The Safety Professional of the Year, or SPY award is an honor acknowledging the dedication and outstanding contributions of a member of the Utah ASSP Chapter.

This year’s award recipient has contributed much to our profession. Some of you may have participated in classes or presentations that he has facilitated or been mentored as a student in the safety program at BYU.

Steve Thygerson is a professor of Environmental and Occupational Health at Brigham Young University. Prior to his appointment at BYU in 2008, he worked for nine years in various occupational and environmental health settings in the public and private sectors including Federal OSHA, WCF Insurance and Eastman Kodak Company.

Congratulations Steve!

Thank you to all that contributed to the Annual Winter Clothing Drive. It was a huge success! This year we received even more donations than last year.

All donations were given to The Road Home shelter. “The Road Home provides emergency shelter, supportive services, and housing assistance that help individuals and families step out of homelessness.”

We would also like to thank the Utah Safety Council, Okland Construction, Hogan & Associates, Flyn Roofing, WCF, and Younique

Pictured:

2nd Lt. Martinez, Taylorsville JROTC

John Wojciechowski, President at the Utah Safety Council

Sarah Galvez, ASSP Utah Chapter President

Joseph Knickerbocker, ASSP Utah Chapter Fund Raising Chair

Joseph’s leadership skills is an obvious area of strength. His natural ability
to lead coupled with his in-depth knowledge of safety in a construction and semiconductor environment has
proven excellent results with not only the building of great project safety cultures, but also in the coaching
and advancement of other safety professionals within our industry.
His high moral standards and ethics are evident in his actions and words when representing his profession
and when representing himself as a man. I consider Joseph a person of absolute integrity in his capacity as a
safety professional and in his personal responsibilities. These qualities reflect in the manner in which he
leads and in the end product of his assignments which he takes great pride in.
He demonstrates strong self-discipline and a willingness to assume personal responsibility for his role in
furthering the safety culture of Utah’s employers and employees.

Most recently Joseph worked with the editorial staff of ASSP’s Professional Safety Journal (PSJ) and submitted a peer-reviewed manuscript which was accepted and published in the 2023 May issue of the PSJ. Since then Joseph continues to work on additional articles for submission to the PSJ to further share his knowledge and experience with others in our profession.