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EHS Month Part 4: EHS in my Past Present and Future

August 23rd, 2021 by Kathlynn Traub

I remember when I was first starting out within the world of EHS. It was my first day as an engineering co-op from Clemson University, where I was signed on at a large manufacturing company. Keep in mind, I had never been exposed to industry or manufacturing in any way prior. During the introductory site tour, my personal protective equipment included borrowed safety glasses (the ones that make you look like a bug), and those strap-on-over-your shoes safety covers (that announce you’re coming way before anyone can see you). I was clomping around with my boss, and my first question was something like this: “If a forklift ran over my foot with a Steel Toe on, would it hurt?”

From that fateful morning in 2015, to now, a lot has changed. I am a graduate of Clemson’s Engineering program. I work full-time as a Senior Consultant specializing in environmental, health, and safety compliance assisting higher education campuses, multi-sector manufacturing facilities, and hospitals adhere to numerous regulatory programs and standards. Additionally, I have been tasked with expanding our company, HRP Associates, Inc., into the North Carolina area. And most importantly, I now know, a forklift, would in fact, hurt.

There are a lot of cool things about my job: I can wow my family by reading DOT placards on mysterious 18-wheelers that look like they should be carrying explosives. I see proprietary engineering processes for which I am required to sign nondisclosures. I get to travel! I know where to research to see if a house I am thinking of buying is on an old superfund site (hint: there was one).

As I mature into my field, I see EHS as an essential part of economic growth and prosperity. It will always be a component of everyday life, even if there are those of us who remain blissfully unaware. For example, I had no idea the reasoning behind inspecting the stormwater grates on the highway. I do now. I always wondered why there would be construction cones set up with a mandatory 35 mph on the highway with no workers for months at a time. I now know why. EHS is an integral part in every aspect of life – from grocery stores to vehicles to air quality. And EHS is entirely adaptable. Take the 2020 COVID pandemic: EHS grew into COVID Plans, air quality, additional physical safety in the workplace, and disposal procedures of high-end cleaners and disinfectants.

EHS isn’t the hero everybody wants, but it is the one everybody needs. It protects us, those we love, and our favorite places in nature. It is never stagnant. It always grows and encompasses new subjects/topics to best suit our current physical, environmental, and sometimes cultural needs. I see my job within the EHS world never going away, simply evolving as new problems come to the forefront.

Kathlynn Traub, Senior Consultant at HRP Associates, Inc.