If you aren’t networking as a safety professional yet, now’s the time to start. It’s an investment that’s bound to pay off, according to Chris Louis from the National Safety Council (NSC).
Louis has been working at NSC for over three years with NSC Networks, which provides forums for interaction and learning among member companies. He currently serves as a senior leader for global networks, including the Asia Pacific, European, and Latin America regions. He’s in charge of organizing events with the primary goal to provide EHS leaders with networking and knowledge-sharing opportunities with their peers and subject matter experts from industry, academia, and regulatory bodies.
Louis’s career has spanned 25 years in industries including manufacturing, automotive, healthcare, construction, packaged foods, and consumer goods. He has a degree in chemical engineering and started as a project engineer before moving into EHS full time around 16 years ago. He holds certifications as a Professional Engineer (PE), Certified Safety Professional (CSP), and Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM).
To learn more about Louis and his take on industry issues, please read the Faces of EHS interview below:
Q: How did you get your start in the field?
I was not very familiar with the field of EHS when I started college at the University of Cincinnati. My guidance counselor recommended that I apply for an internship at Honda, and I worked a total of 18 months in environmental and engineering roles. When I graduated, Honda offered me a full-time position in their paint department as a project engineer. During this time, I started learning more about EHS while managing projects.
After working for a few years, I was selected to join a project team to build a new manufacturing facility in Greensburg, Ind. After a successful build and launch, I was approached to take on the role of safety engineer. I was reluctant at first, primarily because of how I viewed safety professionals as being rule enforcers. I eventually agreed, and it was a challenging transition for me as someone who had always taken a logical and analytical approach. Particularly difficult for me to navigate was how the human and organizational components interact.
I struggled early in my safety career with what I now think is the most important aspect of safety—leadership and employee engagement. Once you figure out those two components, you can start to build workforce trust that creates an environment of psychological safety. When employees feel safe to speak up, this accelerates your ability to identify risk and mitigate hazards in the workplace.
Q: Who has been your biggest influence in the EHS industry, and why?
There have been too many individuals that have had an influence on me to name just one or even a handful. While some have had a more profound impact than others, they have all played a role in shaping the person I am today. There have been so many colleagues I have had the privilege to learn from, managers who have believed in me and helped me grow and develop, industry peers and thought leaders I have admired, and so many others that have been there to support, encourage, and challenge me. I am continuously in awe of so many in our profession who are working to improve the health, quality of life, and prosperity of humanity and Earth’s ecosystems.
Q: What’s your best mistake, and what did you learn from it?
The mistake that had the most profound influence on me happened early in my career at Honda. I was working on a Saturday and had just finished making some adjustments to a paint booth scrubber that required draining a sluiceway and 200,000-gallon containment pit. After I opened the valve to start refilling the pit, I decided to go and finish some other work since it was going to take a couple hours to refill. When I finished my other work I packed up and left, completely forgetting about the open valve. The pit eventually overflowed to an equipment containment area, completely submerging and ruining numerous electrical components and 60 horsepower motors.
As I learned of my mistake the next morning, I was expecting to be fired for such a costly and irresponsible act. Dozens of engineers, mechanics, vendors, and contractors had to be brought in and replacement equipment procured from hundreds of miles away. By the end of the day, everything had been fixed and production was able to start on time Monday morning.
Throughout that day and following week I was given constant support and reassurance from leadership, both encouraging words and personal stories of mistakes others had made in their own careers. It was a powerful lesson in grace, humility, and human understanding, and has molded my leadership perspective and character traits to this day.
Q: What are your thoughts on safety culture? How can company leaders make safety a value within their organization?
Organizations only have one culture, but many factors influence that culture, including how safety is communicated, implemented, and perceived. We often hear company slogans claiming that safety is the top priority. Organizations who claim this need to consider the Sagan standard: Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. They would have to be able to prove and demonstrate this statement to be true, not just say it. In other words, how does EHS compare against other functions within the organization when it comes to the following?
- Budget and staffing levels;
- Where the EHS function resides within your organization chart;
- The highest-ranking EHS person compared to other functions;
- Results from employee perception surveys; and
- The ability to raise concerns and receive follow-up.
Most companies would not be able to back up the claim that safety is the top priority with any real evidence. Take for instance a company required to produce a million widgets a month. They need to meet that goal or run the risk of losing business, going bankrupt and closing. It’s obvious that the top priority is to produce widgets; otherwise, there would be no company and no workers to protect. Company leaders that would claim safety is the top priority do so because they don’t feel they can say anything less. But they don’t realize how hollow those words sound to a frontline worker managing everyday tradeoffs due to equipment malfunctions, parts delays, manpower shortages, etc.
The goal should be to produce those widgets in the safest manner, with the highest quality, at the lowest cost, delivered on time, and with employees who are trained and supported to carry out these tasks. All these categories must be in balance, and a disproportionate focus on any one of these areas can lead to problems.
Q: What safety concerns or issues do you think need more prioritization in EHS programs?
There needs to be continued focus on identifying and mitigating the critical risks that lead to severe injuries and fatalities (SIFs). Research and practice over the past couple decades has shown that the causes of minor injuries are not the same as the hazards that cause SIFs. In many countries, the total recordable incident rate (TRIR) has been going down, while the fatality rate has been stagnant or increasing. However, many companies have used TRIR to measure their safety performance, causing limited resources to be spread out in an effort to reduce this number. Efforts should instead be focused on understanding SIF risks and hazards, implementing controls/defenses/safeguards, and engaging the workforce in continuous monitoring and improvement.
Notably, NSC has published a Severe Incident and Fatality Prevention Model that is free to use and download. It provides a framework and set of tools that can be used to help organizations of any size to evaluate critical risks and implement controls to mitigate SIF risks.
Q: How will new safety technologies influence the work being done by EHS professionals?
Much like the rest of society, new technologies will have a profound effect on how EHS professionals perform their work. Technology and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions are continuously evolving at a mind-boggling rate. I don’t believe in doomsday scenarios where AI and machines replace human professionals. But certainly those who embrace technology to assist and significantly enhance their working capabilities will far surpass their peers who are not. There are already numerous solutions using AI-enabled technologies to assist with data and trend analysis, risk assessments, real-time hazard recognition, motor vehicle and powered industrial truck operations, biometric monitoring, ergonomic task analysis, work at heights, confined space entry, industrial hygiene monitoring, and medical case management, to name a few. This is in addition to various productivity tools to help manage email, to-do lists, calendar appointments, presentations, report summaries, and many other administrative tasks.
It can be overwhelming if you are not that familiar or comfortable using new technology. Start by making friends with your IT department to learn what AI tools are already available in your workplace and if there are tutorials or training classes available. Then look at all your existing safety software and equipment vendors. Chances are most of these companies have already developed technologies that you could be taking advantage of today. Start with a small goal to learn one tool a month, and then increase your pace as you begin to get more comfortable.
Q: What are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of how much I have learned, grown, and evolved over the years. Early in my career, I was often overwhelmed with how to even start on projects. You can study all the theory in school, but practical application and soft skills are only gained with real-life work. I learned quickly to reach out to those with more experience by asking questions and seeking advice. I have tried to be open to new ideas and understand other perspectives in given situations. One of my favorite quotes is, “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
Q: Do you have any advice for people entering the EHS profession?
Network, network, network! This is such a powerful strategy that may seem meaningless when you first start doing it but pays off in dividends down the road. Much like planting a fruit tree, it can take years to bear fruit. Spend as much time as you can talking with other people, both within your organization, as well as those outside your organization.
Don’t be intimidated by someone’s title, position, or demeanor. Be your authentic self and discover what someone else likes to talk about. Some people like to talk about their families, some about their interests and hobbies, some about their ideas and goals, and some about the challenges they are dealing with at work or in their personal life. Seek to listen with interest and empathy, as there may be something you can provide to assist them.
Look for opportunities to network at breaks and lunches, before and after meetings, at conferences and trade shows, on LinkedIn or other online platforms, or with specific networking groups. Build a personal board of directors—people you can call on when you need advice or consolation, feel stuck on a problem, or need to be challenged on an idea or approach you are taking. Ask and be open to receiving feedback and criticism. But keep the perspective of using it to learn and adjust moving forward, not to lament on the past. Trust your intuition, and rely on your network to help guide you.
I never could have imagined 25 years ago that I would end up where I am today. When I look back at how I got here, circumstances and opportunities always presented themselves at the right time. Even when I was turned down for roles and disappointed, it makes sense now that as one door closes another one opens. You will have good days and bad days, but life will always lead you where you need to go. Above all, try to relax and enjoy the journey.
Are you or a colleague an EHS professional interested in being profiled for the Faces of EHS series? Please contact Joe Bebon at JBebon@BLR.com.