20th Annual
Greater St. Louis Safety and Health
Conference
PRESENTERS
Brian Bauer, LPC, SAP, CEAP, Director of EAP Sales, H&H Health Associates, LLC will present “Pot is Hot: A Joint Session."
Steve Bell, President, Owner, Employers Health & Safety, Inc. will present “Fall Protection: Mobile Elevated Work Platforms." With over 24 years’ experience in the Environmental Safety & Health field Steve and his company have a proven history in helping companies achieve lower incident rates, reduced litigation liabilities, as well as minimizing / eliminating any possible OSHA, EPA, DNR, and or DOT Compliance Citations. Steve also promotes working with all state and local agencies to achieve total compliance for his customers. “The success of my company comes from working at all levels of the organization to help each and every team member to understand their personal need for following all Environmental Safety & Health Rules and Regulations to help improve the processes of the company as well as to help improve their quality of life for their future.” St Louis.
Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division Captain will present “DOT Inspection (regulated).”
Corey Hayes, Safety Director, Alberici Constructors will present “Near Miss Program.”
Ryan Hodge, Deputy Regional Administrator for OSHA's Region VII in Kansas City, Missouri will give an “OSHA UPDATE." He has been with OSHA for 14 years. Prior to joining the Kansas City Regional Office, he served as Compliance Officer, Assistant Area Director, and Area Director in the Wichita Area OSHA Office. Prior to joining OSHA, he was a safety engineer in the aircraft manufacturing industry. Ryan grew up in Wichita and obtained his Bachelor of Science from Kansas State University and a Master of Public Health from the University of Kansas. He is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH). His hobbies include home improvement projects, working on classic cars, and spending time with his family.
John Launius, a media and technology consultant and executive working in government, education, technology, and media sectors will present “Personal Safety: Situational Awareness." He is a third-degree black belt in Gōjū-ryū (剛柔流) Aikido and holds other black belt degrees in TaeKwonDo, Shotokan, and Judo. As a former defense contractor assigned to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other intelligence agencies, John has trained personnel in defensive tactics and other lifesaving and awareness skills. He has certified military and government personnel, police officers, first responders, and civilian organizations in a range of “use of force” policies. In the domain of awareness, as a Certified Consulting Hypnotherapist (CH), he has instructed first responders, law enforcement, and special agents in proven methods of expanding everyday awareness to a heightened level leading to improved conscious and subconscious perception and elevated personal safety in all situations. You will learn to use many of these techniques during the course to benefit your daily life.
Steve Miller, Vice President of Safety, Central Region with McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. will be presenting “Transition from Hard Hats to Helmets.” Steve oversees all aspects of McCarthy’s safety program in creating the safest work environment for its employees, trade partners and owners. Steve has been with McCarthy for 22 years and has over 23 years in the construction industry.
Steve is a member of the St. Louis Associated General Contractors Safety and Health Committee, the Association of Union Contractors Safety and Health Committee, the American Society of Safety Engineers and the National Safety Council. He graduated from Central Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in safety management.
Domini Montgomery, Director of Safety & Risk Management, Saint Louis Zoo will present "Warehouse and Yard Safety." Since June of 2015, Domini has managed all aspects of the Safety & Risk Management Department, as well as the First Aid Station. Domini works with all departments on training and record keeping, compliance, and maintains written policies and procedures. She is passionate about creating safe and enjoyable experiences for everyone; she works with both staff and guests every day and is focused on keeping safety a top priority and ensuring everyone goes home no worse for wear than when they arrived.
Domini has a background in biology, public health, and safety from which to draw experience, and has focused the last 7 years on guest and staff safety, disaster preparedness, and environmental health. 2020 brought with it new challenges for everyone, but an amazing Safety & Risk Management team and excellent dedication and commitment to safety across the organization meant that there was nothing that couldn’t be conquered!
Elizabeth Niedringhaus, President and CEO, System Service Enterprises, Inc. will present " Emerging Threats and Cybersecurity Best Practices for your Business." Elizabeth Niedringhaus is the President and CEO of Systems Service Enterprises, Inc. (SSE), a Women’s Owned Small Business that was founded by her mother, Susan S. Elliott in 1966. Since the advent of the PC in 1983, SSE has been recognized as a leader in IT and Training Solutions; most recently in the top 100 of all IT managed service providers worldwide by MSPMentor. Serving the defense industrial base and financial services sector since 2009, SSE has a robust network and cybersecurity services practice that is focused on compliance. As an ISO 9001:2015 certified organization, has not only the technical expertise, but the disciplined processes and business maturity to deliver world-class solutions. SSE is headquartered in St. Louis and can serve clients.
Mr. Reams serves on the National Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Task Force and regularly promotes and presents on Mental Wellbeing and Suicide Prevention throughout the construction industry.
He has served as the President of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) St. Lous Chapter and is an active member of several other local and national safety boards and committees including the American General Contractors (AGC), the American Subcontractors Association (ASA), the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA), the St. Louis Council of Construction Consumers (SLC3), the Association of Union Contractors (TAUC), the National Association of Construction Boilermaker Employers (NACBE), and The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA).
Ricky Reams, Vice President of Safety and Quality, Murphy Company will present "Mental Wellbeing & Suicide Prevention Applicable Lessons Learned from the Construction Industry." Ricky has over 25 Years’ experience as a safety professional and consultant in a variety of industries in both the public and private Sectors. Mr. Reams was recently awarded 2022 Safety Professional of the Year award from the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA) and was given the 2022 Safety Professional of the Year (SPY) Award from the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP).
Matthew Skaggs, Trench Safety Representative, United Rentals will be presenting “Trench Safety.” Matt has been in the shoring and excavation safety business for over 4 years. He works in Trench Safety where he specializes in Shoring and confined space equipment.
Steve Summers, Field Service Manager, Missouri Employers Mutual will be presenting “An Effective Injury Action Plan.” Steve Summers is a Field Services Manager at Missouri Employers Mutual. He is responsible for working directly with policyholders to maximize overall claim outcomes using industry-accepted best practices and effective incident management. He also provides technical support and staff training and conducts on-site incident and subrogation investigations.
Summers has 23+ years of experience in the workers compensation industry. He has held past positions in the gaming and healthcare industries. At MEM, he serves as direct liaison between the Claims Department and their Agency Partners, striving for mutual new business growth and existing policyholder retention.
Summers has extensive practice in managing and supervising multi-jurisdictional claims from coast to coast in both insured and self-insured environments. His experience extends to nationwide carriers, third party administrators, and self-administered employers. He is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University.
John Stephens, Director of Sales, Michelin Connected Fleet will present “Your Route to a Safer Smarter Fleet." John Stephens with more than 30 years of experience working with Michelin’s large national Accounts, John Stephens offers the expertise and experience to Manage and Develop a team to grow in a very demanding and evolving market. John Stephens has been named NAFA group champion in 2021, a member of the One Club in 2019 and won the Pace setter award in 2007 as a Strategic Account Manager. All three awards were given to the top performing Strategic Account Manager with exceptional results for the respective years. In addition, John has had the opportunity to serve in other capacities such as Regional Manager for 5 years, Market Analysist for 2 years and various roles working with all types of National Account fleets at all levels. In 2022 John transitioned over to Michelin Connected Fleet to assist in growing Michelin Fleet Management business.
Danielle Tabers, Account Executive, Woodard Cleaning & Restoration present “When Chaos Strikes: Navigating Emergency Action Plans for Chemical Spills and Category 3 Water Losses." With a focus on partnering with commercial facilities, Danielle specializes in delivering emergency restoration services and proactive loss prevention strategies. Drawing on her expertise, she works closely with clients to swiftly respond to unforeseen losses and collaborates on comprehensive preparedness plans. Danielle's deep industry knowledge and dedication to exceptional service drive her to provide tailored solutions that protect businesses and minimize disruptions. With her guidance, facilities can be confident in their ability to handle any challenges that may arise.
Adriana Thompson, Industrial Hygienist, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Saint Louis Area Office will present "An OSHA Interesting Case: A Recycled Nightmare." Though she’s been with the agency for less than three years, Ms. Thompson has been recognized for her work on multiple significant cases. Prior to her work with OSHA, Ms. Thompson worked for the Texas Department of Health and Human Services analyzing disease incidence and distribution in specific public sectors to advance programs seeking to improve health outcomes. Ms. Thompson achieved her master’s degree in public health with a focus on environmental and occupational health from George Washington University. It was this program that led her to Industrial Hygiene and OSHA; she is currently working towards her CIH.
Eric Waterkotte, Director of Safety & Environmental, Millstone Weber. Eric is responsible for the overall management and implementation of Millstone Weber's Environmental, Safety and Health program will present “Warehouse and Yard Safety.” Millstone Weber is in the mass transportation construction industry building new roads, bridges, airport runways, Department of Defense bases, and railroads. Eric began his career with Fred Weber, Inc. out of college in 2004 as a safety representative. In 2006 he took on the role of assistant safety director. In 2014 the construction side of Fred Weber, Inc. merged with Millstone Bangert to create a new entity called Millstone Weber, of which Eric became the safety director and now heads their safety department. Eric is a certified safety professional. He holds a bachelor’s degree in safety management from the University of Central Missouri and a master’s degree in occupational safety & Health from Columbia Southern University.
Jason Wernex, CSP, Senior Leader of Corporate Safety and Health, will be preseinting strategies for Preventing Serious Injuries and Fatalities. Jason Wernex is a certified safety professional with nearly 30 years of experience in the safety arena. He has served multiple Fortune 500 organizations by leading EHS strategies across multiple business sectors including utilities, construction, transportation, warehousing, manufacturing and insurance. He's passionate about eliminating serious injuries and fatalities and has been fortunate to lead diverse teams that lowered serious injury rates by more than 40%. He believes in order to break the serious injury and fatality plateau and sustain improvement, it will be necessary to work as a community, learning from each other and investing in the science of safety.
Mark Woodward, Senior Safety & Risk Service Trainer, Missouri Employers Mutual will be presenting “An Effective Injury Action Plan.” Mark Woodward is the Senior Safety & Risk Services Trainer at Missouri Employers Mutual. He is responsible for conducting MEM employee and policyholder training, including customized training for associations, safety conferences and business groups.
Throughout his career, Woodward has instructed tens of thousands of Missouri employees through more than 3,000 safety and risk management classes. He has presented on a national scale, including the American Association of State Compensation Insurance Funds, National Safety Council’s Congress & Expo, Public Risk Management Association Conference, American Society of Safety Engineers and National Common Ground Alliance. Woodward is a certified safety consultant through the State of Missouri and a National Safety Council CPR, First Aid and AED trainer, defensive driving instructor and OSHA Outreach Trainer for courses including: OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 in Construction. He is also President of the Missouri Chapter of the Common Ground Alliance. Woodward has a bachelor’s in safety management from the University of Central Missouri and a master’s in education from William Woods University. He is certified through both the University of Missouri and Association for Talent Development. Woodward is a long-time active volunteer in Missouri fire and ambulance districts as a certified firefighter and emergency medical technician.
J. Bradley Young, Partner Harris Dowell Fisher & Young L.C. will be presenting a “Work Comp Update.” Brad has thirty years of experience in all aspects of workers compensation defense. Mr. Young has spoken before corporate organizations and at in-house client seminars for many years, and frequently lectures for nationally known seminar companies on topics relating to workers' compensation claims, employer liability, and third-party administration of claims.
He is a Top Contributor for multiple workers compensation LinkedIn Groups and is a regular columnist for both WorkersCompensation.com and InsuranceThoughtLeadership.com.
Mr. Young is also an on-air legal analyst for local radio station KMOX, Television station KTVI Channel 2, and writes monthly articles for journals and magazines on a wide variety of legal topics.