Sharon Kemerer

I AM A SAFETY PROFESSIONAL

"Being a safety professional is one of the best jobs in the world. You get to prevent injuries, work with people so that they stay healthy, be a problem solver and an investigator. You get to use all your skills to benefit employees."

Sharon Kemerer - Corporate Director, Occupational Health & Safety | Baxter International

What does it mean to you to be a safety professional?

Being a safety professional is one of the best jobs in the world. You get to prevent injuries, you get to work with people so that they stay healthy, and maybe even get healthier in the course of employment. And you get to be a problem solver, and an investigator. You get to use all of your skills to benefit the employees that work under you. It's just a fantastic job.

What led you to a career in safety?

I was actually working as a global occupational health director when my boss came into the office one day and said, "You're gonna be in charge of safety starting Monday." And once I got over the shock and started applying the same strategies that I was using to safety systems, I realized the impact that I could have, not only on our employees lives, but their families. And once I had that moment, I was hooked for life.

How have you worked with ASSP to advance the safety profession?

I've had the opportunity to work with ASSP staff and other safety professionals on the Council of Professional Affairs. As a result, I've seen how ASSP really keeps challenging us to stay at the top of our profession, to define it, to take up opportunities for increasing the level of quality among professionals, and always looking out for the best for the profession.

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