The AGC-Willis Construction Safety Master Class is designed to challenge contractors to master core safety principles and practices that will lead to company-wide excellence in safety and occupational health management and risk control.

This intensive, half-day program will assist contractors in developing actionable strategies and recommendations for solving the safety and health challenges facing today's construction professionals, plus Master Class participants will gain new insight into the trends and issues that will impact safety and health management in the future.

The Construction Safety Master Class will draw on significant input from attendees via interaction with the presenters (construction safety experts, fellow contractors and risk management professionals), providing participants with a unique bridge between principle and real-world practice.

Master Class registration includes the complete program below, plus free admission to the CONEXPO-CON/AGG tradeshow, as well as complimentary tickets to select AGC Annual Convention events: Willis Party and Willis Safety Awards Breakfast (see full details below).

7:30 a.m. to Noon OPTIONAL - AGC-Willis Construction Safety Excellence Awards Finalists' Presentations - Observe first-hand as finalists for the AGC-Willis Construction Safety Excellence Awards (CSEA) defend their award application in front of the CSEA judges' panel. Refreshments available.

9:30 a.m. OPTIONAL - Opening of the CONEXPO-CON/AGG tradeshow - Join AGC President Paul Diederich as he cuts the ribbon, opening the 2014 CONEXPO-CON/AGG tradeshow which features more than 2.3 million square feet of exhibits, including the latest construction business and technology solutions in the AGC Pavilion located in the Las Vegas Expo Center. Free CONEXPO-CON/AGG admission is valid March 4-8.

1 p.m. - Master Class Opening

1:15 to 2:45 p.m. - Windshields and Rearview Mirrors: Focusing on What's Ahead, With an Eye on What's Behind

This dynamic, interactive session will involve construction executives from companies with award-winning construction safety programs participating in a panel discussion centered on how each firm built on past experiences to develop successful safety programs and the impact it has had on their business.

BIM has evolved into a tool that can be utilized to identify and analyze predictable hazards that impact workers, quality, and the overall operations of a construction project. Through visualization using BIM models, contractors are able to incorporate prevention strategies into planning and design.

With more than five years of experience judging leading contractors on the quality of their safety programs, a panel of AGC-Willis Construction Safety Excellence Award judges will breakdown the critical areas of a comprehensive safety management program and highlight practices and procedures contractors can start implementing tomorrow to increase management commitment, employee involvement, and safety innovation.

This session will highlight methods in which participants can use safety leading indicators to augment their traditional safety and health metrics. By using leading indicators, companies move from a reactionary stance (being driven by the lagging indicators or injuries) to identifying the precursors that can lead to incidents before the incidents or injuries occur. This proactive approach will ultimately lead to a reduction in the lagging indicators, historically the OSHA Incidence Rate. (OPTIONAL - This session will also include an interactive exercise in which participants will identify specific leading indicators for their company or industry.) PRESENTER: Bob Fitzgerald, CSP - Projects Safety and Health Manager - Southern Company Operations

6 to 7 p.m. OPTIONAL - Willis Reception at the AGC Annual Convention - Join AGC Convention attendees for a reception in the Bellagio Grand Ballrooms

7 to 8:30 a.m. OPTIONAL - WILLIS Safety Awards Breakfast--featuring Captain Richard Phillips, author of A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea.

Register here.