Special Topics in Safety Management

Meet Our Very First Safety Standout Award Winners!

The EHS Daily Advisor Safety Standout Awards recognize companies and safety professionals who excel in making their workplaces safe. We are proud to announce our first round of winners, who will receive their awards at the upcoming Safety Summit 2018!

These awards are sponsored by SafeStart, the most successful safety training process in the world for developing personal, 24/7 safety skills—proven to reduce injuries on average 50%. SafeStart has trained over 3 million people at more than 3,000 companies and 10,000 sites in over 60 countries and is available in 32 languages.

You can see the winners receive their awards during a ceremony at the end of Day 1 of the 5th Annual Safety Summit in Orlando, Florida, on April 17, 2018! Read on to learn more about these fantastic companies and individuals.

Best Overall Safety Program/Culture Award: Dynamic Energy Services International, LLC (DYNESI)

Dynamic Industries, Inc.Dynamic Industries, Inc. (“Dynamic”) was founded in 1985 as an offshore services company, specializing in interconnecting pipe fabrication, associated pipe installation and commissioning, and offshore maintenance services.

Through a change of ownership in 1998, Dynamic quickly grew to become one of the premier hook up and commissioning contractors in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2007, one of the largest private equity firms in the U.S. acquired majority ownership in Dynamic. With significant investment and human assets, Dynamic Industries expanded its footprint globally and now operates in West Africa, Mexico, Caribbean, South America, and the Middle East. In 2012 our parent company changed its name from Moreno Group, LLC to Dynamic Energy Services International, LLC (DYNESI) to better represent what it had become. Today DYNESI has grown into a full line energy service company through its four Strategic Business units.

Through strategic acquisitions, capital investments, expansion, and accumulation of physical facilities together with the assembly of a strong and experienced management team, DYNESI has emerged as a major force in the businesses in which it operates. We bring a seamless integrated solution to the client, assuming all the mission critical scopes to ensure adherence to schedule and budget.  Dynamic offers a broad spectrum of services across its four business units; whilst each is unique and stands alone in its particular business, each are supportive of the other and can therefore provide a fully integrated and commercially beneficial solution if required.

Accepting the award for DYNESI are Gary LoPiccolo and Matt Oubre.

Gary LoPiccoloGary LoPiccolo, CSP graduated in 1991 from Central Missouri State University with a Masters of Science Degree in Industrial Safety Management. In the fall of 1995, he started working for his current employer, Dynamic Energy Services International, LLC (DYNESI). During his 23-year tenure, he has held a number of different positions from Safety Consultant to his current position as the VP of SH&E.
Matt OubreMatt Oubre is President of Dynamic Construction Services (DCS).  He has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Louisiana–Lafayette and has over 25 years of experience in the oil and gas industry in various capacities.  In his current capacity, Matt manages the Field Services Division of Dynamic Industries, Inc. (DCS) which has multiple field construction, scaffolding, and coatings crews operating in oil and gas industry in both the upstream and downstream environments in the United States.

BLR’s Lifetime Achievement in Safety Award: Earl Blair, CSP

Earl BlairEarl Blair is an Associate Professor of Safety Management and an award-winning author and teacher at Eastern Kentucky University. Dr. Blair has authored a number of articles in safety publications such as Professional Safety Journal and is a frequent speaker at national and international safety seminars. His research involves ways to improve safety performance through leadership, measurement, and education. Earl’s mission is to develop future safety professionals and to advance the existing knowledge about the most effective ways to improve safety performance.
Eastern Kentucky University
Earl works at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), located in the Bluegrass area of Kentucky. EKU is a regional, coeducational, public institution of higher education offering general and liberal arts programs and various professional degrees. The College of Justice and Safety has been designated a Program of Distinction since 1998 and houses the Department of Safety & Security, one of the largest programs of its kind in the United States. The Department of Safety & Security offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in Occupational Safety and Safety, Security, and Emergency Management. Students can get their degrees on campus or online. Graduates of EKU’s safety programs tend to gain employment quickly and become highly successful in their careers.

Innovations in Safety Training Award: Ingalls Shipbuilding

Ingalls ShipbuildingFor 80 years, the employees of Ingalls Shipbuilding have pioneered the development and production of technologically advanced, highly capable warships for the surface Navy fleet, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marine Corps, and foreign and commercial customers. Ingalls Shipbuilding is the largest manufacturing employer in the state of Mississippi and a major contributor to the economic growth of the state Alabama as well. Their 79-year legacy has continuously proven they have the talent, experience and facilities to simultaneously build more classes of ships than any other shipyard in America.

Located in Pascagoula, Mississippi on 800 acres of land along the Pascagoula River, Ingalls Shipbuilding employs about 11,500 people and is the largest industrial employer in Mississippi. They are the builder-of-record for:

  • 35 Aegis DDG 51 class of guided missile destroyers
  • The LHA 6 class large deck amphibious ship
  • The flagship of the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Security Cutter

Ingalls Shipbuilding is also the sole builder of the Navy’s newest fleet of San Antonio (LPD 17) class amphibious assault ships. Find them on the web at www.huntingtoningalls.com; on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HuntingtonIngallsIndustries; and on Twitter at twitter.com/hiindustries.

Accepting the award for Ingalls Shipbuilding are Chris Buzbee and Preston Bosarge, co-developers of the Situational Perception And Condition Evaluation Simulator (SPACES) safety training program which is the Innovations in Safety Training Award winner.

Chris BuzbeeChris Buzbee is a System Safety Engineer for Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi. With over 20 years of EHS experience and a BS degree in safety engineering from Columbia Southern University, Chris has overseen safety management systems and developed processes for a wide range of OSH elements. In addition to extensive practice in occupational safety and health programming, Chris is a past-president of ASSE New Orleans Chapter and has held seats on several other professional boards and committees. Currently, Chris serves on the Safety and Health Executive Committee of the Shipbuilders Council of America. Chris has been an OSHA Outreach Instructor in the General Industry, Construction, Maritime, and Disaster Site Worker courses.
Preston BosargePreston Bosarge is a Product Trainer for Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi. For over 13 years, Preston has been a teacher at the high school and secondary education levels as well as an adult workforce training instructor. He has degrees from Louisiana State University and University of Southern Mississippi. Preston has extensive experience in curriculum and training program development as well as implementing trades-specific and safety training processes. Preston has set up programs at several Gulf Coast colleges as well as the Polymer Sciences Vo/Tech for regional high schools. Preston leads a team of seven safety instructors and oversees the new hire safety training and other safety training programs at Ingalls Shipbuilding.

Young Safety Professional Excellence Award: Technical Sergeant DéJayé A. Herrera

TSgt DeJaye A. HerreraTechnical Sergeant DéJayé A. Herrera is the Occupational Safety Manager for the 704th Test Group, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. Originally from Northern California, Sergeant Herrera began her Air Force career in 2006 as a diet therapy technician. She transitioned into the safety profession in 2014, serving as a ground safety manager for the 57th Wing at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. DéJayé is a graduate of the Community College of the Air Force, the Airman Leadership School, and the Non-Commissioned Officer School, where she earned Distinguished Graduate honors. TSgt Herrera is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Occupational Safety and Health.
704th Test Group
The 704th Test Group provides agile and affordable developmental test and evaluation for the U.S. Air Force and Department of Defense. The group conducts flight and ground tests for guidance, navigation, weapons and egress systems, aircraft self-defense, directed energy, aerospace vehicle survivability, landing gear, and radar cross-section measurement. The group consists of 4 squadrons, 2 detachments and 2 geographically separated operating locations. In-house capabilities include modeling and simulation, design, instrumentation, machining, fabrication, explosives handling, air worthiness, test planning, execution and reporting, safety, and security.

Congratulations!

Please join us in congratulating all of our Safety Standout Award winners on their well-deserved recognition as leaders in the safety field!

There’s still time to register for Safety Summit 2018 to help us celebrate the accomplishments of these organizations and professionals in person. In addition to our awards ceremony, there will be a wide variety of educational sessions, speakers, and events tailored to assisting your development as an EHS professional. Register today—seats are filling up fast!

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