New this year at the NSC Congress & Expo is “The Experience of Seeing Safety.” The interactive exercises developed by the Center of Visual Expertise (COVE), in collaboration with the Toledo Museum of Art, will teach attendees to see differently and apply new skills to key elements of their own safety program.

COVE says as much as 90% of what you think you "see" is actually your brain filling in the blanks based on memory and past experience, according to neuroscience and research. Making quick assumptions and overlooking what's right in front of you will often lead to preventable errors, and that’s where the idea of visual literacy comes from.

The elements of art and design – color, line, shape, space, texture, balance, movement, proportion and harmony – are invaluable tools in the workplace, COVE says. Visual literacy is a proven approach to processing visual information more efficiently. It provides structured, step-by-step methodology so you can "see" better, and therefore identify, interpret and interact with your environment based on clear, accurate visual information.Learn more about visual literacy at booth 2735 this week in Houston.