Coming from her, it actually sounds true. The turnaround in how people view her has several explanations, Heflin said. She emphasizes that she sees her safety-officer role less as The Enforcer and more as a sort of combination personal trainer and coach for working safely. An electrical accident in 1997 and a fire in 1998 prompted extensive investigations and discussions of how to prevent future accidents. I see a big change in attitudes and practices as a result.
People think about safety way more than they used to.
Heflin should know. She began her safety career at Fermilab 11 years ago as a co-op student, even before graduation from the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater. At the time, Fermilab was her third choice for an internship, mostly, she said, because she had no idea what went on in a high-energy physics lab. She continues to see her safety job at a physics research lab as more exciting, and probably more challenging, than a comparable position at the average widget plant. No two days are the same.