We have said it before, and will say it again: we are extremely lucky at TriMedia to employ a talented and dedicated team who strive for excellence every day. In this Employee Spotlight article, we invite you to learn a little bit about one of our staff industrial hygienists, Chris Tiede. Chris operates out of our headquarters in Marquette, but has dedicated his time over the past few years to travelling around the country for various projects. He continuously works towards learning new skills, and has recently earned his Certified Industrial Hygienist® (CIH) and Certified Safety Professional® (CSP) certifications.
Where are you originally from?
I’m from Auburn, Michigan.
What is your role at TriMedia?
That is kind of a trick question! The very nature of consulting is working on different projects, so my role is constantly changing. While my title is “Project Industrial Hygienist”, my role includes a variety of activities related to safety, environmental sampling, performing hazardous materials assessments, and teaching HAZWOPER, confined spaces, and asbestos awareness classes – all in addition to traditional industrial hygiene projects such evaluating worker exposures and performing indoor air quality assessments.
What’s your favorite thing to do in Marquette?
Since I’ve been here so little the past few years, I like to work on projects around the house; I’m a homebody when I’m in Marquette. I like to walk around the hunting property too, even though I’m usually not around during hunting season!
Before working at TriMedia, what was the most unusual or interesting job you have ever had?
For two summers, I participated in a fish research project on the Grand River that was pretty interesting. We were identifying spawning habitats of game fish and looking at residential development in the area and evaluating how future development might impact the fish populations.
What’s your biggest professional accomplishment?
My biggest accomplishment was probably passing the CIH and CSP exams this past winter. That’s one of the reasons why I went to grad school –the curriculum was built up around taking those exams. I spent about six months studying for the actual test.
What is your favorite part about your job and line of work?
I like the change – you never get bored. Even if you find yourself involved in a less-than-desirable project, it’s short-term. I like getting to meet new people, new challenges, and go to new places – and you are always updating your knowledge/skills to work on a particular project.
What is the biggest challenge about your job?
Again, the change – but that’s why it’s fun. If it wasn’t challenging, it would get boring very quickly. You have to be able to adapt – that’s the biggest challenge and the best part of the job. As a team we learn and adapt so quickly, and that’s the most impressive thing about working at TriMedia.
What are your favorite projects to be involved in?
One of my favorite projects was on the pipeline this summer, because it brought in so many different areas of emphasis as a company: surveying, environmental, and health & safety. It tapped a lot of background knowledge I didn’t think I would need anymore.
What advice would you give someone trying to get into your line of work?
I think working in industry before going back to grad school is one of the best things I’ve ever done. It allowed me to be exposed to hazards and methods of mitigation that I would have never experienced otherwise. If you live it, it’s easier to apply to another situation or project – a lot easier than applying it from something you read in a book.