My safety story began when I was asked to design a new safety campaign for the US Airways (now American Airlines) corporate safety department in 1997. I was working in the operations tower at US Airways in Pittsburgh, and a good friend who worked in safety volunteered my services, as he knew I had a degree in art. So, I designed a new safety campaign that would be a new approach and look at US Airways.
Posters, publications and safety bulletins were developed and distributed to all airports where employees were located. The campaign was a big hit. Months later, I was asked to join the safety department full time to perform operational audits and OSHA inspections at our airports. I’m now going into my 27th year in safety and currently serve as the senior manager of safety at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, where I manage the safety and training programs.
Looking back, it’s pretty crazy how I ended up in this career, and I stuck with it. Being able to educate employees on the importance of being safe at work so that they can go home to their loved ones at the end of the day has always been my No. 1 goal. I know that sounds cliché and it’s the norm coming out of a safety professional’s mouth, but it’s true.
Chris Snyder
Senior Manager of Safety
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
