Session Title: Believe in Safety- Surviving Arc Flash

Session Description: One shortcut on the job nearly cost Brandon Schroeder his life. In this powerful session, Brandon shares the story of his accident and the lessons he learned the hard way. With the perspective of a journeyman electrician, he speaks directly to those in the trades—reminding us that safety isn’t just about rules or checklists. It’s about the choices we make every day to protect ourselves and the people we work alongside.

  Speaker:

Brandon Schroeder | Believe in Safety

Brandon Schroeder’s journey as a safety speaker began in 2012, following a life-altering workplace accident in 2011 that nearly claimed his life. With a background as a journeyman electrician since 2002, Brandon had built a solid reputation in the trades—valued for his technical skills, work ethic, and reliability. However, one decision to take a shortcut on the job changed everything.

What started as a single speaking engagement to share the circumstances surrounding his accident quickly turned into a calling. Over the last decade, Brandon has presented his story to hundreds of organizations—from Fortune 500 companies to local municipalities—sparking conversations and driving meaningful change in safety culture.

Through his presentation Believe in Safety, Brandon combines vivid storytelling, emotional transparency, and hard-earned insight to connect with audiences on a personal level. His goal is not to lecture, but to influence mindsets—empowering individuals and organizations to prioritize safety not just as a policy, but as a shared value.

Session Title: Safety by Design: Collaborative Innovation Between Manufacturers and End Users   Session Description: The best safety solutions come from the field. In this session, Milwaukee Tool’s Edgar Sanchez explores how feedback from contractors and end users helps shape the design of safer, more efficient tools and technology. Learn how this collaborative approach is driving innovation—and how your input can help improve jobsite safety for everyone.   Speakers: Edgar Sanchez | Milwaukee Tool With over a decade of experience in the construction industry, Edgar Sanchez brings a deep, practical understanding of jobsite safety and innovation to his role as National Manager of Health and Safety at Milwaukee Tool. For the past six years, Edgar has held a variety of positions at Milwaukee Tool, working directly with safety professionals across the U.S in a variety of trades to deliver cutting-edge solutions that enhance productivity without compromising protection. Known for his collaborative approach and field-first mindset, Edgar is passionate about bridging the gap between safety strategy and execution. As a keynote speaker, Edgar brings practical experience, industry perspective, and an unwavering commitment to keeping workers safe while helping organizations stay ahead of evolving safety demands.

Session Title: Top 3 Challenges Round Table Discussion

Session Description: What’s keeping contractors up at night? In this interactive session, attendees will break into groups to identify the top challenges facing their teams and share how they’re working through them. From staffing to safety to project delays, no topic is off the table. Groups will report out key takeaways so everyone walks away with fresh ideas and proven strategies.

Session Title: NFPA 70 and NFPA 70E – PPE Essentials   Session Description: Understanding the difference between NFPA 70 and 70E is key to choosing the right PPE for the job. This session breaks down how these standards apply in the field, what types of PPE are required, and how to select gear that meets both safety needs and comfort for electrical work. Learn what to look for—and what to avoid—when it comes to protecting yourself and your crew.   Speakers:  

Steve Quiett | Bowtie Engineering

With over three decades of experience in industrial safety, Steve Quiett is a nationally recognized leader in electrical safety training and innovation. Currently serving as Vice President of the Electrical Safety Division at Bowtie Engineering, Steve brings deep expertise and a passion for protecting electrical workers.

He is the inventor of Arc Rated Cooling Technology and the developer of a belief-based NFPA 70E curriculum—introduced in 2017 as a more impactful alternative to traditional behavioral-based instruction. Since 2006, he has trained more than 14,000 qualified electrical workers, empowering them with the knowledge and mindset to stay safe on the job.

Steve’s career includes founding Amp Safety, serving as a technical advisor and regional manager for Oberon Company, and active involvement in key industry organizations such as ASTM F-18, IEEE’s IAS Division, and NFPA. A U.S. Army veteran with service in the 82nd Airborne and 20th Special Forces Group, Steve brings discipline, dedication, and leadership to every role he undertakes.

      Zach Mills | OEL Worldwide Industries Zach Mills is the West Coast Regional Sales Manager for OEL Worldwide Industries, a U.S. manufacturer of arc flash PPE and electrical safety tools. With nearly a decade in the electrical safety industry, Zach specializes in helping contractors implement practical electrical safety programs that keep crews protected and projects moving forward. His expertise includes comprehensive NFPA 70E compliance solutions, with a focus on arc flash PPE programs, qualified worker training, facility assessments, ESP audits, and glove testing systems. Zach was instrumental in developing OEL’s first-of-its-kind national glove program for General Electric, supporting over 1,500 technicians nationwide, and formerly led OEL’s development team in bringing innovative safety products to market. As an accomplished presenter, Zach has delivered Arc Flash Awareness sessions at the ACP Operations & Maintenance Safety Summit, helping increase safety awareness in the renewables sector, at ETI campuses in partnership with IBEW, and at contractor safety days across the West Coast. His mission is clear: elevate electrical safety standards and ensure every worker returns home safely.          

Session Title: Managing Safety Recordkeeping

Session Description: This session offers a clear breakdown of what contractors need to document under the 1910 standard. OSHA will walk through the key recordkeeping requirements and share practical tips for staying organized and avoiding common mistakes in the field.   Speakers:   Cindy Brode | OSHA Cindy Brode is a safety and health compliance officer from the Cleveland Area OSHA office. She has been in this role for nearly 11 years. Prior to OSHA, she worked at Youngstown Air Reserve base as a Public Health/Occupational Health civil servant for 10 years.  Cindy is a proud Northeast Ohio resident who calls Akron home with her many fur babies. She spends her free time volunteering with several animal rescues and veteran organizations. She completed her bachelor’s degree in community health education at Kent State University. Cindy retired from the Air Force after serving on active duty and finishing her time in the Reserve as a Public Health technician.  Cindy focuses on manufacturing, industrial settings, and noise complaints.  She supplements these inspections with construction inspections as well.             Peter Grakauskas | OSHA Peter Grakauskas is a safety and health compliance office from the Cleveland Area OSHA office. He has been in this role for nearly 14 years following a brief moment as a safety engineer at NASA’s Glenn Brook Station. Mr. Grakauskas is a proud Northeast Ohio resident who calls Avon home with his wife and their two boys. He completed his bachelor’s degree in environmental science at Cleveland State University upon his return from service in the USAF of four years. Mr. Grakauskas primarily focuses on manufacturing and industrial settings where his primary expertise is machine guarding and LO/TO. He supplements these inspections with construction inspections as well. Annually he averages 75-100 onsite inspections a year.   

Session Title: Focus Four Hazards   Session Description: OSHA will provide the latest updates on the Focus Four hazards and how they continue to impact the construction and electrical trades. You'll also hear what’s new in the National Emphasis Program and what to expect during jobsite inspections.   Speakers:   Cindy Brode | OSHA Cindy Brode is a safety and health compliance officer from the Cleveland Area OSHA office. She has been in this role for nearly 11 years. Prior to OSHA, she worked at Youngstown Air Reserve base as a Public Health/Occupational Health civil servant for 10 years.  Cindy is a proud Northeast Ohio resident who calls Akron home with her many fur babies. She spends her free time volunteering with several animal rescues and veteran organizations. She completed her bachelor’s degree in community health education at Kent State University. Cindy retired from the Air Force after serving on active duty and finishing her time in the Reserve as a Public Health technician.  Cindy focuses on manufacturing, industrial settings, and noise complaints.  She supplements these inspections with construction inspections as well.             Peter Grakauskas | OSHA Peter Grakauskas is a safety and health compliance office from the Cleveland Area OSHA office. He has been in this role for nearly 14 years following a brief moment as a safety engineer at NASA’s Glenn Brook Station. Mr. Grakauskas is a proud Northeast Ohio resident who calls Avon home with his wife and their two boys. He completed his bachelor’s degree in environmental science at Cleveland State University upon his return from service in the USAF of four years. Mr. Grakauskas primarily focuses on manufacturing and industrial settings where his primary expertise is machine guarding and LO/TO. He supplements these inspections with construction inspections as well. Annually he averages 75-100 onsite inspections a year. 

Session Title: Reimagining Safety and Culture: How AI Provides a New Framework for Increasing Safety System Capacity

Session Description: AI might sound like a buzzword, but contractors across the country are already using it to track safety trends, spot issues before they become problems, and strengthen their safety culture from the ground up. This session will show you how AI can help make sense of the data you already have—from your subs to your drivers and warehouse teams—so you can better manage risk, boost engagement, and protect your crew. The presentation includes specific use cases, including an electrical contractor, to demonstrate real-world application.

  Speakers:  

Barry Nelson | FactorLab

Barry Nelson, CEO of FactorLab, is a visionary leader with over two decades of experience in workplace safety, data science, and technology. Under his leadership, his team has spearheaded the development and widespread adoption of SmartTagIt, a safety indicator app used over five million times across hundreds of enterprises. His groundbreaking research has been widely published, including The Lens of Language Intelligence: A New Perspective on Incident Prevention in Professional Safety Journal (ASSP, 2024), Conversations Are the New Currency to Operationalize Culture, Engage Employees, and Improve Planning (FactorLab, 2020), and Daily Planning Conversations and AI: Keys for Improving Construction Culture, Engagement, Planning, and Safety in American Journal of Industrial Medicine (AJIM, 2024). His work continues to advance predictive safety analytics and proactive risk mitigation strategies—earning his customers top safety awards, including the IRMI Gary Bird Horizon Award, AGC Safety Leader of the Year, and ABC National Excellence in Construction.

Session Title: Mental Health in the Workplace

Session Description: Mental health is hitting the trades hard—and the numbers don’t lie. In this eye-opening session, you’ll learn just how deeply mental health issues are affecting our workforce and why it’s time to take action. We’ll share resources you can use to support your team and help prevent mental health incidents before they happen. Because looking out for your crew means more than just physical safety.

                           

Session Title: Accident and Incident Investigation Session Description: Learn how to lead an effective accident or incident investigation that gets to the root of what happened—and helps prevent it from happening again. This session covers practical steps for gathering facts, documenting details, and building reports that lead to real improvements on the jobsite.   Speakers:   Daniel James | STC Safety and Risk Management As Vice President at STC Safety and Risk Management, Daniel drives workplace safety initiatives and risk management strategies for hundreds of construction and service industry clients across the country. With 20+ years of experience in construction, manufacturing, and general industry safety, he has held roles ranging from Field Safety Manager to Vice President of Operations. Committed to fostering safety-first cultures, he focuses on protecting people, brand and profits while ensuring compliance.                      

Session Title: Plugged In & Protected: Building a Safer Start Within the Entire Organization Session Description: Safety doesn't start on the jobsite—it starts at every level of the organization. This session looks at how to create a safety-first mindset from the office to the field, with practical strategies for onboarding, communication, and leadership involvement. Learn how to plug everyone into the process and build a stronger, more unified approach to keeping your team protected from day one.   Speakers:   Kim-Marie Espinosa | Dallas IEC Kim-Marie Espinosa is the Director of Safety and Compliance for the Dallas IEC Chapter, bringing over 30 years of field and leadership experience in health and safety across the Oil & Gas and Construction industries.  Previously, Kim served as Director of Safety and Training at TEXO, the ABC-AGC Chapter in Dallas, where she led comprehensive safety and workforce development initiatives and managed NCCER-accredited high school programs. She later expanded her impact by directly implementing and managing the High School Builder Program with NCCER.  In higher education, Kim was both the Industrial Safety Program Coordinator and EHS Manager at San Juan College in New Mexico, where she developed curriculum for the Occupational Safety Degree Program and implemented college-wide internal safety training programs.  After relocating to Dallas in 2017, Kim joined Texas A&M TEEX as the OSHA OTI Training Coordinator, where she managed the Environmental, Health, and Safety Training Department and oversaw a PHMSA grant to deliver DOT Hazmat instruction.     

Session Title: Planning for Error: Hazard Identification & Mitigation Session Description: Even the best crews make mistakes—but smart planning can keep those mistakes from turning into major incidents. This session will explore practical ways to build error tolerance into your workflows, prepare for the unexpected, and reduce the impact when things don’t go as planned.

Session Title: Hardwired Conversations- Addressing Tough Conversations Around Safety*

Session Description: In our industry safety isn’t just a policy -it's a mindset that must be reinforced every day on every jobsite. Building a strong safety culture means having the courage to address the uncomfortable, unsafe behaviors, lack of accountability, and peer-to-peer correction. This session will provide electrical contractors and safety professionals with tools to navigate difficult safety conversations with confidence and clarity. Whether you're a foreman confronting risky shortcuts or a crew leader trying to speak up about concerns, these conversations can make the difference between an incident and a near-miss. Through real-world scenarios, practical communication strategies, and insights grounded in human behavior, attendees will learn how to “hardwire” a safety-first approach through direct, respectful, and effective dialogue. Walk away prepared to challenge the status quo, encourage ownership, and strengthen your team’s commitment to sending everyone home safely every time.

  *Session subject to change.