05/19/2026

NECA Safety Professionals Conference - May 18 - 20, 2026

Session was held at the Westin Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta, GA.

NECA Safety Professionals Conference
May 18 - 20, 2026
Westin Peachtree Plaza
Atlanta, GA

The NECA Safety Professionals Conference (NSPC) was held May 18 - 20, 2026 at the Westin Peachtree Plaza  in Atlanta, GA.  Over a dozen attendees from the Chicago Chapter were able to participate.  From the pre-conference sessions, special receptions, the nearly 40 breakout sessions and the General Sessions, outside line expo, and a trade show, the attendees experienced a well-run, informative conference. 

NECA believes safety is not a secret. With this in mind, the NECA Safety Professionals Conference (NSPC) was open to all NECA Members, IBEW, and the electrical training Alliance! Again, the attendees experienced three days of keynotes and breakout sessions from industry leaders and safety experts.  There was an exhibit hall with all the latest safety knowledge and gear with plenty of networking opportunities.

The Chicago Chapter would like to acknowledge and thank the following:

NECA Safety Task Force members (Chicago Chapter): 
Jerry McGlynn, ECA Safety Committee Chair, McWilliams Electric Company, Inc. and Bill Pineda, Kelso-Burnett Co.

NECA Safety Professionals Institute Graduate:  Pete Schniedermeier, Maron Electric Company.

2026 Recognition of Achievement in Safety Excellence (Chicago Chapter):

Hy-Power Electric Company
Malko Communication Services, LLC
McWilliams Electric Company, Inc.
Phoenix Business Solutions, LLC
Rocha Electric Company
Canino Electric Co.
Hartmann Electric Company, Inc.
JMS Electric, Inc.
Aldridge Electric, Inc.
Connelly Electric, Inc.,
Continental Electrical Construction Company
Gurtz Electric Co.

2026 Recognition of Achievement of Zero Injury (Chicago Chapter):

Hy-Power Electric Company
Phoenix Business Solutions, LLC
Rocha Electric Company
McWilliams Electric Company, Inc.
Malko Communication Services, LLC
Canino Electric Co.
JMS Electric, Inc.
Hartmann Electric Company, Inc.

Examples of the programming, included:

Grounding and Bonding Preconference Workshop

The Next Dimension of Safety: Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Preconference Workshop

How Technology Impacts the Safety Professional of Today

NSC Serious Injury & Fatality (SIF) Prevention Model: Safety Beyond Compliance

Workplace Electrical Safety: Common Causes of Workplace Electrical Fatalities

AI on the Line: Predictive Intelligence to Eliminate Risk in High-Hazard Work Environments

The Human Side of Contractor Safety

Unfreezing the Frozen Middle: The Roadmap to Middle Manager Buy-In

Pre-Planning for Construction Safety and Health Operations Using the ANSI/ASSP A10.1 Standard

Don't Be Me, How I Survived an Electrical Explosion

Paving the Way

Journey Toward Safety Excellence: The Contractor's Path to World-Class

Improving Readiness, Hazard Recognition, and Trust Through Human-Performance

Trade Show

AI for Safety Managers

The Electrical Safety Risk Factor

Ergonomics in Utility Work: Reducing Strain, Fatigue and Injury Through Smarter Tools and Safer Practices

Speak Up and Stand Out for Safety: Training Frontline Leaders in Communication Skills

Managing OHS in a Post-OSHA World

Overcome and Thrive: How to Overcome Obstacles and Win This Fight Called Life

Joy Intelligence: The Next Evolution of Leadership that Drives Performance and Results

Navigating the Waves of the Present and Spotting Tsunamis in the Future

Configuring Circuits for Safety: Protective Devices, Clearances, and Utility Coordination

Fundamentals of Energy-based Safety: From Wheel to Controls

NFPA, NEC, 70B and 70E, NECA and NEIS, Working Together to Strengthen the Electrical Industry

Making Learning Stick: Active Learning Through Use of Exercises

The Reality of AI for Safety Workflows

Field Focus: Equipotential Grounding and Induction Safety

Principles of LLM

Hard Hats to Helmets – Advances in Helmet Designs and Standards

Electricians Under Pressure: What a Decade of U.S. - Canada Data Reveals About Safety Culture, Stress, and Leadership

Live-Dead-Live Testing the Final Barrier Between Life and Death

Weaker. Sicker. Dumber: The Real Impact Of Fatigue On Crew Performance & Safety. It's Time To Rethink Recovery.

Principles of LLM

Field Focus: Equipotential Grounding and Induction Safety

Blue Line Discovery: Accessing the Unique Operational Intelligence of Your Workforce

Rethinking Risk: Building Safer Workplaces Through Psychological Safety

Human-Centered Design in a Digital Age: Safer Tools Through Tech

From Overwhelmed to On Point: A Roadmap for New Safety Leaders

Navigating the Waves of the Present and Spotting Tsunamis in the Future

From Mental Health to AI: Recapping the Future of Safety

We thank all our members that were able to attend this year’s Conference!

Pictured are the attendees for the NECA 2026 Safety Professionals Conference.

Pictured is Wes Wheeler, NECA Executive Director - Safety,
as he opened up the program.

Pictured above is Joey Shorter, Executive Director of the Atlanta Chapter, NECA,
as he welcomed the attendees to Atlanta.

Pictured is Mark MacNichol, IBEW Safety Director,
as he addressed the assembly.

Pictured above is Jennifer McNelly, American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP),
as she discussed, “How Technology Impacts the Safety Professional of Today” for a General Session.

Pictured above is Dr. Rosemary Bernal-Gomez, First Analytics,
as she discussed "Predictive Intelligence to Eliminate Risk in High Hazard Work Environments."