Author Archives: Chet Brandon

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About Chet Brandon

I am a highly experienced Environmental, Health, Safety & Sustainability Professional for Fortune 500 Companies. I love the challenge of ensuring EHS&S excellence in process, manufacturing, and other heavy industry settings. The connection of EHS to Sustainability is a fascinating subject for me. I believe that the future of industrial organizations depends on the adoption of sustainable practices.

From Hazard to Control: Managing Combustible Dust in Real-World Operations

Posted on July 27, 2025 by Chet Brandon

Introduction and Context In a recent discussion among safety professionals that I was part of, the topic of combustible dust management came up in the context of demonstrating the business value of risk reduction. One of the central questions was … Continue reading →

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Safe to Fail: How Digital Twins Can Rewire Workplace Trust

Posted on July 11, 2025 by Chet Brandon

Digital twin technology—virtual representations of physical systems or processes—can significantly enhance psychological safety in the workplace by providing environments where employees feel secure to speak up, experiment, and make mistakes without fear of negative consequences. These virtual environments enable organizations … Continue reading →

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Before Steel and Steam: How Alexander Hamilton Engineered America’s Future

Posted on June 29, 2025 by Chet Brandon

Photo Description: Slater Textile Mill in Rhode Island, started operation in 1793 utilizing water power. This is the spinning mule process, the heart of the mill. Textiles, pottery and lumber were some of the earliest American industries. Photo credit: Wikipedia. … Continue reading →

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What Makes a Great Chemical Plant Operator? – Safe Habits

Posted on June 14, 2025 by Chet Brandon

I have been developing ideas regarding improving spill and release events in chemical operations lately. People in these operations remain a central influence on the safety of the operation. Operators of the process units have the greatest influence over the … Continue reading →

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You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Value: Reimagining Capital in Organizations

Posted on May 27, 2025 by Chet Brandon

A New Model for Business Decision Making The Capitals Model is a framework that helps organizations recognize that long-term value creation depends on more than just financial assets. Developed and promoted by the Capitals Coalition, the model encourages businesses and … Continue reading →

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From Ambiguity to Action: Turning Weak Signals into Strategic Safety Gains

Posted on May 6, 2025 by Chet Brandon

As I stood reviewing yet another incident report, I found myself asking a question that’s become uncomfortably familiar: What could we have done differently—not after the fact, but before it happened? In high-risk, complex operations, it’s all too clear that … Continue reading →

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Alone in the Air: Some Thoughts on Solitude

Posted on March 3, 2025 by Chet Brandon

I just finished reading Carrying the Fire by Michael Collins, a deeply personal and candid account of what it really meant to be an astronaut during the golden age of space exploration. Unlike many official histories, this book isn’t just … Continue reading →

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Empowering Future Leaders: EHS Drives Business Success and Offers Rewarding Careers!

Posted on February 7, 2025 by Chet Brandon

You never know where your career journey will take you or how the connections you make will circle back in surprising and meaningful ways. Recently, I had the privilege of reconnecting with Fred Eilts, a fellow senior leader from my … Continue reading →

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The Wright Brothers’ Contribution to Safety

Posted on February 1, 2025 by Chet Brandon

The Wright Brothers were many things: pioneers, the first aviators, scientists, engineers, businessmen and safety professionals.  That last one may surprise you.  In this post I am going to explain how they managed risk better than any of their contemporaries, … Continue reading →

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Essential Mistakes for EHS&S Leaders to Avoid – 2025 Update

Posted on December 28, 2024 by Chet Brandon

I recently revisited an article I wrote for ASSP’s Professional Safety Magazine titled Essential Mistakes for OSH Managers to Avoid, published in the July 2018 edition. While the core principles I discussed remain highly relevant today, the evolving landscape of … Continue reading →

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