Jill:

This is the Accidental Safety Pro brought to you by HSI. This episode was recorded November 2nd, 2021. My name is Jill James, HSI's chief safety officer. And today I'm joined by Laynnea Myles. Laynnea is an EHS professional in the cosmetics industry, specifically in a research and development division.

Laynnea also has her ASP and her CSP and is joining us today from New Jersey. And I reached out to Laynnea because I read that she is an NSC, the National Safety Council's 2020 Rising Star. Laynnea, welcome to the show and congrats on being a star.

Laynnea:

Yay. Thank you so much. I truly appreciate it.

Jill:

I'm interested to hear about how that all that went down with the being a 2020 Rising Star and being noticed for it or recognized for it in 2021. But before we get there, I want to hear your story of how is it that you came to find the world of health and safety. And then hopefully, how did you land in the cosmetics industry? That sounds interesting too.

Laynnea:

Yeah.

Jill:

Where does your story start, Laynnea?

Laynnea:

Yeah, sure. Well, I started at Iowa State University. I just knew I was going to be an electrical engineer, but then I realized that you don't get into your hands-on part until your junior year. So I said, "Nope, this is not for me. I'm very hands-on."

So then my advisor said, "Hey, we have a program called industrial technology with an emphasis on occupational safety and health, and you can still have your engineering classes, and it's very hands-on." So I was sold from there. So started my career and from there on, I loved it.

Jill:

Wow, interesting. Did I say in the introduction you're joining us from New Jersey?

Laynnea:

Yes.

Jill:

Yeah. So how did you get to Iowa?

Laynnea:

I know. I hear that all the time, "How did you get to Iowa?" Actually, I got a full track scholarship to Iowa State.

Jill:

Wow.

Laynnea:

And they did have a good engineering program, so it was just awesome. And it was a culture shock for me in particular, coming from New Jersey, going to Iowa.

And I remember my first experience, my parents and I moving into the dorms and people started grabbing my luggage and I said, "Hey, wait a minute. That's mine." That's my Jersey mentality. And they said, "Oh, we were just trying to help you." And then I knew from there, "Yep. I love this place."

Jill:

The Midwest helpers. Yes.

Laynnea:

Yes.

Jill:

Oh, that's awesome. That's awesome. So when your advisor turned you on to occupational health and safety, what did you think it would be about?

Laynnea:

So I actually was very curious. So my biggest thing was, is it going to be hands-on? I'm a personable person and she said, "Oh, sure. You'll have different classes like metals, industrial hygiene." And soon as she said, "Metals," I kind of... "What does that mean?"

And so that meant that I actually get to make things from scratch using metals. So I actually make a toolbox from metal. So that really intrigued me. And then I had my industrial engineering classes. So I just knew it was a perfect fit because it was a field that is hands-on and I get to interact with so many different people.

Jill:

Yeah. Right. And so you finish your degree, where's the first place you land?

Laynnea:

Funny story. So in order to graduate, you had to have an internship. And so I got an email from L'Oréal. But back then, when I saw the email, I told my roommate, "I have an email from L'Oréal." And she was like, "Let me see." And she said, "Do you mean L'Oréal?" I said, "Oh."

I didn't wear makeup, so I didn't know anything about L'Oréal. So they reached out to me for an internship and it was actually back in New Jersey. And so it was in the EHS department, Environmental Health and Safety department. And so that's where my journey began.

Jill:

Wow. And what did you do there for an internship?

Laynnea:

Yeah.

Jill:

What'd they task you with?

Laynnea:

Yeah, so it was really, really hands-on, and that's what I loved about it because I got to build the programs from scratch. And I actually got to shadow a lot of the different chemists because I started out in the research and development division.

So it was really interesting to see how the chemist formulates the different products. So not only did I learn that aspect, but I actually learned how can I make it better and safer. I really was able to apply my industrial hygiene courses and my different courses that I had to actual real life hands-on experience.

Jill:

Yeah. And I bet you dove headlong into lab safety.

Laynnea:

Yes.

Jill:

Yeah. And probably some other regulatory bodies, not just OSHA, right?

Laynnea:

Correct. EPA, Environmental Protection Agency. I dealt a lot with environmental waste management. So believe it or not, I'm primarily focused on that. I primarily focus on waste management and the different waste streams that we have because there's so many different chemicals.

And so making sure that from an environmental standpoint, that everything was labeled correctly from cradle to grave. So it was a very unique side for me.

Jill:

And so really leaning into the E in the EHS.

Laynnea:

Correct. Correct.

Jill:

Yeah. Yeah. So what happened after that internship?

Laynnea:

So after that internship, L'Oréal actually created a position for me and hired me on full-time, so I was ecstatic.

Jill:

Whoa.

Laynnea:

Told my parents, "Yes, I got a job here!" They loved it.

Jill:

That's awesome. So you got a job in your field right after graduation and in your home state.

Laynnea:

In my home state. And actually, it was about 15 minutes. I'm from Elizabeth, New Jersey, and the location was in Clark, New Jersey. So it was really good for me to be close to home, close to family. And I really, really dove in as soon as I got started. And as soon as I got hired, it was a fast transition.

Jill:

And so did you stay in that division? Or what happened with your career once you got a job there?

Laynnea:

Yeah. So I actually stayed in the division for about eight years. I loved it because it was my boss and myself, and we were over the EHS department for the entire division. So I would travel to our other locations. We had an ethnic institute in Chicago, which I traveled to.

And it was a different experience because different states have different requirements. So it really allowed me to hone in to my regulatory books and actually network. So I was really networking a lot. And actually, when I was in college, I was the president of the American Society of Safety Engineers. That's what it was back then.

Jill:

Yep.

Laynnea:

So when I graduated as a professional, I joined the professional chapter. And so that's where I really started networking and building my network and learning even more. So from there, I transitioned to the operations supply chain within L'Oréal. So I did that for about two years, which was very different.

Jill:

[inaudible 00:09:19].

Laynnea:

Yeah. Went from going to laboratories and actually within the laboratories and research, we actually had consumer testing. So actually consumers would come in and get their hair done. Can you imagine that? Going to work and see a salon, people getting their nails done, their hair done.

Jill:

And so your safety crossed over into people who weren't employees.

Laynnea:

Yes. And this is something that I never imagined.

Jill:

Yeah. Interesting. Interesting. And so then when you moved into the other division, I'm picturing warehouse, packaging, shipping.

Laynnea:

Yes. It was.

Jill:

[inaudible 00:10:03]. Yeah. Okay.

Laynnea:

Yep. Distribution. So it was totally different because I was in an environment where it was majority forklifts. So you had a different ergonomic, different risk that you have, and so very different. So it really allowed me to learn even more.

And even when I was in that division, I did audits. So I would do different audits at the different manufacturing sites, as well as other distribution sites. So it just really helped me to hone in and get really well-rounded as a generalist.

Jill:

Yeah. Right. So, Laynnea, what do you like about doing audits? Or do you like doing it?

Laynnea:

I actually do. One thing I like about it is I like going to different areas in different locations in different states. Not only looking at, okay, let's see what is in compliance, but also looking at the best practices. That's what I love the most.

Jill:

Yeah.

Laynnea:

I love looking at and finding best practices because I share that with other departments and other divisions and other locations.

Jill:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You observe people doing something really well and you wanted to share that with others. In the time that you did audits, and I'm sure you probably still do them in different parts of your job because we just scraped the surface of your career so far.

Laynnea:

Yeah.

Jill:

But when it comes to audits, are there specific things you can think of like best practices that you'd like to share with our audience?

Laynnea:

Yeah. I would say definitely making sure, on two folds, the person that's being audited, make sure you have everything organized. It's nothing bad than when an auditor comes and asks for a document and you're scrambling looking for where's the documentation.

When everything is organized, and let's say I ask for one thing and I see everything is organized, but if there's one document that you're looking for, it's more of, "Okay, they just misplaced it. I know they have everything else in order." And so you're not as hard on that, versus someone that everything is in a disarray. So I would definitely say, make sure that you're organized.

Now, from an auditor's perspective, be open-minded and don't go into it with preconceived notions, even if it's a location that you've been before. And that's one of the things I have to remind myself or I did have to remind myself, "Okay, I know I've gone to this site before. You know what? Let me not have any preconceived notations of what I saw before because I want to give that site a fair chance and help them understand."

And that's one thing I do, really try to understand because when auditing, it's not that I'm trying to, "Oh, I want you to get something wrong" or, "Oh, I found this." It's really to help build in the culture.

Jill:

Yeah. And to see them with fresh eyes.

Laynnea:

Yeah.

Jill:

Regardless of how many times you've been there.

Laynnea:

Exactly.

Jill:

Yeah. Those are good tips. Thank you for sharing that. So what happened next?

Laynnea:

So I actually moved to Georgia, got a really great opportunity to work for 3M. And the interesting thing about that is the site that I worked at, we actually made missile heads.

Jill:

All right. So you've gone from cosmetics to missile heads. All right.

Laynnea:

To missile heads. And who would think... A lot of people, when I say that, they're like, "What? 3M made missile heads? I never knew that." Yeah. So it was very unique because it was an ITAR facility, so you had to have special clearance just to work at the site.

Jill:

Yeah. Maybe explain what ITAR means for the listening audience.

Laynnea:

Yeah. So from a regulatory perspective, there's government clearance that you have to have. And with the ITAR facility, it stands for the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

So this means that this is a place that manufactures and tributes defense equipment. So like I mentioned, we actually made missile heads. So we worked a lot with the Army and Navy.

Jill:

Wow.

Laynnea:

Yeah. I know, right? Whoa, mind-blowing. Right?

Jill:

Right. So you went from L'Oréal to 3M. What a shock to the system that must have been. Or were you able to bring some of your knowledge over to 3M? What did that look like?

Laynnea:

Yeah. I actually was able to bring the same skillset that I had and I also learned more. So one of the things that was different for me is that any piece of equipment that I needed to modify, I had to get government clearance.

So that was very, very unique for me. And even if this was to enhance a piece of equipment, let's say for a machine guarding standpoint.

Jill:

Yeah.

Laynnea:

And so it was very different in that aspect, but it allowed me to really hone in and think of ways to be even more creative from a safety perspective.

Jill:

Wow.

Laynnea:

Yeah.

Jill:

Yeah. In the rigmarole of asking permission of the government, did that end up being part of your job as well in terms of having to fill out requests and wait for things?

Laynnea:

So I didn't have to fill out the request, however, I was in the meetings where production would give me an update to say, "Okay, give me a couple of days, I'm going to get this for you." So we would have different meetings to discuss the status of the clearance for it.

So it was really interesting, and I never even thought that. And so another thing that was interesting is that I really, really gained a lot of knowledge in Lean Six Sigma. So I did get Green Belt certified, and that really was mind-blowing. I'm like, "Wow, this is so crazy. This is so awesome for EHS." And yeah, it was amazing.

Jill:

Yeah. So if our listeners aren't familiar with Lean or Six Sigma, can you give maybe just a little bit of a landscape of what that means?

Laynnea:

Yeah. So with Lean Six Sigma, it's like a method that relies on improving the performance of removing ways, doing things more efficiently. So you have different concepts and you can actually use it for all areas. So just as an example, I did a Kaizen event. So it's an event that we did for our flammable storage cabinets.

Jill:

Okay.

Laynnea:

So we did a Kaizen event and we did Five S'ing. So we looked at everything. We took a picture, a 'before' picture, which is very important, of how the flammable cabinet looked. Things were in almost a little disarray, unorganized I would say. And so we took pictures.

And then a group of people from different departments, which actually is really good because we brainstorm, "Okay, how can we make this more efficient?" So after we did brainstorming, we went out on the floor and implemented our ideas. So we organized it, put different tapes, signage.

We took a picture of the inside and outside. So you can see from the outside, this is what it should look on the inside. And so when you open up the flammable cabinet, you see that same picture. So it gives you a reminder of, okay, this is how it should be organized.

And so it was really a really good experience. And to have different people and different ideas, the team really liked things like that.

Jill:

Sounds like I want to implement that in my own home.

Laynnea:

Exactly.

Jill:

Have you done that in your own house?

Laynnea:

Exactly. Well, actually, I have done a little bit in my cabinets.

Jill:

I'm kind of wired for that. I think I should have brought this into my life a long time ago. I think I might be able to fast-track my certification because I think this is how I organize my life.

Laynnea:

Yeah.

Jill:

Fruits on one shelf in the refrigerator, vegetables on another, protein on another, pantries the same way.

Laynnea:

Yeah. Because look, if you think about it, that is a form of waste; time.

Jill:

Yeah.

Laynnea:

And so if I can easily look for a chemical that's in a flammable cabinet because oh, it's nice and neat, everything is labeled, I know the alcohols are right here, the bases right here, so forth. Versus trying to scramble just to look for something, you get frustrated. So yeah.

Jill:

Yeah. Wow.

Laynnea:

Much needed.

Jill:

Exactly. So what did the safety team look like there compared to where you had been? I'm guessing you weren't a solo operator at 3M.

Laynnea:

Yes and no.

Jill:

Okay.

Laynnea:

Yeah. The reason why I say yes and no is because I was over it for my site, and I was the only person. However, I did have resources from corporate, and that was one of the biggest things. There was different departments that helped the different sites.

So although I was by myself at my location, I had so much support from corporate. And that was something that I really, really appreciated. Until this day, I still communicate and benchmark with some of my old colleagues.

Jill:

That's such a great thing about our professional practice, isn't it?

Laynnea:

Yeah.

Jill:

Yeah. Same for me. Same for me. So, Laynnea, what happened with your career next? We went from cosmetics to missiles. [inaudible 00:21:46]

Laynnea:

To missiles. Then an opportunity for me came up at a company called Luxottica. So Luxottica owns LensCrafters, Sunglass Hut. So, totally different.

Jill:

Wow.

Laynnea:

Totally different. Right?

Jill:

Yeah.

Laynnea:

So a different industry.

Jill:

Yeah.

Laynnea:

And so that was a unique experience because I was over a site for manufacturing as well as logistics where we had over 2,000 employees.

Jill:

Big.

Laynnea:

Big.

Jill:

Big.

Laynnea:

Yeah.

Jill:

Yeah. So manufacturing and logistics you said. And you also said in sunglasses, lenses. Did you get back into the lab work again? What was that like?

Laynnea:

Yeah. Actually, it's where we actually made the lenses.

Jill:

Oh. Okay.

Laynnea:

So it was more of research, the lab. So it was very unique because it was the lab work, but it was a different type of lab where you have making lenses and different frames that you put the lens in. So the frames were already made, but we made the lenses. So there's different types of lenses. When you see the different shades, the colors.

And it was awesome. And then in the same building, we also had logistics. So this is your apparel, your sunglasses that was already made. And so everything, moving parts together and trying to automate things to make things more efficient.

Jill:

Wow. Interesting. I can't say I've ever been in a facility like that. And now I just want to know what does it look like in a facility like that? But of course, it'd probably take you a long time to explain. So how long did you stay there?

Laynnea:

So I was there for about a year. And again, this is still in Georgia, the warm weather, which I have to say, I loved. Yeah. And then another opportunity, surprisingly, knocking on my door, L'Oréal reached back out to me.

Jill:

Wow.

Laynnea:

L'Oréal reached back out to me.

Jill:

What a compliment.

Laynnea:

Yeah. Yeah. It was definitely a compliment and I was very humbled. The fact that they thought highly of me, for me to come back.

And so they gave me an offer I couldn't refuse because I didn't think I was coming back to New Jersey because when I was in Georgia, I did not have a shovel at all. I didn't have a shovel at all. So I loved that.

Jill:

You could wear flip-flops most of the year.

Laynnea:

Yes. Yes.

Jill:

So you went back to your home state.

Laynnea:

Yep. Went back to my home state and it came back full circle because now I was the head of the research and development for EHS.

Jill:

Wow.

Laynnea:

And so it was awesome coming back, seeing some familiar faces, just having that warm welcome and feeling appreciated, I love that feeling.

Jill:

Yeah. Yeah. Great. You know what? I said at the beginning, you're an EHS professional. You've talked about the environmental piece. You've talked about the safety piece. You talked a little bit about industrial hygiene. But health, I think, has a little bit different meaning to you right now at this part of your career, right?

Laynnea:

Yes. It sure does. And so, one thing that even before I left L'Oréal when I first started, one thing that I used to do is have what is called a health and safety day. It was just for one day where I had different vendors come in, we had nutritionists, we had yoga, we had massage therapists and different health and safety-related vendors come on site.

So when I came back to L'Oréal, that was one of the things that employees said, "Hey, are you going to bring back the health and safety day? We loved that. When you left, we didn't have it." And so that made me think even more, "Okay. There is a need even more for health." And so I did.

And also, when we had our health and safety day is when I had different vendors come in, even for mental health. I partner with our benefits. And employees really appreciate it because like a lot of jobs, you have so many benefits but employees don't take advantage of it because sometimes they just don't know.

Jill:

Right.

Laynnea:

And that's what I really wanted to focus on too, is not just being safe and healthy at work, but at home too. And so those are the type of programs that I drove when I first came back.

Jill:

Yeah. Yeah. Right. Body, mind, and spirit. Safety all the way around and good health.

Laynnea:

Yeah.

Jill:

Yeah. Yeah. Awesome. You had mentioned that you went from New Jersey to Iowa, to Georgia, back to Jersey again. What did you learn about working with people in different parts of the country?

Laynnea:

Yeah. I learned that every part of the country or even the state is different. And I couldn't take the same approach in the south as I did in the north. And not only that, is you really have to get to know people because there were people who I've dealt with who have a high school education, and then there are some that have two PhDs.

So it really helped me to be able to articulate to different audiences in the communication, making it more palatable for people to understand. Right? And so that's important.

And I think going to different states and even interacting with people on all levels really helped me. And it really allowed me to see EHS from other people's side, point of view, that different vantage point.

Jill:

Yeah. Makes sense. You were talking earlier, I wanted to come back to this, about networking. And you talked about getting involved with ASSE back when it was that, and ASSP now. So are you still leveraging that organization or?

Laynnea:

Yes.

Jill:

What does that look like?

Laynnea:

Yes. Yes. It actually has been very helpful in my career because I'm also part of the Common Interest Group; Blacks in Safety Excellence (BISE), and Women in Safety Excellence (WISE). And I actually started out as a mentee in WISE. And I really encourage anyone, everyone to have a mentor, regardless of how long you've been in your career, and even if you're a junior.

Jill:

Yeah.

Laynnea:

I think that's very, very important. And so I still am in contact with my mentor from when I started in WISE. And I felt like it really helped me. It really helped me understand even more, especially being a woman. I am a minority, I'm black. And there wasn't so many people that look like me in my field. And so having some-

Jill:

Still the case.

Laynnea:

Yes. Still the case. And so having someone to talk to who has been in the field to help me navigate through different critical conversations and even understanding was really helpful. So that made me actually want to be a mentor.

I did mentoring when I was in high school, but this is on a different level now. I did it in college, but this was from a career professional standpoint. And it really opened my eyes because it's different when you're in a professional setting. And so I wanted to give back too. Yeah, so I became a mentor in WISE.

Jill:

And so if people listening are thinking, "I think I'd like to be mentored or I'd like to mentor, and I'm part of ASSP. And maybe I can do it through the WISE door, Women In Safety Excellence, or through Blacks in Safety Excellence." Where would someone start?

Laynnea:

Yeah, sure. They can always start at the website, American Society of Safety Professionals. And just want to make this clear. You do not have to be black to join BISE. You do not have to be a woman to join WISE.

Jill:

Okay.

Laynnea:

Because some people think, "Oh, I can't." You can. You can. And so there is an application that you fill out where you can either be a mentor or you can be a mentee. And it's really a good way because it's very structured and it gives you... As a mentee, it's not just the mentor doing everything for you. You have to take steps as well.

And so I like that about it. I like that there was structure, there's structure. And not very stringent, but there are structures just to give you guidelines. And also, there's structure for a mentor saying, "Hey, it's your mentee's responsibility to reach out to you and for you guys to have that communication." So I really implore anyone to sign up to either one or both.

Jill:

Yeah. Yeah. Thank you for sharing that. Thank you for sharing that. You had mentioned that, well, there aren't very many women in our field and not very many minorities in our field either.

When you first started talking about your education back in Iowa, and that you started out in engineering, which is a STEM practice, what do you have to say about encouraging people who are like you, that are like me, that this is a STEM field that we're in?

Laynnea:

Yeah. You know what? So many people don't realize that it is STEM. So one thing that I would say is that, don't limit yourself. Don't think that STEM is just in one industry. It's in all industries. As we've talked, I shared my journey in different industries that people would've never thought, "Hey, I would not have thought that."

And so really take that and really explore it because it can take you so far. There's so many different opportunities. And one thing that I do to give back, I actually got my master's at Columbia Southern University.

And so that's another thing, just trying to better myself, continue to grow, continue to get more knowledge and see what those... Go back to your school. Reach out to the alumni to see, "Hey, how can I help? What can I do to help promote the program?"

Jill:

Yeah. To build more people like you and I into this... Yeah.

Laynnea:

And I think that's the thing, because a lot of people don't talk about it. So that's why I really wanted to reach out. And I'm very in contact with Columbia Southern as well as Iowa State so that I can help share and spread the word.

Jill:

Thank you for that. Thank you for that. You're growing the profession.

Laynnea:

Yes.

Jill:

Thank you, Laynnea. You mentioned Columbia Southern. They have a publication it sounds like.

Laynnea:

Yes.

Jill:

Yeah. Tell us about that. Something new there.

Laynnea:

Yeah. So their fall publication of this year, I am actually featured in it. I'm the alumni spotlight. Yay!

Jill:

Yay! Yay!

Laynnea:

And so you'll see a picture of me on one of my audits actually. And I talk about being a mentor and being a Woman in Safety Excellence, in WISE, and my journey and why do I love this. I love engaging and interacting with people.

And I really, really am passionate about it and believe that it is of value. Everyone says, "Oh, EHS is of value. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah." But what does that mean? Are we saying it or do we actually really believe it? Or is it a priority? Priorities change.

And if it's a core value, is it in everyone's EHS goals? Does everyone have EHS goals from all levels? Is it in a performance base? Is everyone really involved in the culture? Can I go to the head and ask them something safety-related? So this spotlight, just a snippet of my journey and you'll also... A little hint, someone's a Star Wars fan. Master Jedi.

Jill:

It goes along with your Green Belt.

Laynnea:

Yeah, exactly.

Jill:

Yeah, all of that. All of that. That's awesome. That's awesome. So I'm wondering, maybe we can include that article in the show notes.

Laynnea:

Sure. Sure. Sure.

Jill:

Yeah.

Laynnea:

Definitely. Definitely.

Jill:

That would be great. We'll put a link in the show notes so people can read about that. And of course, the Star Wars piece.

Laynnea:

Yes. Master Jedi.

Jill:

Yeah. Who has a very organized pantry and home and workplace. Yeah.

Laynnea:

Yes.

Jill:

So I mentioned at the outset today that you were recognized by the National Safety Council as a Rising Star for 2020. And of course, we're recording this in 2021. Can you talk about what a Rising Star is?

Laynnea:

Yes.

Jill:

And the [inaudible 00:38:47]. Yeah, go ahead.

Laynnea:

Oh my goodness. First, when I was told that I was a recipient last year, that I won, that I was one of the recipients, I was like, "Oh my goodness. Are you serious? This is so awesome. This is prestigious."

And it's not just about me because I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my family, loved ones, and even the employees. And for the Rising Stars, I actually help build the program even more. Helping the program go into an interdependent state in building the culture.

So that goes back to what I was talking about, the values of EHS. And making it where it's a way of life, where people, our employees, not only are safe at work, but they are at home. And even developing different programs to help that and sustaining it.

And so I talk a little bit about that in my piece for Rising Stars of Safety and how it is behavior-based, doing behavior-based observation and using those tools. And so I was so ecstatic getting the plaque.

And this year I actually went to the conference and they actually had an award ceremony for the 2020 as well as the 2021 recipients. So it was just so awesome getting to see others who received the award as well.

Jill:

Yeah. And you were recognized for the work you were just explaining.

Laynnea:

Yes.

Jill:

About whole health and safety.

Laynnea:

Yes. Yeah.

Jill:

[inaudible 00:40:51]. Well, congratulations.

Laynnea:

Thank you. Thank you.

Jill:

That is awesome. So, Laynnea, you've been at the work of health and safety for how long now?

Laynnea:

It's been over 17 years.

Jill:

Wow.

Laynnea:

Over 17 years. Yeah.

Jill:

Yeah. What are some stories, what's some of the craziest stuff you've seen or done in your profession or ways that you were maybe pushed or came home from work and went, "I can't believe I did that or that happened today?"

Laynnea:

Yeah. So one thing is that I deal with... A lot of people really don't realize this, but I actually work in construction as well because I do have construction projects.

Jill:

Whoa.

Laynnea:

I know, right? I do have construction projects. So I knew I wanted me a cool hard hat. Another thing, I'm a Dallas Cowboys fan, America's team. That's another story for another day.

Jill:

[crosstalk 00:42:03].

Laynnea:

Another story for another day of how I live in New Jersey and a Dallas Cowboy fan, so that's another story.

Jill:

That doesn't work really well with the locals.

Laynnea:

No, no, no. So I got me a Dallas Cowboy hard hat, and I don't think they make them anymore. And so I'm going on to the construction site and all you see is the trades looking at me like, "Who is this?" One, I'm a female.

Jill:

Yep.

Laynnea:

And then I have a cool, what I think is cool, hard hat.

Jill:

Cool for safety professionals.

Laynnea:

Exactly. Cool for a safety professional. So I'm walking with one of the consultants that I have that reports to me for the project. And so we're walking around and someone asks me, is the guy my boss. So he looks at them and said, "No, she's the boss." And they were shocked like, "What? A female? No."

And so I always get a kick out of that, especially when I first go to a project because you don't see so many women, and even a woman of color, on a construction site.

So I always get a kick out of that. So a start of a project or when different trades come in and they see me walking around, and actually when I talk to them and I know what I'm talking about, they're like, "Oh. Hmm."

Jill:

Mm-hmm (affirmative). There's something under that really great hard hat.

Laynnea:

Yeah, exactly. I love to listen and talk. And then I start talking and I say, "Hey, different codes" and "Hey, where's the GFCI for that ground-fault circuit interrupter? It's six feet from the water source. It needs to be GFCI." They're like, "Oh, okay. She knows that. Okay. Wow." Yeah.

Jill:

Yeah. It's both fun and annoying when you can break up those myths or assumptions that people have about you because of your gender or race on the job.

Laynnea:

Yeah. And surprisingly, I've had construction projects when I was at L'Oréal, at 3M, and at Luxottica. So that's why I love being in general industry or different fields being a generalist because I do touch different things, so I love that aspect of it.

Jill:

Yeah. It really keeps the job fresh. There's always something new to learn.

Laynnea:

Always.

Jill:

Yeah. So you had mentioned earlier, you got your master's degree. And I wanted to ask, what are other ways that you try to keep yourself fresh or up to date? I know you have a connection, obviously, with ASSP. Are there any other places that you go? Maybe publications that you read? Anything like that, that you'd like to share with the listeners?

Laynnea:

Yeah, sure. So, one thing, I definitely encourage everyone to go to the conferences. There are so many PDCs and conferences, National Safety Council has them, American Society of Safety Professionals has them.

I would really encourage people to go to those conferences. And there's two things to that, (1) because of the knowledge, because of the different technical courses that they have, which has an array of topics. And the other aspect of it is, and I cannot stress this enough, is networking.

And so even with that aspect, networking is more than just, "Okay, we're just going to be on LinkedIn or I'm going to have your number. Yay. [inaudible 00:46:39]." It's deeper than that. Benchmarking. So I reach out to others and they reach out to me as well, and we share different best practices.

"Hey, did you know that this regulation is about to come out?" "Oh, really? I have contacts in OSHA. I have contacts in DEP." So when I say network, again, you have to do the benchmarking. And I think that's one of the things that we really should take advantage of is really talking to someone that's in a different company to see, "Hey, what are they doing?"

Because the way I see it is this is not my program. Even if I come up with something that is great and it's awesome, I want to share it because I have the goal of, everyone's safe. It doesn't mean just because it's my company or I just want my employees to be safe. No.

Jill:

[inaudible 00:47:42]. Yeah.

Laynnea:

Yeah. And I think we need more of that.

Jill:

Yeah. So have you leaned into some of those connections and networks in the last, what are we coming up on now, 20 months of a global pandemic?

Laynnea:

Yes. Yes.

Jill:

Yeah.

Laynnea:

Especially with COVID. I've actually had people reach out to me. And even my church. So I'm very, very active in my church. So part of the committee at my church for the protocols.

Jill:

Yeah.

Laynnea:

And I'm actually on our crisis committee at my job now with our president and CEO for COVID. So, benchmarking with my counterparts in different industries and different companies just to see, "Hey, what are you guys doing? This is what we're doing."

And it really helps because, again, we're all in this together. I know I mentioned that before, but I really, really mean it. And I get different messages and emails like, "Hey, Laynnea, do you have some time? I just want to run something off of you, benchmark. And when I tell you, my calendar is so hectic, but I do find time, even if it's after work. And a lot of times it is after work.

Jill:

Like right now.

Laynnea:

Like right now.

Jill:

We're recording this late in the evening. Yeah. Thank you.

Laynnea:

Like right now. Because I do talk to people on the West Coast.

Jill:

Yeah.

Laynnea:

And I think it's very important. To me, I see it as humility. We have to humble ourselves and get out of our own ways, especially during this pandemic, to help each other.

Jill:

Yeah. Absolutely. So I bet you're keeping a close eye on news out of federal OSHA right now. At the time we're recording this, we're anticipating the second Emergency Temporary Standard to be released probably this week.

Laynnea:

It's like, ugh. Yeah.

Jill:

We've been waiting a long time.

Laynnea:

A long time coming. Okay. Look, I can sing, but I do love karaoke, so that was my little snippet. That was all the singing.

Jill:

All the hidden talents of Laynnea.

Laynnea:

All the hidden talents.

Jill:

Anyone who thinks that safety and health professionals are just a bunch of nerds, look out.

Laynnea:

Look out.

Jill:

We wear cowboy hats for hard hats. We're Star Wars fans. I happen to be a Trekkie myself.

Laynnea:

Oh, okay.

Jill:

I do not sing karaoke because my child who is very musical has told me that I cannot carry a tune. And he told me that at church once while I was singing. He leaned over and said, "Mom, you should probably just hum."

Laynnea:

But look, that is the best part. I'm going to admit, when I see somebody in karaoke that really can sing, I'm like, "Show off."

Jill:

Well, maybe you'll have to bring karaoke to one of the conferences coming up, Laynnea. You can be the leader for all of us safety and health people to get out of our shells.

Laynnea:

Yeah, you're right. All right. Hold me to it, Jill.

Jill:

Okay. I will. I will. I will. Oh my gosh. Laynnea, it has been so fun to talk with you this evening.

Laynnea:

Yes.

Jill:

And so interesting to hear about the winding career path that you've taken. And yeah, just thank you so much. Thank you so much for everything you've shared. Is there anything else that you'd like to share with the audience before we close out?

Laynnea:

Yeah. First, thank you. Thank you so much. It was a blast. It was a blast. I really enjoyed this. Anything I can do to help. And one thing that I would say that has been instilled into me is that EHS is not a destination, it's a journey of continuous improvement.

And so there is no finish line. It's continuous improvement. Continuous improvement. And so that's what I would say and give to the audience. And please feel free, guys, to reach out to me on LinkedIn. Regardless of how many, I still try to reach out. And we can share best practices.

Jill:

That's right. That's right. We're a small little family, us health and safety professionals.

Laynnea:

Yes.

Jill:

That's wonderful. Laynnea, thank you so much. Really appreciate it.

Laynnea:

Yeah. Thank you.

Jill:

And thank you all for spending your time listening today. And more importantly, thank you for your contribution toward the common good. Making sure your workers, including your temporary workers, make it home safe every day.

If you aren't subscribed and want to hear past and future episodes, you can subscribe in iTunes, the Apple Podcast app, or any other podcast player you'd like.

We'd really love it if you could leave a rating and review us on iTunes. It really helps us connect the show to more and more health and safety professionals like Laynnea and I.

Special thanks to Naeem Jaraysi, our podcast producer. And until next time, thanks for listening.