professionals are not interacting on a regular basis.

“If you’re in a large organization and you’re siloed and don’t talk to each other, then you don’t see opportunities,” Roy said. “You need to integrate with other areas of the business to effectively collaborate and develop a plan.”

Seminarfest 2019 features more than 90 courses from 40 expert facilitators, covering the industry’s most relevant topics. Sessions are organized by experience level and nine industry tracks. The full-day course format allows attendees to gain in-depth knowledge on a specific topic, which is a different approach than typical conferences that feature shorter presentations. Attendees also interact face-to-face with hundreds of safety professionals in expanding their network of contacts who share their passion for finding solutions to safety and health challenges.

Many safety professionals take significant steps after Seminarfest because they are empowered to achieve their professional goals. The event offers six certificate programs, including the Managed Fall Protection Certificate Program, to help safety professionals advance their careers and receive recognition for their expertise. Attendees can also earn up to 5.6 continuing education units (CEUs) across the full eight-day program and prepare for certification exams that lead to industry-preferred designations such as CSP, ASP, CHST and SMS.

Safety professionals can learn more about the vast educational opportunities at Seminarfest 2019 by visiting http://seminarfest.assp.org. Groups of five or more qualify for special rates by contacting ASSP group coordinator Nancy O’Toole at notoole@assp.org or 847.768.3466.

About ASSP – Working together for a safer, stronger future
For more than 100 years, the American Society of Safety Professionals has been at the forefront of helping occupational safety and health professionals protect people and property. The nonprofit society is based in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge. Its global membership of over 37,000 professionals covers every industry, developing safety and health management plans that prevent injuries, illnesses and deaths. ASSP advances its members and the safety profession through education, advocacy, standards development and a professional community. Its flagship publication, Professional Safety, is a longtime leader in the field. Visit www.assp.org and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.