Doing the right thing is not always easy—especially when competing priorities, organizational pressures, and difficult decisions challenge our professional judgment.

Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) professionals regularly encounter situations where ethical responsibilities intersect with operational demands, leadership expectations, and workplace culture. Recognizing these moments early and responding with confidence can make the difference between reinforcing a strong safety culture and allowing organizational risk to escalate.

Join the ASSP Three Rivers Chapter for an engaging discussion led by Maribeth Anderson, MPA, CSP, exploring how ethical tension emerges in real workplaces and how safety professionals can navigate difficult decisions with clarity, courage, and integrity.

Through practical examples, structured decision-making approaches, and scenario-based discussion, participants will examine the organizational dynamics that create ethical pressure, develop strategies for effective communication, and strengthen their ability to advocate for responsible outcomes.

Whether you are an emerging safety professional or an experienced leader, this session will provide actionable tools to navigate challenging conversations, reinforce professional accountability, and champion ethical decision-making—even when the right path is not the easiest one.

 

Objectives:

1. Identify early indicators of ethical tension and recognize common organizational, operational, and interpersonal sources of pressure that may influence safety-related decisions.
2. Analyze organizational dynamics, competing priorities, and leadership expectations that can intensify ethical challenges and influence professional judgment.
3. Apply a practical, repeatable ethical decision-making framework to evaluate difficult situations while considering compliance, transparency, and professional responsibilities.
4. Develop an effective communication strategy to address ethical concerns, engage stakeholders, and advocate for responsible decisions with clarity and confidence.
5. Evaluate and demonstrate appropriate responses to realistic ethical challenges through scenario-based discussions, strengthening accountability, professional integrity, and ethical leadership.

Presenter:

Maribeth Anderson, MPA, CSP
Managing Director | Safety & Risk Resilience Consulting

Maribeth Anderson brings more than 25 years of global experience in safety, enterprise risk management, security, and organizational resilience across the oil and gas, manufacturing, water, and aviation industries.

As Managing Director of Safety & Risk Resilience Consulting, she advises senior leaders and safety professionals on strengthening organizational culture, identifying and mitigating organizational risks, and developing strategies that support long-term resilience.

A seasoned crisis management practitioner, Maribeth has guided organizations through significant challenges, including 9/11, Deepwater Horizon, major hurricanes, the COVID-19 pandemic, and geopolitical disruption.

Her experience navigating complex, high-stakes environments brings a valuable perspective on ethical leadership, sound judgment, and organizational accountability during periods of uncertainty.

 

Agenda:

11:30 am                               Lunch & Networking

11:55 am                               Chapter Announcements & Introductions

~Noon to ~1:00 pm           Presentation

Meeting Sponsor:

 

 

 

 

 

Not a current member apply here and select Three Rivers as your primary chapter, see you soon!

How do we know if our safety and health programs are truly effective? For decades, organizations have relied heavily on injury rates, incident statistics, and other lagging indicators to evaluate safety performance. While these measures provide valuable information, they tell us primarily what has already happened—not necessarily how well risks are being managed or whether preventive efforts are working.

Effective safety leadership requires a more comprehensive approach to measuring performance, one that connects risk reduction, operational effectiveness, and organizational success.

Join the ASSP Three Rivers Chapter for an engaging technical presentation exploring ANSI/ASSP Z16.1-2022: Safety and Health Metrics and Performance Measures, a voluntary national consensus standard that provides a structured framework for developing, implementing, and evaluating meaningful occupational safety and health performance metrics.

Presented by Lauren Bauerschmidt, CSP, and Tim Fisher, two experienced leaders from the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), this session will examine how organizations can move beyond traditional injury statistics by establishing a balanced set of leading, lagging, and impact metrics.

Participants will explore how the Z16.1 framework supports risk-based decision-making, strengthens accountability, improves communication with organizational leadership, and demonstrates the broader business value of occupational safety and health initiatives.

Whether you are responsible for developing safety performance indicators, evaluating management system effectiveness, reporting results to executive leadership, or driving continuous improvement, this session will provide valuable perspectives on measuring what truly matters.

 

Objectives:

1. Explain the purpose, scope, and fundamental principles of ANSI/ASSP Z16.1-2022 and its role in evaluating occupational safety and health performance.
2. Differentiate among leading, lagging, and impact metrics, and identify how each contributes to a balanced assessment of safety and health performance.
3. Analyze the limitations of relying primarily on injury rates and other lagging indicators to evaluate risk management effectiveness and organizational safety performance.
4. Apply the Z16.1 measurement framework to identify meaningful performance indicators that support risk reduction, management accountability, and continual improvement.
5. Evaluate how safety and health performance metrics can be communicated to organizational leadership to demonstrate the effectiveness and broader business impact of safety initiatives.

Presenters:

Lauren Bauerschmidt, CSP

Senior Manager, Standards and Technical Publications
American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP)

Lauren Bauerschmidt is a Certified Safety Professional and serves as Senior Manager of Standards and Technical Publications at the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP).

In her role, Lauren coordinates ANSI/ASSP standards committees responsible for advancing nationally recognized guidance in occupational safety and health, including standards related to risk management, fall protection, safety performance metrics, and walking-working surfaces.

Her professional background includes ergonomics, workplace safety, and engineering, with experience improving work processes and reducing physical stressors in manufacturing and office environments.

Lauren holds both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Engineering from the University of Michigan, with graduate specialization in ergonomics and safety. She also contributes to the professional development of future safety practitioners through guest lectures on the practical application of consensus standards.

 

Tim Fisher

Chief Technical Officer
American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP)

Tim Fisher serves as Chief Technical Officer at the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), bringing more than four decades of experience in occupational safety, health, and environmental management.

Throughout his career, Tim has provided technical leadership in the development and advancement of national and international safety standards, including those addressing occupational safety and health management systems, risk management, hazardous energy control, confined spaces, fall protection, and safety performance metrics.

His expertise includes regulatory affairs, risk assessment, management systems, organizational leadership, and the application of technical standards to improve workplace safety and health outcomes.

Tim has delivered more than 350 professional presentations on occupational safety and health topics and has extensive experience representing the profession in technical discussions, regulatory initiatives, and national forums. He is also a decorated United States Air Force veteran.

 

Agenda:

11:30 am                               Lunch & Networking

11:55 am                               Chapter Announcements & Introductions

~Noon to ~1:00 pm           Presentation

Meeting Sponsor:

 

 

 

 

 

Not a current member apply here and select Three Rivers as your primary chapter, see you soon!

Walk-Ins Welcome! Didn’t register in advance? No problem! Walk-in attendees are welcome and may register and pay $45 at the event.

Every day, construction professionals face hazards that have the potential to change lives in an instant. Falls, struck-by incidents, caught-in or -between hazards, and electrocution continue to represent some of the most significant causes of serious injuries and fatalities across the construction industry.

Preventing these incidents requires more than regulatory compliance. It demands proactive hazard recognition, effective risk controls, strong field-level leadership, and a commitment to identifying and addressing dangerous conditions before an incident occurs.

Join the ASSP Three Rivers Chapter for an interactive technical session featuring Kristine Lynn and Emil Szotko from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as they explore the Construction Focus Four hazards and practical strategies for preventing workplace injuries and fatalities.

Drawing on decades of combined OSHA experience, including construction inspections, fatality investigations, compliance assistance, and enforcement activities, our presenters will share valuable perspectives on how these hazards develop, why serious incidents continue to occur, and what organizations can do to strengthen their prevention efforts.

Participants will examine common construction hazards, explore relevant OSHA requirements under 29 CFR 1926, and discuss practical approaches to improving hazard recognition, implementing effective controls, and strengthening safe work practices.

Whether you are a safety professional, construction manager, contractor, supervisor, engineer, or organizational leader, this session will provide actionable insights to help protect workers, strengthen construction safety programs, and prevent serious injuries and fatalities.

 

Objectives:

1. Identify the four OSHA Construction Focus Four hazard categories—Falls, Caught-In or -Between, Struck-By, and Electrocution—and recognize common workplace conditions and activities associated with each.
2. Analyze how hazardous conditions, unsafe work practices, and inadequate risk controls contribute to serious injuries and fatalities in construction environments.
3. Describe applicable OSHA construction safety requirements under 29 CFR 1926 and explain their relevance to controlling Focus Four hazards.
4. Evaluate the effectiveness of engineering controls, administrative measures, safe work practices, and personal protective equipment in reducing exposure to construction hazards.
5. Apply proactive hazard recognition and prevention strategies to practical construction scenarios to strengthen field-level decision-making and reduce the potential for serious injuries and fatalities.

Presenters:

Kristine Lynn

Compliance Assistance Specialist – Chicagoland Area
U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Kristine Lynn holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a Master of Science in Public Health–Industrial Hygiene from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC).

With more than 16 years of experience at OSHA, Kristine has developed extensive expertise in occupational safety and health compliance, workplace hazard recognition, and incident investigations.

During her tenure as a Compliance Safety and Health Specialist/Industrial Hygienist, she conducted complex safety and health inspections involving workplace fatalities, explosions, amputations, and Process Safety Management (PSM) requirements.

In her current role as a Chicagoland Compliance Assistance Specialist, Kristine focuses on fostering alliances and partnerships with industry stakeholders, promoting safety and health awareness, and providing technical assistance and educational resources to employers, workers, and professional organizations.

Her experience brings a valuable perspective on the intersection of regulatory compliance, industry collaboration, and proactive workplace injury prevention.

Emil Szotko

Regional Construction Coordinator – Chicago Region
U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Emil Szotko brings 19 years of OSHA experience, with extensive specialization in construction hazard recognition and the prevention of serious injuries and fatalities.

Throughout his career as a Compliance Officer, Emil conducted more than 1,500 inspections addressing critical construction safety concerns, including fall protection, electrical hazards, trenching, and excavation operations.

He has worked closely with contractors to identify and abate hazardous conditions at construction sites and has participated in numerous fatality and serious accident investigations.

Since 2022, Emil has served as the Regional Construction Coordinator for OSHA’s Chicago Region, reviewing and assisting with high-impact cases involving the Construction Focus Four hazards under 29 CFR 1926 and 29 CFR 1910.

His extensive field experience, regulatory knowledge, and practical understanding of construction operations offer participants valuable insights into identifying hazards, correcting dangerous conditions, and implementing effective prevention strategies.

 

Agenda:

11:30 am                               Lunch & Networking

11:55 am                               Chapter Announcements & Introductions

~Noon to ~1:00 pm           Presentation

Meeting Sponsor:

 

 

 

 

 

Not a current member apply here and select Three Rivers as your primary chapter, see you soon!

Walk-Ins Welcome! Didn’t register in advance? No problem! Walk-in attendees are welcome and may register and pay $45 at the event.