Advancing workplace safety through innovation and standardization is reshaping industries, with leaders emphasizing the importance of streamlined training, collaboration and operational excellence and workplace management.
Addressing these topics and more during a high-profile panel discussion at Health and Safety Council’s (HASC™) annual Industry Outlook Forum were industry figures including MaryJane Mudd, executive director of East Harris County Manufacturers Association (EHCMA) and leaders with Kuraray, Brock Group, BASF and Repcon. HASC President and CEO Russell F. Klinegardner served as moderator.
HASC provides insight to industry’s future
Panelists for HASC’s Industry Outlook Forum, from left: Jeremy Moore, BASF; Jeremy Miller, Repcon; Drew Ashcraft, Brock Group; Richard Bass, Kuraray America; MaryJane Mudd, EHCMA and moderator Russell F. Klinegardner, HASC.
During the forum, Mudd highlighted EHCMA’s mission of safety, environmental responsibility and economic impact, emphasizing that "one accident impacts our reputation, our ability to apply the products, the services and impacts society." She introduced EHCMA’s Safety Essentials program, a standardized training initiative led by Kuraray Health, Safety and Environmental Services Manager Richard Bass. The program streamlines safety training from a six-hour course to an efficient three-hour, online format with proctoring, making it more accessible, effective and cost-efficient for Gulf Coast industry workers.
Bass expounded on the program’s significance, explaining that approximately 300,000 workers undergo safety training annually, with many now taking standardized Safety Essentials. "If even 10% don’t take Safety Essentials in the future and then they show up at a site that only accepts that exclusively, what is that standardization doing?" he said.
Bass shared that Safety Essentials delivers a uniform quality of training, boosting industry confidence in workers’ preparedness and encouraging asset owners to integrate it into their own onboarding procedures. He stressed that the board’s focus on "better training" has led to this improved standard, which is now widely adopted by both contractors and in-house employees.
Repcon’s VP of EHS, Jeremy Miller, echoed this sentiment, stating, "The more standardization we have, the more consistent, safe and repeatable execution we can have." He noted that with better training quality and availability, contractors can prepare effectively for projects while adhering to standardized protocols.
Drew Ashcraft, VP of Health, Safety, Environment and Quality with Brock Group added that while organizations need to find the right training fit, maintaining quality and integrity remains paramount, especially with the increased reliance on online proctoring.
Jeremy Moore, contractor safety manager with BASF highlighted the diversity of training requirements among contractors, emphasizing the need for collaboration with safety councils to drive innovation and standardization. He noted, "We rely heavily on you guys. You’re driving innovation." Moore underscored the convenience of Safety Essentials, explaining that it can be taken online seven days a week, combining human proctoring with AI support to maintain training integrity.
Reflecting on the forum’s collaborative spirit, Mudd added, "At the end of the day, you have to come home safely to your family. We must produce the products and services society expects and do it the right way. We collaborate. We work together. Let’s continue to get to know each other and evolve as safety evolves."
