A spirited Plenary Session on Wednesday, June 21, will be held town hall-style, featuring some of the most recognizable names in safety. They will focus on the controversial topic of behavior-based safety (BBS) to understand the human side of safety performance improvement in a time of political transition and de-regulation.

The Plenary Session, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, organizers want attendees to join some of the biggest names in safety in “this time of political transition and potential de-regulation for a spirited discussion on a topic that remains controversial – as we try to find common ground.”

While BSS remains both popular and controversial, promising new approaches are emerging, such as Human and Organizational Performance (HOP). Some questions that will be discussed during the Plenary Session are: How should OSH and operations leaders be thinking about these approaches? Has BBS run its course and are we ready for something new? Does HOP remedy the shortcomings of BBS? What are the essential differences between BBS and HOP?

The will be explored in an open forum dialogue moderated by Tom Krause. Tom will discuss these issues with thought leaders from each approach, along with senior leaders experienced in the use of each method. The objective of the dialogue will be to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. Speakers include Dr. E. Scott Geller, Senior Partner, Safety Performance Solutions, and Alumni Distinguished Professor, Center for Applied Behavior Systems, and Dr. Todd Conklin, Senior Advisor to the Associate Director, Los Alamos National Laboratory.

And, as with past Plenary sessions, attendees will be able to join in on the conversation and ask questions to the Town Hall panelists.