Meet Al Capps, a Health and Safety practitioner at Antea Group based in Austin, Texas.
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Office:
Practice Area:
Areas of expertise:
Industrial Hygiene, Auditing, High-Hazard Safety
About Me in 140 Characters:
I enjoy all things nerdy, paint, homebrew, make my own bacon, play way too many board games, and enjoy making costumes.
Favorite Thing About Being a Health and Safety Practitioner:
I enjoy that companies want us to come in and help identify areas where they can improve to ensure their staff goes home safe. When I was an OSHA investigator the reception was not very welcoming, to say the least, and a lot of the companies I interreacted with did the bare minimum required by the government. I really like that I’m in a field that has a tangible effect on the well-being of so many people and I just want to see people go home healthier than when they showed up to work.
What is the most interesting project you’ve ever worked on?
I don’t know if it is the most interesting project I’ve worked on, but this one is definitely unique. At my previous company one of my policyholders, a baseball stadium, had an active set for Fear the Walking Dead. I didn’t realize that they were still filming at the location, but it was a happy surprise that I got to do a safety inspection of the entire set.
What is a key ingredient for success as a Health and Safety Practitioner?
I think one of the best things to help succeed in the life of health and safety is actively listening to the client’s needs and wants, and then being able to steer them in the right direction even if they are not initially on board. It helps to know local laws and regulations, best practices, etc., but if you cannot effectively influence decisions through good communication, the job will be much more difficult and time-consuming than it should be. Being courteous and respectful yet firm in your interactions goes a long way in getting a client to follow health and safety requirements sometimes.
If someone at a party asks what you do, how do you respond?
I usually tell folks that I’m an Industrial Hygienist, but I don’t do teeth. Then I explain that I’m in occupational health and safety which includes noise measurements and air monitoring to ensure employees are working in a safe environment.
What Was Your First Job?
My first paying job was at the water park where Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure was filmed, but technically my first job (volunteer) was making military ID cards on base in Guam when I was 11.
Is there something unique that people might not know about you? (hobbies, hidden talents, etc.)
I feel like everyone at this point knows that I used to be a zookeeper. So, as a side gig, I paint nerd art and sell prints on the weekends when I feel like it. I’ve worked remotely for 12+ years at this point and a couple of years ago I got bored of looking at blank green walls in my office, so I started painting things from movies and video games that I like. My medium is acrylic on canvas and my walls are covered in brightly colored paintings of Labyrinth, MCU, Star Wars, Beetlejuice, classic monsters, Futurama, etc. I attend vendor events at mostly breweries and distilleries and sell prints of the paintings, stickers, and enamel pins based on my work. There is even a celebrity with my work in their house!
What is on the top of your bucket list?
I would very much like to visit the Galapagos Islands. I grew up on several different islands and love the ocean. Also, as a science nerd who at one time wanted to be an oceanographer, I love the unique path of evolution that has occurred in such a remote area.
