Philip PlatcowCIH, MS

Chief Health & Safety Officer, Health & Safety Programs

Mr. Platcow, CIH, MS has 39 years of professional experience as a leader in occupational and environmental health, industrial hygiene, safety, and risk management. He began his career at the Union Carbide Corporation in a chemical manufacturing division with responsibility for Health, Safety and Environment for four plants across the USA. He was employed there when UCC suffered the tragedy in Bhopal, India that killed and maimed many thousands of employees and people in the surrounding communities. The event was a defining moment in his career development.

Designated a Fellow of the American Industrial Hygiene Association, he is a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) and has worked across a range of industries including transportation, manufacturing, energy, petrochemical and gas, insurance, construction, and food and beverage. He has served as the Global Director of Health & Safety for several environmental, health and safety consulting, construction management, and architectural/engineering firms. In these roles, he has assessed risk and exposures, and established EHS culture and policies based on best practices for the work environments of his firms and clients. He has created a specialty in the area of people-centered EHS culture. The corporate programs for which he has served as architect have been judged world-class by clients and have received awards from BP and ConocoPhillips. The Culture that he nurtures in organizations have resulted in significant impact on the injury experience of companies, employee ownership of health and safety, and reduction in workers compensation costs.

Mr. Platcow has also spoken on health and safety considerations in mergers and acquisitions. As a CIH and Occupational and Environmental practitioner, he has led countless facility, construction, and process audits. Audits have included examining processes and equipment, work procedures, program documentation and often also exposure assessments, both qualitative and quantitative, covering a diverse array of chemical compounds, such as heavy metals, organics, and asbestos; physical agents, such as noise, heat and cold stress; and ergonomics; and mold. His work has taken place on construction sites or environmental remediation projects, and in transportation facilities (stations, electrical substations, train yards), manufacturing and industrial settings.

Mr. Platcow has 35 years of staff mentoring and financial expertise based on the concepts of sustainability, profitability, engaging communications, and quality programming. He is adept at interacting with contractors and clients at all levels. He considers travel a welcome part of relationship building. Since coming to VERTEX in 2016, Mr. Platcow has collaborated with senior leadership and colleagues to enhance our People-Centered Safety Culture evolving tools that contribute to hazard recognition, assessment and control; leadership engagement with junior staff; and growing awareness of safety in all aspects of our business. He introduced VERTEX’s Safety Mission Statement, Safety Wallet Card, and launched Global Safety Day for our colleagues from Canada to Mexico. He is a key member of the VERTEX Risk Management Team, specializing in workers compensation insurance and claims management. He has led VERTEX through the Coronavirus crisis developing programming and communications, as well and external COVID-19 Consulting Practice.

In addition to bringing all the above expertise to his clients, Mr. Platcow has covered a range of challenging client projects including EHS Management Systems, traditional EHS topics on construction sites to assessing potential exposure to air pollutants when building near interstate highways; investigating incidents and assisting companies following worker fatalities; indoor air quality concerns in financial services institutions; health and safety exposures in excavations to evaluating medical surveillance programs for specialized manufacturing; and expert testimony.