How biopharma leaders are advancing contractor safety & risk management. Biopharma has never moved faster. Capital projects and facility expansions are ramping up across key hubs, while global supply chains and contractor relationships grow more complex and interdependent. Yet in many organizations, contractor and supply chain safety is still managed with a patchwork of local processes, spreadsheets, and site-specific norms. This leaves real blind spots in some of the highest-risk work environments. At the third annual EHS for Biopharma Summit East in Boston, Massachusetts; Veriforce and the National Safety Council brought together senior Environmental Health and Safety leaders from Alkermes, Charles River Laboratories AbbVie, and Repligen to discuss what's working, what's not, and where contractor risk management needs to go next. Its panel discussion, Building a Unified Approach to Contractor & Supply Chain Safety in Biopharma, revealed what many biopharma EHS leaders experience daily: supply chains are only as strong as the least visible contractor on the job. The panel emphasized that leading organizations are responding by raising their own bar above local regulation, applying risk-based prequalification, and treating contractors as partners in safety rather than just vendors to police. 7 key panel insights. 1. Fragmentation is the core risk in biopharma contractor safety. Global biopharma organizations often have a single EHS framework on paper, but site-level practice varies widely by country, culture, and individual interpretation, especially around contractor prequalification and permit-to-work. That inconsistency is exactly where incidents slip through. 2. Visibility and control often laps with lower-tier contractors. Most owners feel reasonably confident in the first and second tiers of their contractor network, but beyond that the reality is "if they're breathing, they're qualified." Lower-tier subcontractors are frequently performing the highest-hazard tasks with the least oversight. That is a structural blind spot across the industry. 3. Minimum compliance is not enough for capital-intensive, high-hazard work. Regulations differ dramatically across regions; relying only on local minimums isn't compatible with the risk profile of large biopharma projects. Forward-leaning owners are deliberately setting higher, non-negotiable safety expectations and requiring dedicated safety resources based on the risk and scale of the work. 4. Prequalification is risk-based and dynamic, not one-and-done. Not every contractor, vendor or supplier requires the same level of scrutiny; but high-risk trades (electrical, heavy lifts, complex construction) absolutely do. Leading programs are moving from one-time, document-heavy checks to ongoing, risk-based profiles that adapt as conditions, projects, and partners change. 5. Culture and relationships matter as much as checklists. Compliance walks and documentation are always necessary, but you can't checklist your way to a better contractor culture. Contractors will always align to your values and make safer decisions in the field when owners invest time in joint meetings, shared orientations, and day-to-day relationship building. 6. The right technology and data strategy will extend safety culture into the supply chain. Technology and AI can help owners build more accurate, evolving pictures of risk. Ingest and organize large volumes of contractor data, including safety stats, financial health, insurance, contract worker-level qualifications, even live site signals. The challenge is embedding these capabilities into a standardized global process so local teams can act on the insights. 7. Partnership is the mindset shift that unlocks all of this. When contractors understand that higher standards exist to protect their people as much as yours, and when they're given a real voice in how work is done, they become true partners in safety, not just entities to push forms at. That's the only sustainable path from fragmented oversight to a unified, resilient safety culture across the biopharma value chain. Moving from contractor compliance to Contractor partnership. Biopharma's rapid growth, complex global supply chains, and aggressive timelines are colliding with fragmented contractor management practices, creating real exposure at the project and worker level. Visibility drops sharply beyond first- and second-tier contractors, "one global framework" often fractures into site-by-site interpretations, and cost and schedule pressure still drive too many key decisions. Treating contractors as partners by inviting them into planning and safety meetings, communicating expectations well before worker mobilization, and aligning on "what good looks like" together fosters stronger safety cultures. Moving away from one-size-fits-all to risk-based pre-qualification ensures highest-hazard trades receive the deepest scrutiny and ongoing checks, while low-risk vendors don't get bogged down in unnecessary administrative work. Ease contractor collaboration by looking beyond paperwork compliance to a dynamic view of contractor risk that includes safety performance, financial stability, insurance status, and worker-level qualifications - ideally all centralized in a single system of record. Contact Veriforce for more insights, tools, and technologies designed to help standardize contractor prequalification across global sites and tiers. Dr. Simon Goncharenko, PhD, CSP, CSHO is the Head of Expert Services at Veriforce, LLC, and member of the Veriforce Strategic Advisory Board. Having been born and raised in Eastern Europe, Simon's 30 years of professional experience have seen him lead teams on three continents and in various industries, including oil and gas, construction, and data centers. His most recent employment prior to Veriforce was with Meta Platforms, Inc. formerly Facebook, where Simon supported construction of multi-billion-dollar hyperscale AI data centers. Dr. Goncharenko has authored or contributed to over 80 articles, including in the Professional Safety Journal, and 6 books, including Save Lives: Pushing Boundaries in Human Factors, and Operationalizing Safety for Today's World: A Humancentric Practical Guide. The companion training to the book, entitled Save Lives Global Human & Organizational Factors (C), the world's first and only human factors program designed specifically for the operators, builders, and contractors of mission critical facilities, has been widely popular with hundreds of participants around the globe. Simon is an animated and engaging professor and Master Trainer, charismatic keynote speaker, and podcaster of the Save Lives Global Podcast.

Safety first for truck drivers: how WIT and NSC are driving a culture of care. Safety in trucking goes far beyond compliance. It is about protecting every professional truck driver, their families, and the people on the road. A focus on safety reduces crashes, improves driver well-being, and strengthens the reliability of supply chains across the country. The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has partnered with the National Safety Council (NSC) to highlight these critical issues in the Safety Is Personal series. NSC President and CEO Lorraine Martin and WIT President and CEO Jennifer Hedrick, CAE, discussed the importance of safety in the trucking industry and how it impacts drivers daily. View the conversation between Hedrick and Martin. Making safety Personal. The Safety Is Personal series emphasizes real stories and lessons that shape how trucking leaders prioritize safety. For Hedrick, safety is not abstract. She focuses on ensuring that drivers, especially those in underserved segments, return home each day safely. In her interview with Martin, Hedrick discussed major safety challenges that extend beyond vehicle operation. These include awareness of surroundings, the lack of safe and accessible truck parking, and how harassment and discrimination can influence safety outcomes for drivers. Hands-On training with a purpose. As part of the collaboration, Hedrick coached Martin on driving a commercial truck using the WITney Educational Trailer simulator. The interactive experience demonstrates how training and awareness can prevent accidents and support drivers on the road. Why these discussions matter. Truck driving is a demanding profession. Long hours, tight schedules, and extended time away from home create stress that affects both safety and performance. Research shows that female truck drivers experience harassment and discrimination more frequently than their male counterparts, which can directly impact safety and retention. Hedrick and Martin stress situational awareness as a critical skill. Drivers must stay alert to hazards, vehicle behavior, and environmental conditions. Addressing challenges like commercial truck parking shortages ensures drivers make safer decisions while complying with hours-of-service rules. Advancing industry safety. WIT and NSC's collaboration promotes a culture of care that goes beyond compliance. Their combined efforts highlight respect, preparedness, and proactive risk management. The conversation encourages all stakeholders in the trucking industry to prioritize safety as a central value that protects drivers, supports their careers, and ensures the safe delivery of goods across the country. Through initiatives like Safety Is Personal, WIT continues to advocate for inclusion, driver safety, and the professional advancement of women in trucking.

NSC secures federal pass-through grants to strengthen workplace roadway safety. NSC received nearly $1.3 million in federal grants to grow its employer roadway safety programs in four states with free training and resources to prevent crashes and injuries. The National Safety Council has received nearly $1.3 million in federal pass-through grants to help employers reduce roadway crashes, injuries and fatalities through its Its Driving Concern program, the organization announced Monday. The funding includes four grants awarded by the Texas Department of Transportation, the Ohio Department of Public Safety, the North Carolina Governor's Highway Safety Program and the West Virginia Governor's Highway Safety Program. The grants support employer training and outreach to address leading crash factors such as speeding, distraction, and lack of seat belt use. "Prevention requires action," NSC CEO Lorraine Martin said in a statement. "These grants empower employers by giving them free tools, training and support to protect their workers on and off the job." The grants expand NSC's collaboration with state highway safety offices to align employer programs with state traffic safety strategies. TxDOT awarded $746,018, continuing an 18-year partnership to offer free training and resources aimed at reducing risky driving behaviors among employees and their families. The Ohio Traffic Safety Office awarded $181,469 to broaden the reach of the Its Driving Concern program, offering tailored training on seat belt use, speed, distraction and other leading crash risks. The North Carolina Governor's Highway Safety Program awarded $141,239 to support safe-driving initiatives focused on speeding, distracted driving and young worker safety. Transportation incidents remain the state's leading cause of workplace fatalities. The West Virginia Governor's Highway Safety Program awarded $225,291 to deliver employer-focused training on speeding, seat belt use, impairment and older driver safety. NSC leaders noted that employers play a critical role in shaping safe driving behavior because workers influence safety both on the job and within their communities. The Council offers free consultation, training and resources at ourdrivingconcern.org. Featured video. * J. J. Keller & associates inc. environmental, health, & safety training 0 seconds of 30 secondsvolume 0% see how J. J. Keller(R) TRAINING improves workplace safety, minimizes violations and incidents, and ensures OSHA compliance across your operations. * OSHA cites taylor farms after worker dies during sanitation process A fatal machine-cleaning incident at a new jersey processing facility has led to more than $1.1 million in OSHA penalties for willful and repeated lockout/tagout failures. Read now * lockout/tagout * regulatory & standards * NSC secures federal pass-through grants to strengthen workplace roadway safety NSC received nearly $1.3 million in federal grants to grow its employer roadway safety programs in four states with free training and resources to prevent crashes and injuries. Read now * Transportation Safety * training * oregon worker crushed in sawmill collapse; OSHA cites employer for serious safety violations A 39-year-old worker was fatally crushed when unstable lumber stacks collapsed at an oregon sawmill, leading state safety officials to issue serious citations and renew warnings about widespread stacking and storage hazards across multiple industries. Read now * regulatory & standards * facility Safety * The hidden eye hazards putting industrial workers at risk from flying debris and chemical splashes to radiation, dust, and high-pressure equipment, industrial environments expose workers to eye hazards every day. Understanding these risks - and using the right protection - can prevent injuries and safeguard long-term vision. Read now * industrial hygiene * vision protection * michigan pilot program treats mental health as a workplace safety priority michigan's new LEADS pilot aims to help employers reduce stress, burnout and communication-related risks by integrating mental health into core occupational health and safety practices. Read now * total worker health * industrial hygiene * ISEA honors three lawmakers for leadership on worker safety and PPE innovation the international safety equipment association recognized members of congress for advancing worker protections, supporting PPE innovation, and championing federal safety programs during its nov. 19 annual meeting in washington, D.C. Read now * industry events * protective apparel.