Safety directors for contractors Durham School Services, Petermann Bus and Stock Transportation all recently obtained safety certification from the Institute for Safety and Health Management (ISHM), the first school bus companies to do have all its directors receive it, said parent National Express Corporation.
“It’s one thing to talk about safety, but it’s another to live and breath safety values every day,” said Bob Trinkleback, vice president of safety for National Express who is also certified in safety and health management. “Our certified safety directors share a deep knowledge and passion for what they do. It sets us apart and enables us to operate the safest school buses in the industry.”
Larry Curtis, executive director of ISHM, confirmed that National Express is the first school bus contractor company to have all of its safety directors nationwide obtain the CSHM credentials.
ISHM is the credentialing organization founded by the National Safety Management Society to establish professional standards. National Express said that Certified Safety and Health Management (CSHM) is the only “safety management” designation that is fully accredited by the Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Board. The school bus contractor added that safety professionals who earn CSHM credentials “possess a working knowledge of a broad range of safety principles, such as risk assessment and mitigation, behavioral sciences, ethics and law, safety management systems, health and wellness, and emergency preparedness.”
The National Express safety directors who obtained their CSHM are: Linda Coates‐Ryan, East Area; Bob Desmet, Central Area; Keith Harms, Great Lakes Area; Patrick Healy, East Area; Sam Matta, Central Area; George Rimmele, West Area; Audra Robinson, Central Area; and Glenn Sawyer, North Area (Canada).
“There’s a big difference when it comes to our company’s safety program and other school bus providers on the road,” added Trinkleback. “The safety of the students we transport every day is the most important thing we do – period. We have developed and implemented industry‐leading driver and special‐needs safety training programs this year, and it all starts with the commitment of our executive leadership team and the talent of our safety directors.”
