A well-deserved shout-out to 2020 for reminding us of a not-so-famous Greek philosopher, Heraclitis. It was around 500 BC when he famously suggested that the only thing constant is change. Working from home, “Zooming,” wearing an N-95 to the grocery store and consoling a high school senior whose pinnacle year has been hijacked by a virus are a few of the changes I’ve had to deal with. Unfortunately, for many of you, COVID-19 has brought changes that are much more profound and deeply felt. Some of you have been sick, or you’ve cared for others who are or were sick. You’ve lost family members and friends. Jobs, financial security and a sense of “normalcy” have also been lost. While a lot has changed, the core of who we are hasn’t. We are strong. We are resilient. We are Americans. We are family, and most assuredly, we are safety professionals. We’ll figure out what needs to be done and how to do it. We’ll develop a new approach and adopt new procedures. We will do everything that needs to be done, because there is clearly something Heraclitis didn’t consider – we are safety professionals and nothing will ever change that.
Through it all, the Southeastern OSHA Training Institute Education Center will be right here, by your side, as always. If there is anything our team can do to support you, please reach out.
Holli Singleton
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Holli Singleton is the Assistant Director of Safety & Health Services at NC State Industry Expansion Solutions. In addition to managing the services offered by the Safety and Health Specialists, she develops and presents workplace safety and health education courses, conducts worksite assessments and provides occupational safety and environmental assistance to employers throughout the southeastern region of the United States.
