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Southlake, Texas — Feb. 23, 2015 — Consumer advocate, lawyer, and bestselling author Ralph Nader will be the keynote speaker at the National Floor Safety Institute’s (NFSI) Slip, Trip and Fall Prevention Symposium to be held on the campus of Emory University in Atlanta on April 28.
Nader, who has been an outspoken advocate for consumer safety for more than 50 years, will reflect on his work and how our society should be addressing the growing slip-and-fall crisis.
“Accidental falls are the leading cause of emergency room visits in America and the leading cause of accidental death for the elderly,” Nader said. “We as a society largely ignore [this issue].”
Nader will cap off a full-day event featuring eight distinguished speakers from the legal, governmental, insurance, medical, architectural, academic, and manufacturing industries. Speakers will include Ed Foulke, former assistant secretary of labor for OSHA; Shari Falkenburg, assistant vice president of CNA Risk Control; and David Watterson, vice president of Mountville Mills, the world’s leading supplier of commercial floor mats.
NFSI founder and president, Russell Kendzior, emcee of the symposium, said, “Emory University’s sponsorship, and Mr. Nader’s five decades of success in calling public attention to safety issues, make this event a must-see for advocates, safety professionals, and anyone interested in good news about improving public safety.”
Dr. Mark Fagiano, assistant professor at Emory’s School of Philosophy, said, “The media often portrays slips, trips, and falls as either being the fault of the victim or an act of fraud. While this is true of certain contextualized situations, the actual causes of these incidents paint a more complex picture, which this symposium will highlight.”
Emory’s School of Philosophy is a co-sponsor of the symposium, which will be held at Emory University’s White Hall. Tickets are available through the NFSI’s website at www.nfsi.org.
The National Floor Safety Institute, a 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Southlake, Texas, was founded in 1997 to aid in the prevention of slips, trips, and falls through research, education, and standards development. NFSI’s 15-member board represents product manufacturers, insurance underwriters, trade associations, the medical and legal professions, and independent consultants.
