Deb Bridges, Health & Safety Consultant, ASSP CWC Community Service Chair
Can you share what initially drew you to Safety & Health and what continues to motivate you in your work? Additionally, is there a particular project or achievement in your professional career that you’re especially proud of?
I was offered a job at Safety Northwest shortly after I left my job as the food service director at Reed College, where I’d spent the previous 17 years. I had always been intrigued by the Safety & Health field, distinctly remembering my first meeting with an EH&S director and thought, wait, you can do that for a living?! So when the owner, Joe Mullens, offered me an opportunity, I couldn’t wait to get started! Joe absolutely loved what he was doing and I was certainly looking for place that allowed me to feel like my work was making a difference in people’s lives.
As a consultant, I don’t always have a direct, hands on ability to make change at an organization, so I assist in moving them in the right direction – kind of like a dog herding sheep. I work around the edges, coaxing the organization in the direction they need to go, sometimes applying pressure and sometimes waiting for them to see the results of our work. I’ve had a number of successes, both in construction and general industry – in both cases they started at ground zero or with an accident, and we managed to get them beyond compliance to best practice. I say that I’m always happy to work myself out of a job, that is the best measure of success!
As far as a single achievement that I’m proud of, it is getting selected by the CWC as one of the recipients of is the WISE award presented at GOSH 2023. Getting recognized by fellow safety professionals is always the ultimate compliment!
You’ve been a fantastic Community Service chair for several years and were the Sponsorship chair for the 2025 GOSH Conference. Can you share a memorable moment or achievement from your time in these roles?
I’ve been co-chairing the Community Service committee with Paula Jones, which has been amazing. Some of the most memorable moments for me have been the SOLVE events, especially the post-event lunch with the group, as well as seeing the tremendous generosity of our chapter members giving to our various causes. I never will forget dropping off all the presents to Doernbecher in December of 2023 – wow!
This was my first year as the Sponsorship chair for GOSH 2025 and we were able to get soooo close to our sponsorship goal, but ended up just under. It has been a wonderful experience to work with other members of the GOSH committee and to assist in the success of the event. Even though we didn’t quite reach our goal, we did raise more in sponsorship than 2023, so I was pretty stoked about that!
We hear you have some fascinating hobbies outside of work. Can you tell us about one of your favorite hobbies and how you got started with them?
Hmmm – which one, competitive race walking or scuba diving? Both? I’ve been diving for 20+ years and dive both warm and cold water, and am currently a volunteer diver for the Oregon Coast Aquarium. When there, I assist with cleaning and maintaining the exhibits, and yes, regularly swim with sharks! Scuba diving was something that I had always wanted to do and is one of the few activities where I’m 100% in the moment, just hanging out and observing the underwater world. I simply love it!
I started race walking in 2009 after I saw some of the elite teams at the start of Portland to Coast. I had always been a fast walker, but realized that those folks were FAST! I hired a coach, learned the technique, and now compete regularly in masters athletics events. I compete locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally in multiple distances. Last year I was the National Outdoor Champion in both the 5000m and 10k in my age group (master’s events are in 5 year age groups) and competed for the US at the World Masters Outdoor Championships in Sweden, where I placed 15th in the 10k and 11th in the 5000m in my age group. In the 10k, we also compete as a team in the respective age groups, and our team won the silver medal! This March I will compete for the US in the World Masters Indoor Championships, held in Florida (first time in US!). I also captain my Portland to Coast team, RockBottoms, who are the reigning Overall Women’s Champions and 20 time Masters Women’s Champions. Race walking not only keeps me in shape, but also has given me an opportunity to visit various countries, to meet some incredible fellow athletes, and to develop long-lasting friendships – both nationally and internationally!