Chris Schneider

 EDUCATION

MA, Occupational Health and Safety, New York University, 1979
MS, Environmental Biology, Kutztown University, 1977
BS, Biology, Kutztown University, 1974

CERTIFICATIONS              

Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), 1986
Qualified Service Provider, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Dept of Labor and Industry - 1527Q

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS                                

Ergonomic Technologies Corporation; Scientific Advisory Board: Board Member
American Board of Industrial Hygiene, Diplomat
American Industrial Hygiene Association - National and Philadelphia Section Member
American Hospital Association (AHA)
American Society for Hospital Engineering, Safety and Security
Management Committee Member (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996)

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

1Source Safety and Health, Inc, Exton, PA 1/2000 – Present
President and founder of 1Source Safety and Health Inc. Involved with management of the firm, business development and technical oversight.

Galson Corporation, Plymouth Meeting, PA (Sold to ENSR Corporation 8/99) 1/1994 – 12/1999
Regional manager / Vice President performed safety management, industrial hygiene, indoor air quality, and microbiological and environmental infection control investigations and remediation plan development. Also, had responsibility for local profit center. Worked with building systems engineers and occupational health physicians for indoor air quality and microbiological building problem resolution.

BCM Engineers, Inc Plymouth Meeting, PA 9/1986 – 1/1994
Vice President in charge of safety management, industrial hygiene, indoor air quality, and microbiological and environmental infection control investigations and remediation plan development.

Employment prior to 9/86 was with Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Cabot Corporation and M J Reider Associates.

TECHNICAL SPECIALTIES

Mr. Schneider has 28 years of experience encompassing:

 

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

Key Projects by Specialty

Construction Safety Management

Multistory Building, Confidential Client, Philadelphia, PA - Developed procedures and programs to assist the various trades at the site to ensure protection from environmental issues caused by the fire and construction hazards. Conducted construction safety training for contractors, daily inspections, logs and pre-construction meetings.

Manufacturing Facility, Cabot Corporation, IN - Involvement with this project began when the site was a green field through installation of processing equipment and development of Job Hazard Analysis to operate the equipment. This project included daily site visits, toolbox meetings, policy development for new issues, direct interaction with various contractors, interaction with insurance risk managers, audits of contractors’ records etc.

Industrial Hygiene and Safety Program Development and Implementation

Ongoing Consulting in Health and Safety, Cooper Hospital and Medical Center, Camden, NJ.  Over the past 4 years, many specific programs have been developed and implemented including Respiratory Protection, Permit Required Confined Spaces, and Asbestos Management.  In addition, there have been several indoor air quality issues, which have been addressed and resolve.  Other tasks included interpretation of regulations, assistance on workers’ compensation claims, and OSHA response.

Policy, Program, and Training Development, Smithkline Beecham, Conshohocken, PA.  Directed and assisted in the development of policies and programs with training materials for: Respiratory Protection, Confined Spaces, Respiratory Protection, Indoor Air Quality, Lock/Tag Out, Personal Protective Equipment, and Hearing Conservation Program.  These documents were developed to provide consistent compliance information for all operating units.

Chemical Hazard Assessments, Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Steelton, PA. Developed sampling plans to assess chemical contamination in areas of the facility that were to be closed. Process included review of manufacturing processes, chemical usage analysis, chemical storage, sampling plan development and sampling.

Response to OSHA Citation, Empire Kosher Poultry, Mifflintown, PA.  Responsible for the development and implementation of programs required to address the safety and health deficiencies noted in a $1.3 million OSHA citation. Mr. Schneider interacted with the client's management personnel and legal counsel and OSHA to satisfactorily comply with the citation and to develop audit procedures to ensure continued compliance.

Hospital OSHA Compliance Program, Confidential Client, Philadelphia, PA.  Responsible for providing ongoing comprehensive industrial hygiene services throughout a major hospital corporation with 5,000 employees. Services include monitoring for formaldehyde in the morgue, organics in a variety of laboratories, ethylene oxide and glutaraldehyde sterilants, lead, anesthetic gas, and noise, in addition to conducting waste inventories, and ventilation surveys of isolation rooms, general HVAC systems, and laboratory hoods. These services assist the client in complying with OSHA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regulations.

Building Microbiological Investigations

Emergency Response to Water Release, Banking Client, Philadelphia.  Provided initial response to assess areas of water loss and microbiological amplification. Provided client with information on guidance regarding options for assessment and remediation, potential health issue, and understanding of microbiological assessments. Worked with remediation contractor to restore area to pre-lose conditions. Provided day-to-day management of staff and communications with client.

Major Microbiological Amplification, School Facility, Philadelphia Region. Developed plan to conduct a microbiological assessment of a middle school facility that had chronic moisture issues from various sources including: roof leaks, improper HVAC design, condensation formation on chilled water lines and entrainment of cooling tower water vapor. As part of the scope, provided information to address concerns of the faculty and parents. Also, provided bid documents for microbiological remediation.

Indoor Air Quality Survey Assessments and Planned Program Development

Proactive Indoor Air Quality Survey Program, Confidential Client, Princeton, NJ. Provided technical guidance in the development and implementation of a proactive indoor air quality survey for 20 buildings. Data was collected both in the morning and afternoon to identify the effect of occupant loading on the building systems. 1Source’s data management system was used to evaluate the data and establish a benchmark for future surveys. The survey was successful in identifying deficiencies in HVAC design and operation. Since the initial survey, the client has repeated the survey 4 times over the past 3 years.

Proactive Indoor Air Quality, Water, and Radon Sampling Survey, Confidential Client, Princeton, NJ. Develop and design a scope of work to conduct sampling to adequately address potential indoor air quality issues, drinking water issues, and radon in 18 sites in 8 states.  We have conducted the survey during both the cooling and heating seasons.  Input of the data in our data management system was provided to assist in interpreting the data by building, floor, and ventilation system.  Comprehensive reports were developed for each site, which provided detailed information about the parameters surveyed, sampling methodology, data interpretation, conclusions, and recommendations for corrective action.

Investigative Indoor Air Quality Survey, OSHA Complaint, Delaware County Memorial Hospital, Upper Darby, PA.  Addressed the concerns of nursing staff with regards to increased numbers of allergic reactions, which they felt were possibly due to latex, and possibly molds and particulates. Managed the sampling activities and provided the level of expertise needed to address the concerns of employees and those of OSHA.  The issues were successfully addressed. 

Response to Catastrophic Events such as Building Fires and Floods, Building Evacuations

Fire at One Meridian Plaza, Philadelphia, PA.  As Assistant Project Manager and Senior Occupational Health Technical Adviser for the identification and delineation of chemical hazards, ensured the protection of construction workers and other employees, the public, and the environment. The chemical hazards were the result of a fire that consumed PCB containing ballasts from lighting systems on eight of 38 floors in an office high-rise. This project involved continual interaction with the building owners, legal counsel, regulators, insurance companies, and on-site contractors.

Fire at Penn Mutual Insurance Company, Philadelphia, PA. Responsible for a team of industrial hygienists conducting a post-fire indoor air quality investigation of a 10-story commercial building and two attached 21-story buildings. Because the fire occurred on the ninth floor, the efforts were focused mainly on this floor's PCB-containing fluorescent light fixtures; however, evaluation for the presence of PCBs throughout the balance of the building was required due to fire fighting efforts. In addition, dioxin and furan contamination were identified at the fire scene.

Gray-Black Discharge from Patient Room Shower, Confidential Hospital, Philadelphia, PA region.  Responsible for developing an immediate response to address the health concerns of the patient and to protect the assets of the hospital.  Required 48 hours of intense interaction and communications with hospital, water treatment company, engineers, and laboratories to identify the major compounds in the water in an attempt to identify the cause of the discoloration.  After the issues were addressed, we designed a program to assess all the water systems throughout the hospital to prevent future issues.

Discharge of Raw Sewage into a Elementary School Crawlspace, Confidential School Client, Philadelphia, PA region.  Managed the emergency response activities to assess the area of contamination, contacted local and state agencies, developed remediation specifications, contacted three experienced contractors, reviewed bids, managed abatement of 45 cubic yards of sewage-contaminated soil, and conducted clearance sampling.  The project was a success in that mitigation was accomplished between December 26, 1997 and January 2, 1998.

Management Audits of Health and Safety Programs

Assessments and AIPP Program Development for Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  Managed the initial assessment for all agencies within the state to assess the status of their safety management program. Based on our findings, we developed 16 chapter safety manuals for each of the agencies and assisted in their implementation. As the implementation process continues, our staff is providing continued support to ensure compliance with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation AIPP requirements. Additionally, we are conducting audits of the agencies, provide training, develop programs, protocols, serve as technical resources for safety and industrial hygiene, and work with safety committees.

Audit of Safety and Health Management Program, Confidential Manufacturing Client.  Designed and conducted a detailed assessment regarding existing safety and health management programs.  The process began with a detailed review of historical performance data, policies and procedures, and management structure review. Interviews and site tours were than conducted with 13 managers who had responsibility.  The information was than discussed with our team of experts from which a comprehensive report was developed. The report detailed the findings, provided a management action plan, and a prioritized list of actions which will increase the effectiveness of the safety and health management program while decreasing operational costs.

Audit of Safety and Health Management Program, Confidential Hospital Client, Michigan.  Designed and conducted a detailed assessment regarding the effectiveness of the existing safety and health management program. Reviews of historical performance data, policies and procedures, and management structure were completed first. Interviews were then conducted with 15 managers who had responsibility for a portion of the programs.  A detail cost study was done with regards to workers’ compensation, claims management, medical treatment, near-misses, training, program development, and JCAHO audit preparation. A comprehensive report was developed which detailed the findings, provided a management action plan, and a prioritized list of actions which will increase the effectiveness of the safety and health management program while decreasing operational costs.  The estimated annual pay back is $350,000 to $500,000.

PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS

Schneider, Christian M., 1997. “Endangered, But Not Extinct,” American Industrial Hygiene Association – Philadelphia Section.

Schneider, Christian M., 1997. “Outsourcing Safety Management! Why Not?” American Society of Healthcare Engineering.    

Schneider, Christian M., 1995. "Proactive Indoor Air Quality Programs." American Hospital Association.                
Schneider, Christian M. 1994. "Practical Applications of OSHA Compliance for Plant maintenance and General Safety." American Hospital Association.

Schneider, Christian M., 1994. "Self-Assessment of Indoor Air Quality Problems," American Society of Hospital Engineers.
Schneider, Christian M., 1993, 1994, and 1995. "Industrial Hygiene Module for The Certificate in Health Care Safety Management Course," American Hospital Association. Member of the facility staff for this three-day course.

Schneider, Christian M., 1992. Development of a Proactive Indoor Air Quality Program and Its Implementation." Presented at AIHA 1993 Health Care Safety and the Environment Symposium.

Schneider, Christian M., and Neill, Harry M., 1990. "Addressing Indoor Air Quality: Concerns from the Consultant's, Manager's, and the Employees' Perspective." Presented at the Hazardous Materials Conference, 1990.

Schneider, Christian M., 1988. "Addressing Indoor Air Quality Problems in Schools." Presented at the American Industrial Hygiene Association Conference. "Address Indoor Air Quality Problems in Schools." Presented at the American Industrial Hygiene Conference, Indoor Air Quality Poster Sessions, May 1988.

Schneider, Christian M., 1987. "Indoor Air Quality." Philadelphia Architect, May 1987.