Dave Bennett, CSP

Dave Bennett, CSP, is an accomplished health and safety professional with 35 years of experience driving safety excellence within the food manufacturing industry. Throughout his career, he has developed and implemented enterprise-wide safety strategies that strengthen regulatory compliance, reduce workplace injuries, and lower workers’ compensation costs while fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Most recently, Dave served in senior EHS leadership with Smithfield Foods, providing strategic oversight for multi-site operations and leading safety performance initiatives across dozens of manufacturing facilities. His expertise includes OSHA compliance, ISO 45001 management systems, risk assessment, incident investigation, auditing, ergonomics, safety program development, and safety culture transformation.

Dave began his career as a Plant Safety Coordinator with ConAgra Foods in Kansas City, Kansas after earning his Bachelor of Science in Safety Management from the University of Central Missouri. Following the acquisition of nine ConAgra packaged meat facilities by Smithfield Foods in 2006, he continued to advance through increasingly responsible leadership roles.

Passionate about partnering with site safety professionals, Dave enjoys helping facilities strengthen safety programs, verify OSHA compliance, and create safer work environments for employees. He holds the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) credential and is a member of the American Society of Safety Professionals. Based in the Kansas City area, Dave resides in Smithville, Missouri.