As an award-winning young safety professional, Rachel Eckert represents the future of the EHS industry. So, who better than her to help chime in on what’s ahead for safety technology and culture, as well as offer advice to other young professionals entering the field?
Eckert is an EHS supervisor at the New York manufacturing plant of Chobani, a major food company known for its yogurt and other dairy products. She kicked off her promising EHS career at Chobani about three years ago. Her current duties cover various EHS responsibilities, including authorized and awareness training, program development and implementation, safety projects, incident management, and assessments.
Eckert earned her ASP certification from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals and is pursuing her CSP designation in the coming year. She holds a master’s degree in health education and human behavior from the University of Florida. Notably, Eckert recently won the Young Safety Professional Excellence Award as part of EHS Daily Advisor‘s 2024 Safety Standout Awards.
To learn more about Eckert and her take on industry issues, please read the Faces of EHS interview below:
Q: How did you get your start in the field?
I initially went to college for kinesiology with an interest in health and wellness after struggling with weight and personal health in my childhood. I always wanted to own a gym or some type of health/wellness organization. I grew up in a very rural area and noticed that there were limited opportunities in the community for me to utilize my degree.
I went back to school for my master’s to get a competitive edge when applying for positions and ended up taking classes in risk management and injury prevention. I really enjoyed those courses, and liked the occupational health and safety aspects of the research job that I was doing, so I started seeking out safety positions.
Chobani was the first one I applied to because the plant was near where I had grown up. I started there and have learned more than I could have ever imagined, and the company has been so incredibly gracious in offering me so many opportunities to develop myself in my field and as a leader.
Q: Who has been your biggest influence in the industry?
Trevor Anderson, who leads EHS at Chobani. I remember starting at Chobani and being in awe of his ability to cite regulations without a moment’s thought, look at complex issues and projects from a different perspective, and propose great solutions. He has a true passion and determination for safety. He has provided me with unparalleled support to develop my career and is very knowledgeable and helpful with any questions that I need support on.
Q: What’s your favorite and least favorite part about working in the industry?
My favorite part about working in the industry is how fast-paced it is. There is always something new to learn or do, and it’s pretty cool to see the processes that go into something that might seem as simple as a meal you would grab off the shelf at the store.
My least favorite part of the industry is when there is an injury—even the small injuries are upsetting, but they present us with an opportunity to improve.
Q: What are your thoughts on safety culture? How can company leaders make safety a value within their organization?
I think safety culture is improving overall, but it depends on the leadership team. The leaders at Chobani chose to prioritize safety above everything. It is incredible the level of support that the EHS team has here. Supervisors and managers on the floor will drop everything to help us if we have a concern or project needing their attention; EHS is the start of every single meeting; senior leaders are communicating with EHS constantly; and employees are always encouraged to prioritize their safety. All of that really shows in our safety culture, how we work within the plants, and our employees’ perception of safety. I think that Chobani really walks the walk and is a great example of how leaders should make safety a value.
Q: What safety concerns or issues do you think need more prioritization in EHS programs?
I think that it is important to continue to regularly review any safety topics applicable to your work. If you don’t constantly look at them, give them each an opportunity to be brought to the forefront, and remind employees of the goals of a program, then there is a risk something may fall to the wayside, and then that becomes what needs more prioritization.
Q: What will be the impact of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles on the EHS industry?
I believe that ESG could be a force of change within the EHS industry so long as the principles are functioning cohesively. For businesses which have the potential to have significant impacts on their employees, and the areas around their brick-and-mortar locations, ESG has the potential to structure a crucial framework to ensure sustainability and compliance that goes beyond the minimum requirements of EHS programs and, in turn, drive policies and deliverables that can have a positive impact on the surrounding areas. If ESG and EHS work in tandem, there is a huge amount of potential to structure programs and policies using human behavior models, and the output would be programs that engage and sustain.
Q: How will new safety technologies influence the work being done by EHS professionals?
I think that society is on the cusp of some pretty incredible technology. I believe that within my career we will see such advancements that technology will provide an incredible amount of insight on day-to-day work and analyze data and risk at a level that far surpasses the ability of human output.
It will always be crucial to have real-life interaction and a “live” person to talk to, so I don’t believe that technology will ever completely outpace the need for EHS professionals in the workplace. But there is some awesome technology out there to have in your back pocket to support the work you do and decisions you make.
Personally, I like to utilize technology to support my ideas (or completely destroy them; I welcome that as well). For example, I can use AI software to analyze a repetitive motion task and determine where the highest levels of risk exist and prioritize my focus on those areas. That doesn’t mean that my knowledge and input aren’t needed in those situations, as there will always be other factors that the technology isn’t “aware” of, so I will need to use my professional judgment to ensure that the data being produced is representative of reality. But the data might help me see something I had missed or show me that I was looking at something the wrong way altogether, and that is an incredible opportunity.
Q: What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of my drive and ability to do something I never dreamed of. In 2017, I dropped out of college and had no idea what I was going to do with my life. Five years ago, I was a single mom of a 1-year-old, and I was trying to finish my bachelor’s degree online and working four jobs to try to get by. If you had told me then that in five years, I would be an EHS supervisor, let alone at Chobani, I would have thought you were insane.
But now I’m doing really meaningful work, at a company that does amazing things for their employees as well as the world around them, and I’m providing for my daughter and laying the groundwork for a great life for us. College-dropout me would have never believed that I would make it this far, so I’m really proud of that.
Q: Do you have any advice for people entering the EHS profession?
Be willing to learn. When I have had the most difficulty solving a problem, it has been an instance where I was trying to be the expert at everything. Alternately, when I have walked into an issue and said, “I have no idea, someone explain the process to me and teach me,” those have been the times that I have seen the most success.
Lean on the people around you who are experts in their area. Accept the fact that there is always something for you to learn and that there is always something to gain by including others in the conversation. Then accept that being wrong isn’t bad: It’s not a failure, it’s an opportunity to improve.
Soak up all the knowledge you can from anyone who will give it to you, and every decision you make or project you have to work through will become easier and easier because you will have the right people in your corner to support you.
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.