Brandon Newell
But the truth is that every one of those regulations exists due to a tragedy that occurred without it. Brandon Newell cannot stress this importance enough: that safety rules are in place to protect workers, like guardrails. Those who enforce those rules are defenders, part of the team working towards the same goal of getting everyone home safe at the end of the day.
Newell got his start in safety working at Hill Air Force Base where he would take on the role of inspecting any explosives the base would be working with. He was simultaneously using his GI bill to finance his education at Weber State University in Ogden, the combination paving a natural road that led him to the Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Office here at the U. Since then, he has worn many hats at the EHS, from lab inspector to occupational safety specialist to his current position managing the occupational safety team.
The rigorous work this team does may come as a surprise, as the U rarely makes the news in terms of these sorts of accidents. This is the greatest irony of work within safety. The more efficiently it is carried out, the less important it seems as nothing is going wrong.
But such prevention is constantly carried out. As one of many examples of something they’ve caught, Newell describes that “there are many peroxide forming chemicals that can crystallize and explode upon contact when they get old. Doing that on a recurring basis over the last five to seven -years. . . lab personnel have that hazard at the forefront of their minds.”
It may not lead to the most exciting story headlines, but it’s far more preferable than an injured student, faculty or staff member.
Silent stories like those peroxides happen across campus, from engineering workshops to research labs, to simply walking around campus. To pursue further prevention, the EHS organizes a “Walk After Dark” event every year, bringing all students who wish to participate to jaunt around campus and identify any areas of issue. If there are lights out, damaged railings or lighting needed around potential tripping hazards, EHS wants to know about it. The annual event symbolizes the EHS’s goals and values: to work together with students to create a safe campus environment.
Brandon Newell closes by stating that “we’re on the same team. We don’t enjoy having to be the people that are forcing compliance, forcing regulations. These are your rights, and we’re here to help make sure that your rights are not violated.”