About our Sessions & Speakers
Psychological Safety
Ross Gibson is a leadership and organizational development consultant/facilitator. As the Director, Client Services, Employee Benefits Practice at The Richards Group (TRG), Ross works with organizations to help develop positive leadership growth. Prior to working as a consultant, Ross was a senior human resources practitioner with several organizations. Ross has a BA in Social Psychology from Tufts University and an MA in Management from Brandeis University. Ross is active in several local and regional Human Resources and training organizations. Currently, he is on the Board of the Governor’s Institute of Vermont (GIV) and the Vermont State Council of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM).
Ross will be reviewing key principles of Psychological Safety @ Work. Increasingly, organizations have come to understand that one of the true keys to organizational wellness and business success is increasing the level of Employee Engagement within their organizations. There is plenty of research and documentation to support this understanding. In this session, we will go a little deeper and look at the most critical factor in employee engagement, better performing teams and increased retention rates: Psychological Safety & Wellness. Learn what diverse industries such as airlines, healthcare, nuclear power operators and companies like Google have found: organizations with higher levels of psychological safety have more engaged, more empowered and more connected employees. Attendees will learn more about how to identify and increase psychological safety & wellness within our organizations and will leave with three key take-aways will be immediately applicable anywhere.
Critters and Other Outdoor Work Hazards
“Mother Nature” isn’t always the kind, benevolent maternal figure she’s made out to be. Whether it’s ticks, poisonous plants, or extreme temperatures, outdoor work can present health & safety hazards. Join Katie Fredrick, Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Construction Health & Safety Technician (CHST), and Occupational Hygiene & Safety Technician (OHST) to learn more about those hazards and how they can be mitigated.
Katie is President and CEO of ASC, LLC, a company that provides employee safety training and OSHA compliance consulting services. Katie has over 10-years of occupational safety and health experience and won the Women in Safety Award for OSHA’s Region 1 in 2022. She is an Authorized trainer for OSHA’s 10 & 30-hour courses and works with companies of all sizes to achieve and maintain OSHA compliance at their workplace.
Machine Guarding & Lockout/Tagout
Karl Hayden is the VOSHA Compliance Supervisor and has been with VOSHA for 9 years. He holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Geology. He has 19 years in biotech pharmaceutical manufacturing and chemical pharmaceutical manufacturing, over 2 years of mining industry exploration experience, and 2 years making artisan cheese. These past careers now give Karl insight in helping Vermont employers.
Karl will be discussing the most common issues seen with the Machine Guarding and Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) standards. While the two standards are separate, violations/problems with either tend to result in amputations or fatalities. Amputation is one of our most common incidents in Vermont. From Karl’s experience, it seems that when an employer has bad guarding, they usually also have bad LOTO.
Randy Yandow began his electrical career in 1985 as an electrical apprentice for the IBEW. In 1991, he became a licensed Master Electrician and worked for a local union contractor in Vermont. He worked primarily in the industrial field for IBM as a contractor before being hired by IBM to work in their High Voltage Department. Randy attended specialized training at the AVO institute in Dallas, Texas and at the University of Tennessee which led Randy to become a 3rd year instructor in the IBEW Apprenticeship Training Program. In that capacity, Randy taught on the subjects of industrial motor controls, semiconductor electronics, safety and PLCs. Randy also spent several years at the Champlain Cable Corporation, a worldwide wire manufacturer, as the Facilities Master Electrician, prior to joining Workplace Safety Solutions, Inc. Randy is presently the President of WorkSafe New England, adjunct faculty at Keene State College, and a lead instructor with the OSHA Training Institute and Educational Center. In his free time Randy enjoys hunting and fishing with his three sons and following his boys who play soccer, basketball, and baseball which he is passionate about. Randy is an accomplished basketball referee and baseball umpire working at both the high school and collegiate levels.
Randy will be discussing employer responsibilities and the Electrical Safety Program. He will draw upon the OSHA regulations and the NFPA-70E and describe how folks who “do” Safety/EHS at their company, can assist their employer in meeting those requirements.
Mold in the Workplace
Airborne mold spores are a ubiquitous element of the outdoor and indoor environments. Under certain conditions mold spores can propagate mold growth leading to a risk of negative health outcomes. Learn about this notoriously misunderstood part-time workplace hazard.
Shawn Barth is an Industrial Hygienist with Project WorkSAFE. He received a Bachelor of Science in Safety Studies from Keene State College in 2011 and a Master of Public Health degree from UVM in December 2018. During his free time Shawn enjoys skiing, hiking, and paddling his canoe around the many ponds, lakes, and rivers in the region.
Forming & Sustaining a Viable Safety Committee – Panel Discussion
In this moderated discussion, panelists David Kiser, Holly LeClair, and Harland Miller, will be sharing their success stories and “cautionary tales” about creating and maintaining high energy, effective safety committees. Our moderator is Rob Towle.
Rob graduated from Champlain College in Hotel-Restaurant Management. He has been a Safety Sales Professional since 2007, specializing in PPE, Fall Protection, Lifting Devices as well as safety trainings such as LOTO, 70E, OSHA 10, etc. Rob was the Co-Chair (Management Member) for UPS Supply Chain Safety Committee-Rotterdam NY for almost 5 years from 2003-2007, helping to form the Safety Committee. He has served as Chair of the Rutland Chapter of VSHC. He helped found and served on the Bennington Chapter and the Southeast Chapter of VSHC. Rob currently serves as the Chair of the Southern Chapter of VSHC and served as Alternate Member to the Board of Directors of VSHC in 2022.
David Kiser is an experienced EHS Manager at Hypertherm Associates in Hanover, New Hampshire. He has over 20 years of experience in the manufacturing industry and helps to oversee EHS management and strategy for Hypertherm’s New Hampshire operations. Dave has overseen the evolution of Hypertherm’s safety and ergonomics program, was instrumental in helping Hypertherm become an OSHA VPP company and was recently named the Region 1 Special Government Employee of the Year. Dave has assisted with training workshops, supported the New Hampshire OSHA Roundtable, and has met with and mentored local area companies. Additionally, Dave has provided the Region 1 OSHA office with robotics safety training, is a volunteer member of the Upper Valley Haven’s safety committee, is a long-time volunteer and Board member of the New England Chapter of the National Safety Council and has been a frequent guest speaker at the National Safety Council’s annual New Hampshire conference. Dave graduated from Keene State College in 2002 and completed his Master’s Degree in Occupational Safety and Health in 2013. Dave is married with two young children, ages 6 and 8 years old. His passions also include skiing and fishing.
Holly LeClair, ARM, CRIS began her career in health and safety in 1995 when she became a safety officer for a construction company. From there she has worked in the insurance industry and ran a safety consulting program for 20 years. 3 years ago, she went back into the construction industry and is the Director of Health, Safety and Risk Management for ReArch Company. Holly holds her ARM and CRIS designations and, fun fact, she was a Keene State OTI Instructor from 2000-2018.
Harland Miller, CSP is an Environment, Health, and Safety (EH&S) professional with Collins Aerospace in Vergennes, Vermont. Vergennes is the design and manufacturing center for numerous products that serve commercial and military aerospace customers, employing approximately 900 individuals. Prior to Collins Aerospace, he enjoyed 14 years of EHS consulting, specializing in Building Science, Industrial Hygiene, and Training. He is a Vermonter born and raised, graduating from the University of Vermont with a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources. Along with his wife and two boys, they are active members in the Winooski community. They enjoy traveling, adventuring outdoors (skiing, biking and hiking) and eclectic music.