NSC Safety Congress Keynotes Spotlight Today’s Safety Challenges

OSHA leader David Keeling and safety advocate Aron Yellott bring regulatory insight and personal perspective to this year's keynote program.

• By Stasia DeMarco
• Aug 12, 2026

The keynote presentations at this year's National Safety Council Safety Congress & Expo are designed to give attendees more than inspiration. They offer two distinct perspectives on workplace safety, one from the nation's top occupational safety regulator and another from someone whose life was forever changed by a workplace tragedy.

The conference begins with David L. Keeling, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health, who will deliver the Occupational Keynote on Tuesday morning. Confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2025 after leadership roles at UPS and Amazon, Keeling brings more than three decades of workplace safety experience and has emphasized collaboration, technology and innovation to help prevent workplace injuries.

As the Department of Labor official who leads OSHA, Keeling oversees the federal agency responsible for setting and enforcing workplace safety and health standards. His keynote is expected to provide attendees with insight into OSHA's current priorities, enforcement philosophy and the challenges employers face as workplace technologies, workforce expectations and safety risks continue to evolve.

Keeling's presentation complements many of the educational sessions offered throughout the conference, including OSHA's annual Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards presentation, giving attendees both a broad regulatory perspective and practical compliance insights they can take back to their organizations.

The conference concludes Wednesday morning with a keynote that shifts the conversation from regulation to the human impact of workplace safety.

In "From Tragedy to Transformation: Designing Safety Systems That Protect People, Not Just Policies," safety advocate Aron Yellott shares how losing her husband in a workplace incident 22 years ago transformed her life's work. Left to navigate life as a widow and single parent, Yellott turned personal tragedy into a mission to help organizations build safety systems that protect people before incidents occur.

Her presentation explores how human-centered safety, supported by technology, can reduce risk, empower workers to stop unsafe work and strengthen safety cultures by placing people—not simply policies—at the center of decision-making.

Together, the keynote presentations reflect many of the themes running throughout this year's Safety Congress & Expo. Keeling offers attendees insight into the future direction of occupational safety regulation, while Yellott provides a powerful reminder of the real-world consequences behind every safety decision.

The keynote sessions complement more than 130 educational presentations, Learning Labs and networking opportunities taking place throughout the conference, reinforcing the event's focus on combining innovation, leadership and practical strategies to improve workplace safety.

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