MICHAEL V. MEISTER MS, CIH, CSP
Cincinnati, Ohio 45208
(513)321-5115home **********@*****.***
(859)746-5457work *******.*******@*******.***
OBJECTIVE
To direct a corporate or plant Health, Safety & Environmental Department using and developing my past industrial, governmental, and academic experiences to shape and make policy decisions to improve worker health and safety.
EXPERIENCE
Schwans Global Supply Chain, Inc. (Florence, KY) Nov. 2000 - Present
Safety, Government Compliance, & Training Manager
Managed Safety, IH, Environmental compliance, Medical, Security, and Training Departments for an 1100 employee, 34-acre site that makes over a million pounds of frozen food product daily. Responsible for ensuring compliance with all federal state and local EH&S requirements.
• Reduced worker compensation costs paid by $91,000 or 54% in 1st year. Reduced Worker comp to lowest level in the entire corporation in 2007.
• Reduced accidents in a 3-month period to the lowest OSHA recordable rate for this site.
• Led the site to 6 times in the past 11 years of working in excess of 1 Million safe hours without a lost time injury. Led the site to their longest lost time gap ever in 2009 - 2010. (1,300,000+ safe hours)
• Analyze accident data to focus resources on most affective ways to reduce accidents.
• Rewrote and published the Safety Procedures on-line so the documents are always up to date and accessible to all.
• Executed a plantwide machine guarding compliance survey resulting in 244 action items to better the machine guarding at the facility.
• Introduced Root Cause Analysis problem solving techniques. Applied this to the Maintenance and Sanitation practices to identify opportunities to improve equipment up-time due to reduced water damage.
• Manage the Medical department that processes all on site first aid and first reports of worker compensation.
• Directs and trains the 40 member Hazardous Materials Response Team. Represents Schwans as a Member of the Northern Kentucky Emergency Planning Committee.
• Member of NKY Chamber of Commerce Environmental Committee.
• Submits RECRA Tier I & II reports. Liaison with the local sewer district.
• Familiar with working in FDA and USDA regulated facilities.
• Managed the training department in 2002 that deploys all training including health, safety, and food GMPs and English, French and Spanish languages. (35% of employees at this site do not have English as their 1st language)
• Manage the security of the 34-acre facility through a contract guard service. Implemented a comprehensive ID system for all Employees and Visitors to the site. Installed and managed a CCTV and card access systems.
• Oversaw the installation of a $2,000,000 Sewer treatment plant in 2008. Tune it up to meet the existing permit requirements. Reduced sludge removal costs by $230K annually in 2010.
ROHM & HAAS (Cincinnati, Ohio) 1993 – 2000
Formerly Morton International.
Senior Health and Safety Administrator
Managed IH and Safety for a 200 employee, 34-acre site that manufactured specialty organic chemicals. The site had four lab groups associated with it. Responsible for ensuring compliance with all federal, state and local laws.
• Amassed the second best historical safety record of working 866,000 hours without a lost time injury.
• Site received safety awards from Rohm & Haas in 1999-2000, National Safety Council and the Society of Plastics Industry in 1998 and from Morton International in 1996.
• Revised, consolidated, and overhauled 36 safety procedures to be compliant for ISO 14000 resulting in easier compliance and needed document control.
• Reorganized and standardized the structure of the monthly safety meetings. Included mandatory participation by department manager, standardized agenda, and uniform documentation of meeting content and action item follow-up. Results were more efficient and focused meetings and fewer injuries.
• Participated in all Process Safety Management Hazop reviews for the 5 PSM covered processes.
• Participated on Corp. HS&E Inter-Plant Audit team. Managed and trained the Emergency Response Team of 40 members.
• Performed the annual audit of the Responsible Care initiatives. Performed IH Surveys.
• Managed installation of small capital projects. ($20K)
• Brought computer based safety training to site. Supervised the H&S Technician.
AK STEEL (Middletown, Ohio) 1989 – 1993
Senior Industrial Hygiene Engineer/Safety Engineer
Provided IH and Safety support to a 5,000 employee, 2,700-acre fully integrated steel works.
• Sampled for air, radiation, heat stress, noise; analyzed data and implemented corrective actions.
• Trained employees and supervisors in a “Train the Trainer” role. Produced an Introduction to Ergonomics training video.
• Audited other AK Steel locations for H&S Compliance.
• Supervised accident and illness investigations. Implemented new S&H policies and regulations.
• Served as OSHA liaison and represented company as expert witness in OSHA litigation and settlement negotiations.
• Served as site Laser Safety Officer and back-up Radiation Safety Officer.
• Supervised two IH Technicians.
FORMICA CORPORATION (Evendale, Ohio) 1985 – 1989
Manager of Loss Control
Managed Health, Safety, Medical, Workers’ Compensation and Security activities of a 900-employee manufacturing facility.
• Audited and inspected other Formica sites for compliance and benchmarking.
• Provided corporate input for other sites on H&S matters.
• Administered the Industrial Hygiene and Hearing Conservation programs.
• Investigated all accidents and maintained and analyzed accident trends.
• Investigated, prepared and represented company at Workers’ Compensation hearings with TPA.
• Represented Formica at OSHA and fire insurance investigations.
• Directed and trained the 35-man Fire Brigade.
• Managed budget.
• Updated emergency contingency plan.
INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION OF OHIO (Cincinnati, Ohio) 1982 – 1985
Industrial Hygiene Consultant III
• Conducted IH and Safety Engineering surveys to determine the extent of exposures to potentially harmful workplace health hazards.
• Prepared reports indicating health hazards and noncompliance with federal, state and local standards.
• Supervised the training of other industrial hygienists.
• Conducted classes at seminars and colleges.
• Territory extended across the Southwest 11 counties of Ohio.
NIOSH (Cincinnati, Ohio) 1982
Industrial Hygienist
• Planned and conducted IH surveys and prepared follow-up reports.
• Published two journal articles about the health effects of
• perchloroethylene.
US ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY HERL (Cincinnati, Ohio) 1977 – 1981
Research Assistant
Provided primary research about heavy metal exposures through drinking water in a toxicology lab. Served as laboratory safety officer.
EDUCATION
• MS, Environmental Health in Safety Management & Industrial Hygiene, University of Cincinnati
• BA, Biology, Thomas More College
CERTIFICATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS
Certified Industrial Hygienist from American Board of Industrial Hygiene
Certified Safety Professional from American Society of Safety Engineers
Certified Food Defense Coordinator from American Institute of Baking
Member of Local and National AIHA and Local and National ASSE
Member of and past Chair of the Professional Development Committee
Past Secretary of Local AIHA
SKILLS AND STRENGTHS
• Worked for private industry, state and federal government, and both private and governmental consulting.
• Worked in both union and non-union facilities.
• Have a broad base of experience from working in these various positions, and while consulting saw many different industries and technologies.
• Have participated in numerous OSHA inspections and negotiations.
• Served as expert witness in legal proceedings.
• Computer literate in word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software.
• Taught some IH and Safety classes at the University of Cincinnati, Dept. of Graduate Studies.
• Have good organizational and presentation skills.
OTHER INTERESTS
• Coach Soccer and Basketball
• Volunteer Junior Achievement Teacher
• Kid’s Club Volunteer Leader at Church for past 11 years
• Enjoy Rollerblading, Bicycling, Ultimate Frisbee and other outdoor and family activities
• Works on cars, motorcycles, home maintenance and garden projects