Student Spotlight

Kelly Forrest, a project safety manager working on a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project in Florida, has been an OSHAcademy student since 2014. Over the years, she has completed both the 132 hour OSH Professional program and the updated 40-hour EM 385-1-1 Construction Safety Hazard Awareness (2024 Edition) program. Forrest is particularly impressed with the EM385 program, which she says integrates direct references to the EM385 standards throughout the course. "Most important to me was the fact that what I learned was what I saw. My learning of the program and the specifics required, I was actually able to use on the job site." This real-world application made the training especially valuable to her, as she was able to reference the entire standard to reinforce her on-the-job decision-making.

Forrest recalls that early in her career, there was too much emphasis on reading material and not enough focus on practical, hands-on experience. During a recent project, she found OSHAcademy's training to be an invaluable resource for reviewing the specifics of the EM385 standard, allowing her to make informed recommendations in the field. "The knowledge was there because I had taken the program, but the specific references I had trouble with. The training helped bring the issue down to the barebones element and provide information into my work," she explains.

Beyond technical skills, Forrest highlights how OSHAcademy's training improved relationships on the job site. "The training paid off in other ways because it fostered good working relationships between general contractor and Corps workers… it helped us find a solution we could both agree upon. Then, we both understood the standard to solve the issue." She adds that this collaborative approach led to a more cohesive team, saying, "It was a great team effort that really brought the entire team together."

Forrest strongly recommends OSHAcademy's training because of its focus on subject-specific content, which she believes helps new safety professionals quickly grasp essential knowledge. "The training material is very specific to the subject matter. It provides clear, concise information and the quality testing and knowledge questions are perfect," she says. For someone new to the safety profession, she feels OSHAcademy’s courses offer a strong foundation that can help students become better safety professionals. She also values the partnership OSHAcademy has with Columbia Southern and Waldorf Universities, which gives students the opportunity to apply their training towards a degree. "By learning through OSHAcademy, it allowed me to gain the knowledge on my own time… and I can still work my job and gain the knowledge necessary to work towards a degree."

In Forrest’s experience, OSHAcademy’s training not only provided her with a deeper understanding of safety standards but also empowered her to build strong professional relationships and foster teamwork on job sites, making it a vital asset for safety professionals at any stage in their careers.