John’s Credentials
John holds professional certifications from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) CSP, OHST, CHST, CIT, and the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM) CHMM. John has had the privilege over his almost 30-year career in safety and health of having sat on five different test development boards of BCSP for the OHST, CHST, and CIT.
Please reach out to John if you are looking for course development in OSHA’s General Industry (29 CFR 1910) standards, OSHA’s Construction (29 CFR 1926) standards, Oil and Gas safety training focused on API or AESC safety, training needs assessments for safety or industrial hygiene fundamentals.
John’s Testimonials
“John had great in-depth discussion and great questions to make the course that much better”
“The instructor helped me learn something new and gained a fresh perspective on how to get others to understand these concepts in the field.”
“Instructor explained the topic very well and had great knowledge.”
“Instructor had extensive knowledge and this course was a great learning experience”
“Enjoyed hearing the instructor apply his experience to everyday training”
What do you do at NDSC?
I am a trainer and consultant for the North Dakota Safety Council (NDSC). Before coming to work for the NDSC, I spent 20 years with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as a Compliance Safety and Health Officer (CSHO) and then the Assistant Area Director for the Bismarck Area Office. During my 20 years with OSHA conducting and reviewing investigations and inspections, my primary focus areas were in general industry manufacturing, construction, and oil and gas activities. Before coming to work for OSHA, I spent over eight years in private industry working on safety in manufacturing environments, from coordinator through corporate manager with responsibility for multiple manufacturing plants nationally and internationally. I have a Master of Science in Industrial Management from the College of Engineering at South Dakota State University and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle Pennsylvania.
Why is NDSC’s mission to prevent injuries and save lives important to you?
I’ve investigated hundreds of accidents and deaths and almost all of them were preventable. The ultimate root cause was a failure of the process, a failure of training, or a failure of supervision. My goal is to give back to the industry those tools needed to prevent another investigator or safety professional from having to tell a family member those heart wrenching words, “I’m sorry for your loss”.
What are your hobbies?
Camping, fishing, hunting, and learning patience by trying to fix small engines (but it usually doesn’t work).
Name one really interesting thing about yourself.
I’ve spent over 31 years in the Army and Army Reserve, including participating (boots on the ground) in two full military invasions: Liberation of Kuwait and Iraq Freedom. I was on the OSHA national or regional response teams for the World Trade Center attack, Hurricane Katrina and Minot flood.
What other talents do you have?
I de-stress by playing bagpipes. I’m occasionally confused with a long lost relative of Teddy Roosevelt, or so I’ve been told.
What’s the most embarrassing thing to happen to you?
Too many to count.
What animal most closely matches your personality?
I’ve been told a cross between a wolf and a grizzly bear. I assume it’s because I’m cuddly.
