WSU’s New Team is Redefining Workplace Safety

When many people think of workplace safety, physical safety comes to mind. Kirk Godfrey has a wider view, however. 

Godfrey, the continuing education director for the Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational & Environmental Health (RMCOEH), prefers to look at workplace safety from a “total-health” perspective. 

“When we talk about total health, we are at a point where we can now develop courses that are beyond physical safety and deal with mental health as well,” he said. 

Weber State University recently took over continuing education for the RMCOEH from the University of Utah. While the U of U will still oversee many aspects of the center, the enhanced support of continuing education programming from WSU will result in more opportunities, Godfrey said. 

The addition of new subject matter shouldn’t suggest that the same high-quality programming concerning Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) courses is going away. On the contrary, WSU is committed to maintaining the same level of professionalism that existed prior to the transition and greatly expanding the number of courses we offer. Those who need to meet compliance requirements for many OSHA and NIOSH subjects can view the course list. 

“If there’s a need for a course that we currently don’t have, we can create courses to fill those specific needs,” Godfrey said. 

The scope of oversight and influence for the RMCOEH reaches well beyond Utah. The center is over Region 8 for the U.S., which includes Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. In addition, the center can offer training in neighboring states on a case-by-case basis in order to fulfill a need. 

As the transition to WSU continues, Godfrey is excited to get out into the community and assess needs. If you would like to share your business needs and learn more about the courses RMCOEH offers, please visit the website.