Itasca, Ill. - Striving to make the world safer by working closely with a number of safety and health organizations worldwide, the National Safety Council next week will host leading experts and dignitaries from 17 countries for its first Hispanic Safety + Health Congress.

Since the 1990s, the National Safety Council has collaborated with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) - the regional office of the World Health Organization - to promote occupational safety and health within the Hispanic community living in Latin America, the Caribbean and the United States. The Hispanic Congress, Nov. 6-7 at the San Diego Convention Center, is one outcome of that partnership.

The Hispanic Congress will unfold at the largest annual event in the world dedicated to safety and health, the National Safety Council's 94th Congress and Expo, Nov. 3-10. Manuel Rodríguez Arriaga, the general director for occupational safety and health with the Mexican Secretary of Labor and Social Prevision, will present the keynote for the Hispanic Congress with an address on the Mexican perspective on national and North American policies regarding occupational safety.

The congress, said Leo Carey, National Safety Council vice president for international affairs, sets the stage to further share with international peers proven strategies for safety and health best practices integrated in domestic and foreign policies and workplace procedures.

"Our objective is to remove barriers that curtail the safety and health of all workers, especially in today's global market," Carey said. "Safety and health should have no borders, constraining industry efforts to educate workers in every country. Members of the safety and health community are passionate about sharing their experiences and learning from others regardless of nationality."

Many businesses from different countries share common risks and emerging trends in their work places including traffic safety, falls and ergonomics. Sessions will be conducted in Spanish and simultaneously interpreted in English.

For more program and registration information, go to www.congress.nsc.org/espanol.

The National Safety Council ( www.nsc.org) is a nonprofit, nongovernmental, international public service organization. Members of the NSC include businesses, labor organization, schools, public agencies, private groups and individuals. Founded in 1913 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1953, the National Safety Council is committed to preventing accidental injuries in the workplace, on roads and highways, and in homes and communities.

The National Safety Council's Annual Congress & Expo is the largest annual event in the world dedicated to the safety and health industry and is ranked among the top 200 tradeshows in the nation.

National Safety Council

National Safety Council

The National Safety Council is a nonprofit, nongovernmental, international public service organization. Members of the NSC include businesses, labor organization, schools, public agencies, private groups and individuals. Founded in 1913 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1953, the National Safety Council is committed to preventing accidental injuries in the workplace, on roads and highways, and in homes and communities.

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