Save The Date
Chicago Safety, Health
& Environmental Conference
SEPT 14-16, 2026
Chicagoland Safety Health
& Environmental Conference
The Chicagoland Safety Health and Environmental Conference is for EHS professionals, business owners,facility managers, plant managers, supervisors, safety committee members, human resources managers, municipalities and others who have safety, health, training, environmental management and OSHA/EPA compliance responsibilities.
The goal of the conference is to provide timely and relevant environmental management, safety, health, professional development and OSHA/EPA compliance training. Since 2016 the conference has drawn 6,600 session attendees and offered 338 sessions that drew more than 2,700 people from 4 foreign countries, 34 states and 155 Illinois communities working in 467 companies working in 32 industries.
Attendees will enjoy:
Dynamic conference workshops and professional training sessions
Basic, Intermediate and Advanced level training sessions
Lunch, coffee, snacks, and free parking provided for registrants
Speakers include OSHA specialists, business owners, lawyers, professors, consultants, and expert trainers.
The Wednesday Business EXPO showcases top US businesses and is free for conference attendees.
2026 Keynote Speaker
Aaron Gelb
Aaron R. Gelb is Co-Managing Partner at Conn Maciel Carey LLP and leader of the firm’s Midwest OSHA Defense Team, where he represents employers in OSHA and state OSH program inspections, investigations, and enforcement actions, while managing the full range of litigation against OSHA. Aaron takes a proactive approach to representing his clients, regularly working with them to develop, update, and/or fine-tune safety and health programs, implement internal auditing efforts, and managing privileged audits, in-person and remotely. He also works with a wide range of national and local associations across diverse industries and geographies, including the Illinois Manufacturers Association, to educate their members on workplace safety and health trends and best practices. Aaron has been recognized as one of the leading OSHA lawyers in the US by Chambers, since they began ranking workplace safety attorneys five years ago, and his firm is one of only two firms ranked in Band 1.
SAFETY
INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE
ENVIRONMENTAL TOPICS
CONSTRUCTION SAFETY
2025 Highlight Video
Future Conference Schedule
Chicagoland Safety
Health & Env. Conference
Sept. 20-22, 2027
Chicagoland Safety
Health & Env. Conference
Sept. 18-20, 2028
Chicagoland Safety
Health & Env. Conference
Sept. 17-19, 2029
SEPTEMBER 14-16, 2026
2026 Conference Schedule - Will be posted after June 1, 2026
See 2025 Schedule Below
8:00am – 8:30am
Coffee and Networking
8:30am – 10:00am
Session:
M01
I am a LQG now what?
Laurel Flythe
Session:
M02
Climate Health and Sustainability 101
Cynthia Klein-Banai & Dr. Sheetal Khedkar Rao, MD
Session:
M03
Use of Virtual Reality in Machine Safety Trainings
Chris Gerges
Session:
M04
What is new in OSHA Enforcement and the Regulations
Aaron Gelb
Session:
M05
Spill Response Training
David Osadjan
10:15am – 11:45am
Session:
M06
Working with Work Comp
Don Phillips
Session:
M07
New Era of Sustainability Programs
Catherine Hurley
Session:
M08
IH Fundamentals You Can Use
Julie Hanebuth
Session:
M09
Cinderfella: Three Decades as a Remote Worker!
Tim Pottorff
Session:
M10
Protect Yourself and Your Employees: Workplace Violence Prevention
Brandon Grodsky
11:50am – 1:00pm
Lunch Break - Room 161
1:15pm – 2:45pm
Session:
M11
Harnessing Feminine Strength for Workplace Success
Jennifer Bugajsky
Session:
M12
Why do I need ISO50001 when I'm ISO14001?
Laurel Flythe
Session:
M13
Illinois Workers' Compensation Crash Course
Tim O’Gorman & Gene Keefe
Session:
M14
Introduction to Combustible Dust Hazards and the new NFPA 660
Ashok Ghose Dastidar
Session:
M15
Crane Safety from the Ground Up
David Wessin & Michael Walsh
3:00pm – 4:30pm
Session:
M16
New Hire Safety Orientation: 8 Practical ways to make it effective, impactful, stick and yes fun
Jean Ndana
Session:
M17
Psychological Safety as Structural Safety: Rethinking Workplace Standards
Rupinder K Legha, MD
Session:
M13
Illinois Workers' Compensation Crash Course
Tim O’Gorman & Gene Keefe
Session:
M14
Introduction to Combustible Dust Hazards and the new NFPA 660
Ashok Ghose Dastidar
8:00am – 8:30am
Coffee and Networking
8:30am – 10:00am
Session:
T1
Keynote - The Cognitive E-Stop – When Safety and Culture Collide
Mayor Scott A. Wehrli
10:15am – 11:45am
Session:
T02
'Dig-in' on OSHA's National Emphasis Program (NEP) for Trenching and Excavation Safety.
Emil Szotko
Session:
T03
Managing Steel Erection in Construction
Greg Marquez & Brittany Selin
Session:
T04
The Psychology of Choice: How Perspectives Shape Decisions
Scott W. Stephens
Session:
T05
USACE Project Safety-How to Succeed
Mark L. Bernhard, CHST
Session:
T06
Survival in a Violent Situation: Active Shooter Training
Brandon Grodsky
Session:
T07
Budget Friendly Way to Share Audit Results
Matthew Springer
11:50am – 1:00pm
Lunch Break - Room 161
1:15pm – 2:45pm
Session:
T08
SDS and Opiods: A threat to life and limb
Tim Pottorff
Session:
T09
Big, Mean Trichlorethylene: the TSCA ban
Matthew Halm
Session:
T10
Let's get Drastic with Microplastic
Katie Hoyt, PE, PhD
Session:
T11
Safe 4 the Right Reasons
Doug Thompson
Session:
T12
The OSHA Explorer - Expert Tips and Tricks for finding information on the OSHA website
Todd Loushine
3:00pm – 4:30pm
Session:
T13
Blueprint for a successful Disposal/ Recycling event
Catherine Hurley & Bob Leppink
Session:
T14
Kaizen + Ergonomics: Safer Work, Better Results
Jeffrey Smagacz
Session:
T15
Validating OSHA's Proposed Heat Stress Acclimatization Schedule
Rod Harvey
Session:
T16
First Responders Shouldn’t Be Last--for Ergonomics & Safety
Tim Pottorff
Session:
T17
Are Incident Rates Reliable Measures of Safety Performance
Todd Loushine
8:00am – 8:30am
Coffee and Networking
8:30am – 10:00am
Session:
W01
Deposed to the Stand: Are You Defended?
Don Phillips & Brian Rosenblatt
Session:
W02
Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze?
Sally J. Smart
Session:
W03
Industrial Hygiene Assessment and Decision Making
Joseph Lohkamp
Session:
W04
Fall Protection Solutions in Construction
Mitch Lovejoy & Brittany Selin
Session:
W05
Understanding Healthcare Strategy in just 4 moves
Donovan Ryckis
10:15am – 11:45am
Session:
W06
Meet EHS Professionals!
Meet EHS professionals!
Session:
W07
PSM/RMP - Know Your dates!
Robert E (Bob) Presley
Session:
W08
Heavy Metals: HSE risks of metal production, use & recycling
Theodore J. Hogan
Session:
W09
Artificial Intelligence101 for OSH Professionals
Houshang Darabi
Session:
W10
Mental Health Matters
Shoji Nakayama & Lindsay Sheehan
11:50am – 1:00pm
Lunch Break in Exhibit Hall
1:15pm – 2:45pm
Session:
W11
Session Cancelled
Speaker has had to cancel
Session:
W12
Annual RCRA Hazardous Waste Refresher
Martin Hamper
Session:
W13
Facility Water Systems Safety and Legionella
Salvatore Cali
Session:
W14
The Struggle is Real: Safety and the Mind
Marie Dinwiddie
Session:
W15
TSCA: EPA Chemical Risk Assessments for Worker Exposure
Joseph Lohkamp & Kevin Aikman
3:00pm – 4:30pm
Session:
W16
Want to change behaviors? Try behavioral economics
Kevin Rader
Session:
W17
Storm Ready: Mastering Industrial Stormwater Compliance in Illinois
Lila Frick
Session:
W18
Construction Safety Training As A Leading Indicator
Robert Evangelisti & Shoji Nakayama
Session:
W19
Building Safer Workplaces Through Early Intervention
Kim Cecchi
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