ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The 2009 version of the popular United Motorcoach Association Safety Management Seminar, featuring topics ranging from retrofitting seatbelts to what to expect during a USDOT/DOD compliance audit, will be early next month in Ashburn, Va., outside of Washington, D.C.

Among the featured elements at this years seminar are briefings by top-level safety officials from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.

There also will be a National Transportation Safety Board crash investigations report, as well as an update on the federal governments program of crash testing motorcoaches.

The seminar will be Dec. 2 and 3, and is designed for those individuals who manage and direct bus safety and security operations, as well as motorcoach company owners and managers.

The seminar has two tracks, one for experienced safety and operational executives, and the other for those who would benefit from having information about setting up or improving a coach company safety and risk management program.

The seminar will again take place at the training facility of the National Transportation Safety Board in Ashburn, which is near Dulles International Airport, off the Leesburg Pike west of Arlington, Va.

"This years program features principles and philosophies of risk management, how-to ideas on the application of risk management principles, and samples of model policies, procedures and guidelines," said Matt Daecher of Daecher Consulting Group, which partners with UMA to present the seminar.

"The seminar will present useful information for both new operators and safety professionals, as well as those who have been in business for years," added Victor Parra, president and CEO of UMA.

Other highlights of this years program include:

Driver highway and management: whos high risk?

Retrofitting seatbelts risks, rewards and answers

Auditing your training programs common missteps

Contingency plan development for charters

Physical and mental ability testing essential job functions

Facility safety for transportation operations

Elements of risk and development of a program

Defending yourself during an OSHA audit

Driver and management training Bus & Motorcoach Academy

Those attending earn continuing education unit certificates from the Bus & Motorcoach Academy.

The seminar involves a day and a half of classroom presentations with some sessions running concurrently. The first day begins at noon, and the second at 8 a.m. Each day concludes at roughly 4:15-4:30 p.m.

There is a host hotel for attendees and shuttle transportation is provided.