On A Mission To Promote Safety After Being Electrocuted

TULSA, Okla., Oct. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The fifth annual Utility Products Conference & Exposition will feature Gary Norland as the 2013 keynote speaker discussing the importance of safety in the workplace. Gary will share his life experience after being electrocuted by 12,500 volts. The presentation will take place Jan. 30, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. at the San Diego Convention Center.

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Norland will reveal the truth of life after being electrocuted. Norland will discuss how his life was devastated in one second. This keynote session will appeal to utility workers at all levels—from the executive office to the linemen in the field. The keynote session is included in the $85 registration fee.

Norland's mission is to change attitudes about safety and save others from the type of trauma he experienced. His personal story and graphic visuals will demonstrate how important split-second decisions can be in the workplace. This keynote session will leave the audience with a lasting impression about taking safety seriously.

"The focus isn't about my unjust experience, it's about the impact of an injury and how that impact affects you and the people around you...for the rest of your life," said Norland.

In addition to the keynote session, Utility Products Conference & Exposition will offer four educational presentations: Community Colleges and Industry Partnerships: Important Steps to Building a Great Partnership; Line and Truck Grounding for Today's Lineman; Utilizing Online Innovative Training Methods; and Equipotential Grounding. These presentations will be held in the exhibit hall in the Utility Products Presentation Theater, which is new this year. All presentations are included in the $85 registration fee.

Utility Products Conference & Exposition also will offer a preconference workshop: Get to Know Your Brain for Safety's Sake. Workshop leader Jim Walters believes human behavior is the primary reason for most workplace accidents. He developed this course to build a greater awareness of one's thinking. Separate registration is required for this course. The cost is $295 and includes lunch and course materials.

The exhibit hall will feature cutting-edge technology, safety products and exhibitor product demonstrations. For a complete list of exhibitors and exhibitor products, please visit http://utilityproductsexpo.com. Utility Products Conference & Exposition will bring product knowledge, safety awareness and hands-on expertise to California on Jan. 29-31, 2013 at the San Diego Convention Center. For more information on the event, please visit http://utilityproductsexpo.com.

Co-located with Utility Products Conference & Exposition for the fifth year, DistribuTECH will take place simultaneously. DistribuTECH 2013 is expected to be the largest event yet with more than 8,600 attendees and more than 400 exhibitors. Held over three days, the conference program will include 14 tracks, 77 sessions and 350 speakers. DistribuTECH 2013 will officially kick off with an opening keynote session Jan. 29. The keynote session speakers will include Bob Woodward, journalist and best-selling author of "The Price of Politics," Patricia Hoffman (invited), assistant secretary, Department of Energy; Stephen Berberich, president and CEO, California Independent System Operator Corp.; and Michael R. Niggli, president and COO, San Diego Gas & Electric. For more information on DistribuTECH, please visit http://distributech.com. 

About PennWell
PennWell Corp. is a diversified business-to-business media and information company that provides quality content and integrated marketing solutions for the following industries:  oil and gas, electric power, water, electronics, semiconductor, contamination control, optoelectronics, fiberoptics, enterprise storage, fire, emergency services and dental.  Founded in 1910, PennWell publishes 75 print and online magazines and newsletters, conducts 60 conferences and exhibitions on six continents, and has an extensive offering of books, maps, websites, research and database services.  In addition to PennWell's headquarters in Tulsa, Okla., the company has major offices in Nashua, N.H.; Houston, Texas; London, England; Fairlawn, N.J. Moscow, Russia; and Hong Kong, China.  For additional information about PennWell, visit www.pennwell.com.

Contact: Jessica Grier, [email protected]

SOURCE PennWell Corp.