The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) has opened registration for its 60th annual event. The Safety 2021 Professional Development Conference and Exposition will be held Sept. 13-15 in Austin, Texas, as a hybrid experience that features online and in-person components. The event will enable occupational safety and health professionals to access continuing education like never before.

“It will be a dynamic learning and networking experience, and we are incorporating heightened safety and health measures to safeguard all in-person attendees,” said ASSP President Deborah Roy, M.P.H., RN, COHN-S, CSP, CIT, FASSP, FAAOHN. “We are excited about what we have in store for industry professionals worldwide.”

ASSP members protect workers around the globe and look to Safety 2021 to expand their professional development and find solutions to workplace safety issues. ASSP will enhance the in-person event at the Austin Convention Center with an engaging virtual component that features mobile compatibility for unprecedented access. While parts of the conference will be livestreamed from Austin, the education and networking opportunities will be tailored to the needs of in-person and online attendees.

“Expect a conference experience that is mindful of the public safety and health challenges we continue to face,” Roy said. “We are working diligently with facility management to provide safe opportunities for members and other safety professionals to learn and reconnect with one another to enhance their careers.”

At this time, on-site safeguards involve contactless registration, physical distancing, designated entrances and exits, one-direction aisles, seating limits in meeting rooms and frequent cleaning of common areas. ASSP will also promote healthy habits such as consistent handwashing and the use of hand sanitizer. The event will host a variety of food trucks for outdoor eating in addition to the many restaurants located near the convention center.

Under ASSP’s current safety plan, in-person attendees will need to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of the event. Other protocols include mandatory face coverings at the convention center and main conference hotel, but this may change. ASSP continues to assess public health guidance on masks in large gatherings and will update attendees on all safety and health requirements as the event draws closer.

ASSP’s signature event, which debuted in 1962, highlights best practices, industry trends and the latest product innovations. Concurrent sessions by industry trendsetters provide practical information that can be used today and in the future to protect workers, enhance business operations and advance careers. The expo will feature hundreds of companies showcasing safety solutions. The virtual component will present additional concurrent sessions, networking and an online expo where attendees can watch product demonstrations and connect with exhibitors.

The conference’s popular general and plenary sessions that aim to inspire, entertain and inform will be livestreamed so that in-person and online attendees experience them together in real time.

Safety professionals attending in Austin can earn 1.2 continuing education units (CEUs) for career advancement. All registrations include 60-day on-demand access to sessions recorded for the online event that provide an additional 6.0 CEUs, enabling attendees to earn up to 7.2 total. Online-only registrants can earn up to 6.4 CEUs.

The four-story convention center in downtown Austin is surrounded by dozens of museums and art galleries as well as the Zilker Botanical Garden. The city is also known as the live music capital of the world. While ASSP is committed to Austin, organizers continue to monitor developments there. If the public health environment does not continue to improve as expected, ASSP has the flexibility to shift the conference to an all-virtual event.

Safety and health professionals can register online and get the discounted “super early rate” through June 25. Groups from the same company can save on the entire conference by contacting ASSP group coordinator Nancy O’Toole at 847.768.3466 or notoole@assp.org. ASSP is also offering an expo-only pass for the first time.

Stay informed of the latest Safety 2021 news and current safety and health protocols at safety.assp.org.