Denver - Along with all the educational sessions you normally will find at the annual American Society of Safety Professionals’ annual meeting and expo, being held this week in Denver, some of this year’s talks take on the zeitgeist, the spirit of the times. 

Specifically, how to handle safety in “an ambiguous, volatile, complex and uncertain world” – the title of one session. ASSP’s Career Advancement Center is devoting several panels and talks to building and sustaining successful careers amid the fast-paced, unpredictable and contentious times. “Safety in a Divided World” is another session’s title.

There is the so-called “new view” of safety, a paradigm shift away from compliance to accepting human error. This is also a new era for safety. Change is the one certainty. “How is my job going to change?” “Will artificial intelligence reduce my workforce?” “Will AI eliminate safety jobs?” “Is my company stable?” “How will the presidential election affect safety?”

“Complexity” and the “complexities of safety” is the theme of several sessions here, and numerous conversations. This year’s conference is a clear indication that safety is no longer just a matter of hard skills and soft skills. It requires a perceptiveness of the bigger picture – economics, politics and social issues. Staying in tune with the news and developments, networking with peers and attending meetings like the ASSP conference is more important than ever.