Robert Fernandez has over five years of environmental, health and safety (EHS) responsibilities in construction.
Through this experience, he has:
- A proven record in developing, implementing and managing comprehensive EHS programs.
- Experience in interpreting regulations and recommendations for EHS.
- Demonstrated skills in the development and implementation of safety committees.
- Experience in developing corporate level EHS programs and supporting documents.
- Implementing and coordinating jobsite safety committees.
Areas of Expertise
- OSHA Compliance
- OSHA Compliant Safety and Health Training
- Confined Space Safety
- Incident Investigation
- Crane Plan Development
- Excavation Safety
- Scaffold Safety
- Drone Operations
Education
Bachelor of Science, Safety, Illinois State University
Certifications and Professional Training
- OSHA 10-Hour Construction Safety
- OSHA 30-Hour Construction Safety
- OSHA 500-Authorized Construction Trainer
- Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED
- Crane Rigger & Signal Person
- Remote Pilot License
Professional Information
Prior to joining Hellman & Associates, Inc., Robert gained experience as a Senior Safety Coordinator for a nationwide general contractor and a Transportation Specialist with the US Army. In these positions, he conducted EHS compliance audits, created and trained personnel on hazard recognition techniques and procedures, and coordinated safety committee meetings.
Emily Hornung has knowledge in the areas of EHS regulatory compliance; electrical safety; health and safety related training; health and safety program development and implementation; OSHA VPP; industrial hygiene monitoring; indoor air quality; hazard communication; emergency preparedness; OSHA recordkeeping and incident management; Spill Prevention, Control & Countermeasure; bloodborne pathogens; hazardous materials transportation and waste management. Her current work experience involves maintaining effective health and safety programs; providing safety training in multiple areas; mediating company safety committees; submitting regulatory reports to local, state and federal agencies; and conducting on-site safety assessments.
Areas of Expertise
- Electrical Safety/NFPA 70E
- Bloodborne Pathogens
- Regulatory Reporting
- Health & Safety Program Development
- Health and Safety Support and Training
- Industrial Hygiene Monitoring
- Hazard Communication/SDS Management
- Emergency Preparedness
- OSHA Recordkeeping
- Waste Management
- Spill Prevention, Control &
Countermeasure
- Chemical Inventory Reporting
- DOT Hazardous Materials Transportation
Education
Bachelor of Science, Environmental Health, Colorado State University
Certifications
OSHA 30-Hour Certification: General Industry
DOT Hazardous Materials/IATA Certification
Professional Information
Emily brings more than five years of experience to our team as an Environmental Health and Safety Professional. Prior to graduating from Colorado State University in 2011, Emily interned for the Environmental Health Department at Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
Emily’s professional experience includes managing EHS responsibilities at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) locations in twenty U.S. states, serving as the safety officer on HPE’s account with NASA, and acting as the safety liaison between HPE’s EHS team and facilities management. Additionally, Emily has provided EHS consulting for small to large scale clients across the United States for over four years with H&A. Her coursework knowledge, previous work experience, and strong work ethic equip her with the skills to serve H&A’s diverse client base.
Zach Johnson developed a background in the Environmental Health & Safety industry through his work in risk management and industrial hygiene. His experience performing industrial hygiene sampling, field hazard assessments, and developing attentive safety cultures facilitates the continual growth and support of safety in diverse work environments.
Areas of Expertise
- OSHA Compliance
- Industrial Hygiene Monitoring
- General Industry & Construction Standards
- Standard Interpretation
- Health & Safety Support
Education
Bachelor of Science, Environmental Health, Colorado State University
Professional Information
Prior to joining Hellman & Associates, Zach worked as a risk management intern for The YMCA of the Rockies at the Snow Mountain Ranch facility. During his internship he gained experience in a multitude of industry-specific work environments, performing various site-specific operations. He completed job hazard analyses, refined best work practices, and created documentation tailored for OSHA compliance. Additionally, his coursework at Colorado State University provided advanced, hands-on experience in industrial hygiene, allowing Zach to develop a strong fundamental understanding of air monitoring and testing.
Heather Larson oversees the Hellman & Associates databases, keeping our operations on track. Her 20+ years of data system management coupled with her office administration skills ensure that all of our systems are running correctly, our data is accurate and current, and our key performance indicators are met.
Heather wears multiple hats, ranging from gas detection sales and support to safety manual compilation to maintaining customer compliance calendars. She splits her time between internal and client-facing tasks, and applies her analytical skills to support H&A staff in continually evaluating and honing processes for heightened efficiency.
As our gas detection representative, Heather is the manufacturer liaison and works with the H&A client team to recommend the best gas detection solution for the client’s environment. She also supports gas detection maintenance operations for portable equipment.
Heather is certified in Microsoft Project and is currently working on her Salesforce certification.
Alex McKenzie has a solid background in the Environmental Health & Safety field, specifically in environmental compliance. His previous work experience taught him that making continual, small improvements to the safety culture and environmental compliance can have lasting, positive impacts on the quality of a workplace.
Areas of Expertise
- Hazardous Materials Storage
- Hazardous Waste Storage and Documentation
- Hazard Communication
- RCRA Rules and Regulations
- Laboratory Safety
- General DOT Shipping Requirements
- Standards Interpretation
Education
- Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health & Safety
Professional Information
Before joining Hellman & Associates, Inc., Alex worked two and a half years as a Chemical Compliance Inspector for the University of Colorado at Boulder. Before that he spent a year at the Boulder County Household Hazardous Materials Facility as a Hazardous Material Specialist. During this time, he interacted with a variety of people from all walks of life, encountering many different hazardous work and research environments.
Beth Plentl has a solid background in the Environmental Health & Safety field with specialized knowledge in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries. Her experience in the field taught her the array of factors that contribute to jobsite hazards and how everyday environments can present grave danger. She has witnessed firsthand the effectiveness continued education and building a culture of safety have on creating and maintaining a safe workplace.
Areas of Expertise
- Ergonomic principles and the NIOSH lifting equation
- General Industry and Construction standards
- Asbestos and Demolition using Bluebeam Revu
- Energy, electricity, mass-energy balance, and fluids
- Laboratory safety
- OSHA Regulations interpretation and application
- Standards interpretation
Education
- Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health & Safety, Colorado State University
- Double minor in Chemistry and Food Safety & Science
Professional Information
In her final year earning her EHS degree, Beth interned at Hellman & Associates. Prior to joining H&A as a full-time consultant, she worked for an engineering firm in Windsor, Colorado as a Project Technician specializing in asbestos and demolition. During that time, she had the opportunity to interact with a large client base by participating in safety training and job hazard assessments, helping remediate a variety of hazardous work and research environments.
Peter Polizzi has a strong background in providing safety consultation and auditing of health and safety programs. His previous work experience taught him the sustainable value that going beyond compliance can have on an organization, and the dedication and resources it takes to not only maintain but continually improve safety culture.
Areas of Expertise
- Safety and Health Management Systems
- Health and Safety Program Development
- OSHA Compliance
- Hazard Communication
- Lockout/Tagout
- Machine Guarding
- OSHA Recordkeeping
- Standards Interpretation
Education
- Master of Science in Technology, Environmental and Safety Management
- Bachelor of Science in Technology, Wood Technology
Certifications and Professional Training
- Certified Safety Professional – 34796
- Associate in Risk Management
Professional Information
Prior to joining Hellman & Associates, Inc., Peter worked two and a half years as a Safety Specialist for the On-site Consultation Program in the State of Kansas. In this position, he had the opportunity to work within a wide variety of industries, performing audits of both written programs and facilities/job sites to identify any potential OSHA violations. He was also deeply involved with the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP), auditing the safety and health management systems of companies who voluntarily participated in the program. During this time, he was able to attend a large number of training courses through the OSHA Training Institute.
Ray Robitschek has a strong background in respiratory protection, emergency planning, hazardous materials management, and health & safety program development. His previous work experience has taught him the value of fact-based decision making, robust health and safety programs, and improved safety cultures in achieving regulatory compliance and maintaining the health and safety of workers.
Areas of Expertise
- Respiratory Protection
- Emergency Planning and Management
- Hazardous Materials and Waste Management
- Health & Safety Program Development
- Health & Safety Support
Education
- Bachelor of Science, Environmental Health, Colorado State University
Professional Information
Prior to joining Hellman and Associates Inc., Ray interned at the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the City of Fort Collins. While working at CDOT, he was responsible for coordinating air monitoring of several maintenance operations, including welding, brooming, and painting, to develop a representative exposure profile. Based on information from the exposure assessment, employee interviews, and observations of work processes, he developed a comprehensive, CDOT-specific respiratory protection program. At the City of Fort Collins, he was responsible for developing a strategic safety plan to address work-related injuries and worked extensively on emergency action planning for a number of City facilities.
Mike Rose has over ten years of environmental, health and safety (EHS) responsibilities in construction, manufacturing, and mining operations for both private and government clients. Through this experience, he has:
- A proven record in developing, implementing and managing comprehensive EHS programs.
- Experience and knowledge in the application of fire and life safety codes.
- Significant experience in interpreting and regulations and recommendations for EHS.
- Demonstrated skills in the development and implementation of safety committees.
- Experience in writing corporate level EHS programs and supporting documents.
Areas of Expertise
- OSHA Compliance
- OSHA Compliant Safety and Health Training
- Hazardous Materials Program Management
- Hazardous Waste Management
- Fire and Life Safety Code Compliance
- Chemical Inventory Reporting
- Confined Space Safety
- Incident Investigation
Education
Bachelor of Science, Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology, Oklahoma State University
Certifications and Professional Training
- Certified Safety Professional, Certificate No. 23296
- OSHA 10-Hour Construction Safety
- OSHA 10-Hour General Industry Safety
- OSHA 40-Hour Hazardous Waste Operations
- OSHA Hazardous Materials Technician
- Colorado Contractors Association Design and Operation of Work Zone Traffic Control (2013)
- NFPA 70E Electrical Safety in the Workplace (2015)
- McCoy 2-day RCRA Refresher Course (2015)
- ICS-001- Incident Command System Overview (2016)
- Essentials of Hazardous Materials Management (2016)
Professional Information
Prior to joining Hellman & Associates, Inc., Mike has experience as a Safety Director for a heavy civil construction company, Environmental Compliance Specialist with the US Air Force and as a Fire Protection Engineer/ Project Manager. In these positions, he conducted EHS compliance audits, created and trained personnel on a hazardous material and waste programs, evaluated/ designed fire and life safety systems.
Kirstie Smith has knowledge and experience in the areas of manufacturing safety; worker’ comp and loss prevention program management; and health and safety program development, training and management. She has implemented programs to effectively reduce employee injuries with award-winning results. Kirstie’s diverse background gives her an understanding of the private and government sector that has proven to be beneficial when resolving health and safety concerns on a large scale with multiple stakeholders.
Areas of Expertise
- Ergonomics
- Hazardous Materials Program Management
- Hazardous Communication Program Training
- Behavioral Incident Investigation
- Industrial Hygiene
- Hearing Conservation
- Workers Compensation Claims Management
- Standards Interpretation
- BST Behavior Based Safety
- Front Line Leadership Training
- Safety and Health Training
- Lockout/Tagout
Education
Bachelor of Science, Combined Science, Youngstown State University
Certifications and Professional Training
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certificate No. 20735
- OSHA 30-Hour General Industry Safety
Professional Information
Prior to joining Hellman & Associates, Inc., Kirstie spent 16 years in manufacturing safety and municipal health and safety. She worked for a global leader in a food-based manufacturer as the safety manager for various manufacturing locations. She has a wealth of experience developing and implementing new EHS programs and honed her ability to work with multiple stakeholders as a health & safety specialist with a large city.