We recently caught up with Dustin Ash, Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and Business Unit Responsible Care Manager for Envalior’ Evansville, Indiana, manufacturing plant and the Troy, Michigan, office and laboratory. Dustin discussed the role safety is playing in the modernization of the Evansville, Indiana plant, why what he does is important to Envalior’s customers, and how he came to be so passionate about workplace safety.
I've been in the safety field for more than 15 years. I started my career at Toyota and got involved with their safety committee and safety team and realized that I really enjoyed this type of work. So I finished my bachelor's degree in environmental health and safety through Columbia Southern University, then earned my master's in safety management from Indiana State University.
I've always wanted to help people get home safely at the end of the day. But within the past 12 years, my passion has been renewed because my father experienced a workplace injury that left him permanently disabled. I don't want any other families to experience what my family has been through, and the changes in lifestyle that my dad and mom have had to make because of that injury.
From the beginning of the project we have been spending a lot of time looking at the new equipment and new processes, talking with employees, and seeking opportunities to improve. We have performed hazard operability studies to make sure that we were designing a facility that reduces risks to workers. We reviewed all the new processes and all the equipment line by line. We conducted machine safety analyses in which we looked at each piece of equipment and the risks associated with it. We did what we call a PSSR, which is a pre-startup safety review. Any action items that came out of those studies were resolved.
I like to go out and talk with the employees; not necessarily about safety, but just to find out more about them and let them get to know me. I want the workers to feel comfortable talking to me, so if and when they do have a safety issue they will feel comfortable having that discussion.
My role is important to ensure that our facility is not only a safe place to work, but that we're also maintaining compliance. There are studies that have shown that safe facilities also produce quality products. And I think there's a direct correlation between safety and quality that says to the end user, “If they're keeping their people safe, they're going to send me a good quality product at the end of the day.”
The best part of my job is just knowing that I've helped people hopefully make some good decisions about staying safe, not just at work but also at home. We want to give people the tools and the resources necessary to keep themselves safe away from work, just as we do here at work.
Global Manager of Messaging and Content Development
05 September 2022
'I care, we care,' and why you should care about our commitment to safety
Global Manager of Messaging and Content Development
Candace Roulo is Global Manager of Messaging and Content Development for Envalior. Based in Troy, Michigan, she specializes in writing blogs and articles about advanced materials solutions. Prior to joining Envalior, Candace served in editorial roles at SME and Penton Media. Candace earned her bachelor’s degree in communication, specializing in public relations, at Michigan State University’s College of Communication Arts and Sciences.
