Safety for NonProfits Inc. volunteers recently visited Camp Geronimo to help Scouting Arizona, Grand Canyon Council review safety of operations and maintenance at the camp.  Our volunteers produced a risk ranked report with areas of continuous improvement and provided a list of recommended training classes for both employees and volunteers of the nonprofit.  

We invite you to attend a S4NP volunteer led discussion about our experience volunteering with S4NP.  We will cover how to get started volunteering with a charity in your local community, our new Impact report, and our latest clients / case studies.  

Add the time/date to your calender and use this Zoom Link to attend. 

We are excited to release our first Impact Report.  This report covers Safety for NonProfits' goals, recent clients, partnerships and our focus areas.  We encourage everyone to take a look at the report and learn more about the work we engage in with nonprofits with your help! 

Click here to learn more

S4NP and the American Society of Safety Professionals have announced our strategic partnership agreement. Our partnership agreement includes several specific goals to raise awareness of OEHS matters in the nonprofit sector, and to encourage ASSP members to become S4NP Volunteers and provide pro bono professional services to charitable nonprofit organizations in their communities. ASSP Chapters in Arizona, Colorado, Massachusetts and other states have provided the S4NP program visibility at technical meetings and encouraged their members to become S4NP Volunteers. 

More information will be forthcoming regarding the ASSP-S4NP partnership and how ASSP Chapters can support the S4NP mission. 

Press Release: https://www.assp.org/news-and-articles/assp-and-s4np-form-alliance-to-advance-worker-safety 

S4NP recently delivered a virtual training session to nonprofits through the Tempe Community Council.  The topic was "Safety and Health: Why are nonprofits interested" and included a basic introduction to safety concepts, hazard assessments and controls of hazards.  

A similar training session is available anytime for viewing on our YouTube channel

OSHA's Safe + Sound Campaign is a nationwide opportunity to raise awareness and understanding of the value of proactive occupational safety and health programs in all workplaces. S4NP is partnering with OSHA to support this program and educate nonprofits about the resources available to them to improve health & safety for their employees and volunteers.   

Safe + Sound Week emphasizes the need for safety programs.  Nonprofits are likely to have limited resources dedicated to safety, by using the resources provided by OSHA as part of this campaign, nonprofits can help nonprofit organizations identify and manage workplace risk before they cause injury or illness.  

Safe + Sound Week is Aug. 12-28.  Visit https://www.osha.gov/safeandsound  to learn more.  

S4NP  is featured in the newly published book on Occupational Health and Safety, Don't Forget The Worker.  A reprint of the  S4NP case study  chapter is available here (click on picture of chapter to the left) and on Wombat (volunteer access only).  This chapter reprint describing S4NP is part of the S4NP promotional toolkit which includes our trifold brochure, S4NP Impact Report (to be available soon), and this story of S4NP formation and successes.   These documents are available for volunteers to help contact nonprofits and market S4NP services.  

YellowBird’s Michael Zalle speaks with Safety 4 NonProfits (S4NP)’s Founder Jack Geissert about S4NP’s mission prioritizing safety & health for non-profit workers. 

Podcast Link (Episode 8)

S4NP volunteers led a discussion about our experience volunteering with S4NP.  We covered how to get started volunteering with a charity in your local community, S4NP's new Food Safety content, and our latest clients / case studies.  

Watch the replay here: https://youtu.be/VGhRJ-9Vrho?si=oxg3s8zZRvzL4_rg 

Safety for NonProfits Inc. volunteers recently worked with the founder of HUBitual Learning & Outreach, a nonprofit focused on community issues in the Navajo Nation. The volunteers developed a written safety procedures manual for use in an upcoming project to have volunteers clean up waste in the Navajo community.  Additional work is planned to continue and support the nonprofit

S4NP founder Jack Geissert and members Nancy Orr, CIH, CSP and Donald Elswick, MS, CIH, CSP, CHMM, CIT spoke at the 2024 AIHA Connect on Giving Back to the Community.   

This presentation focused on the issue that non-profits in the U.S. have limited knowledge of the safety issues associated with their operations and even less capabilities to address these risks. Safety for Nonprofits (S4NP) was formed to address this need. This session described S4NP's formation, whom we serve, how to volunteer and case studies on the work performed for nonprofits. OEHS professionals have an opportunity to give back to the profession and the community by providing pro-bono safety and health consulting services to the nonprofit sector.

For more details see the AIHA Connect Program

Students of the University of Findlay's ESOH 465 Environmental Audits and Assessment class, under the guidance of Professor Carl Habekost, JD, COSS, COSM, have successfully completed a comprehensive capstone project aimed at enhancing workplace safety for nonprofit organizations. Partnering with S4NP volunteers, the class worked diligently to evaluate and improve safety programs within a chosen nonprofit organization.

The collaboration between the University of Findlay and S4NP exemplifies a commitment to advancing workplace safety while supporting charitable endeavors. Through this partnership, students had the opportunity to contribute their expertise to a nonprofit organization, ultimately improving the safety and well-being of its volunteers and service recipients.

During the project, students evaluated various safety programs within the nonprofit organization, including Walking Working Compliance and Safety, Emergency Action Planning (including protocols for Bloodborne Pathogens, First Aid, Threat of Violence, and life safety standards), as well as enhancing training capabilities within these programs. The nonprofit expressed sincere gratitude for the students' efforts and anticipates significant improvements in their safety protocols as a result of the collaboration.

The Food Safety Toolkit was developed for non-profit organizations that have volunteers serving in roles that include the preparation and serving of food as well as distribution of food in the community. The resources within the toolkit can also benefit non-profit organizations without a food-centered mission, including those that host potlucks, shared meals or events with food.  

The Toolkit is a work product of the S4NP collaboration with the American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) International and its affiliate, the New England Biological Safety Association (NEBSA). Cynthia Parenteau, a NEBSA member, collaborated with S4NP to design and develop the Toolkit.

Don't Forget the Worker author, Jack Geissert, along with Nancy Orr and Sharon Shindel presented this free webinar, co-hosted by AIHA and ACGIH, introducing Safety for NonProfits (S4NP), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of EHS professionals that provide occupational health and safety services on a pro bono basis to charities in their communities. Topics included an introduction and background on the founding of S4NP, as well as a call to action for AIHA and ACGIH members to volunteer.  Presenters discussed how US-based non-profits wrestle with limited knowledge of their operations’ safety, their limited capabilities to address those risks, and how Safety for Nonprofits (S4NP) was made to address those concerns. This presentation described S4NP’s formation, whom they serve, how to volunteer, and case studies on the work they have performed for nonprofits as well as how safety and health professionals can give back to the profession and the community. 

Webinar Recording Link

S4NP presented a webinar with YellowBird to discuss how US-based non-profits wrestle with limited knowledge of their operations’ safety, their limited capabilities to address those risks, and how Safety for Nonprofits (S4NP) was made to address those concerns. This presentation will describe S4NP’s formation, whom they serve, how to volunteer, and case studies on the work they have performed for nonprofits as well as how safety and health professionals can give back to the profession and the community.   

Webinar Recording Link

S4NP recently provided health and safety consulting to the Si Se Puede Foundation, a nonprofit that provides opportunities for underserved youth  to develop an interest in and proficiency in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).   The foundation runs a STEM center which includes many types of manufacturing equipment and supports several competitive robotics teams.  

S4NP volunteers  worked with foundation employees to review the operations and identify continuous improvements to their safety program. 

S4NP volunteers met for a Town Hall to review 2023 and our plans for 2024.  Volunteers shared S4NP success stories and tips on recruiting clients and delivering S4NP services.  We reviewed S4NP's tools for volunteers including Wombat Software and our YouTube channel with volunteer onboarding videos.  The recording is available on our YouTube channel.  

S4NP and YellowBird have signed a partnership agreement.  YellowBird’s platform uses AI technology to match EHS Professionals with companies seeking safety and risk management services for short-term and long-term jobs.  We will partner to introduce S4NP and YellowBird to our team members and work together to promote volunteerism and delivery of services to nonprofits by the EHS profession.  

S4NP and ABSA International  (The Association for Biosafety and Biosecurity) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a working relationship.  Recently, Betsy Gilman Duane, ABSA member and past President and Jack Geissert, S4NP founder partnered to present a webinar to ABSA members on how the biosafety community can work to give back to the community by volunteering with nonprofits in a professional capacity.  

S4NP volunteer Nancy Orr worked with the Forestburgh Playhouse, a community theater in Catskills NY.  She was able to observe and assess safety risks during setup, performances and breakdown of sets.  She also performed a fire prevention assessment of public, back stage and set construction shop areas.  

Working with the theater management as well as local jurisdictions, S4NP was able to recommend improvements to operational controls including respiratory protection, set construction safe practices, fire safety practices and emergency evacuation zones. 

Colorado S4NP volunteer Kassey Braun completed forklift training for four volunteers at MESA Sharing (Medical Equipment Supplies and Aid), a non-profit in Pueblo, Colorado, that gathers and dispenses excess medical equipment and supplies to developing countries around the world. Their scope of work consists of collecting equipment from hospitals and other medical centers around the state and organizing and assembling items to prepare for shipments. Shipments consist of pallets and other larger equipment such as hospital beds loaded into a cargo shipping container. This work heavily relies on forklift use to load the cargo containers. 

S4NP trained four of their volunteers with classroom training, written exam and skills evaluations. MESA Sharing is an incredible non-profit doing amazing work for those in need and S4NP is so honored to have helped improve their volunteer safety.  

S4NP recently provided health and safety consulting to AZ StRUT- a nonprofit that supports Arizona’s technical education and works towards a more sustainable future. They recycle and refurbish electronic equipment, train students on computers and donate equipment to many nonprofits.   

Working together with the AZ StRUT team, S4NP volunteers were able to help identify continuous improvements to their safety program. 

Volunteers from Safety for NonProfits, Inc. gathered at Boston College to assist HouseHold Goods, Inc in collecting quality donations from the student body.  As a group we loaded two trucks with donations to help families in need.  The items were transported to the HouseHold Goods warehouse in Acton, MA for families to view and select donations for their home. 

Nancy Orr and Sharon Shindel spoke with Faridodin "Fredi" Lajvardi from Si Se Puede on the Healthier Workplaces Podcast.   Together, they delved into the crucial intersection of OEHS and nonprofits, highlighting the advocacy and education initiatives that drive workplace safety. 

Sharon Shindel delivering safety training to Heritage Square employees.  The training focused on how to assess risks, avoid slip, trips and falls, and ladder safety.  

Cary Gherman and Mike Bryant performing a risk assessment at Heritage Square in Phoenix, AZ. The team focused on slip trip and fall hazards to prevent injuries to volunteers, employees and guests. 

Over 200 attendees and sponsors attended the annual AZ Health and Safety Summit in Phoenix Arizona. the AZ S4NP team engaged with participants to recruit volunteers and help local nonprofits with their health and safety programs.

Skip Pratt spoke to the EHS attendees on the opportunity to join us on our mission of helping volunteers in the nonprofit sector.  Mike Sample spoke to the group on our overall mission and our aspiration to have an active program in all US states.  He discussed the four formed state programs in Ohio, Arizona, Colorado and Massachusetts and our acquiring of liability insurance to allow us to engage in in-field volunteer work with other nonprofits.   

Nonprofit organizations, which are often heavily staffed by dedicated volunteers, share many of the same hazards as any other organization. For National Volunteer Week this week, the EHS on Tap podcast sat down with Jack Geissert, the founder and president of Safety for NonProfits (S4NP), for a chat about how he and S4NP provide a helping hand to nonprofits with pro bono health and safety services.

Safety For NonProfits Inc. (S4NP), launched by ASSP member Jack Geissert, has established a system for delivering pro bono professional workplace safety and health services to the charitable nonprofit sector. PSJ spoke with Jack about how the organization connects nonprofit groups with OSH professionals.