American Society of Safety Professionals honors Tom Kohut with safety award

The American Society of Safety Professionals, San Francisco Chapter, has awarded Tom Kohut, an operations manager at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s National Ignition Facility (NIF), with the “Managers Who Get Safety” award.

The award is presented to operational managers who have demonstrated significant leadership in safety at all levels of their organization through active involvement and support to enhance the well-being of their employees, environment, safety professionals and the community. 

Kohut was selected for the award for his proactive safety leadership in the areas of quality, safety and security, and the positive, impactful changes he has made within NIF operations. He also was honored for his unwavering and significant contributions to ensure safe operations for complex and high-risk operations, which have been instrumental. Jamie King, certified laser safety officer at LLNL, nominated Kohut for the award.

“I am grateful and honored to have received the award from the American Society of Professionals,” Kohut said. “Safety is key in everything we do at NIF, and I commend everyone for ensuring that all safety measures are continuously met.”

Tiffany Barnett, deputy assurance manager in NIF & Photon Science, said Kohut empowers everyone at NIF to take personal responsibility for safety and to “think safety” during decision-making meetings.

“Tom demonstrates a collaborative approach as he leads the OSP581.11 working group by utilizing safety and security resources along with his intimate knowledge of the facility safeguards for worker safety and compliance,” Barnett said.

Barnett said the award demonstrates that the Lab has a committed operational leader who has exhibited the attributes to ensure a safe and healthy work environment.

“Having an operational manager recognized for this award is an example of LLNL’s commitment to continuous improvement, safety culture and a demonstrated sustained excellence to safety management systems,” she said.

For more than 100 years, the American Society of Safety Professionals has supported occupational safety and health professionals in their efforts to prevent workplace injuries, illness and fatalities.

The San Francisco chapter is dedicated to the promotion of the occupational safety and health profession by providing members with resources, educational opportunities and networking. The members of the chapter are dedicated to creating a safe work environment by working together with operations to implement safety practices that are both socially responsible and good business, leading to increased productivity, a better reputation and higher employee retention.