Business spotlight - Souliere Safety Consulting - By Michelle Libby

Businesses think they are safe, compliant and ready if something should happen, but are they really? Andre Souliere can make sure that businesses know the laws, employees are safe and everyone has a work environment that puts safety at the top of their priorities. 
 

Souliere owns Souliere Safety Consulting based in Steep Falls. He travels from Bangor and south to work with companies to make sure they are OSHA and State of Maine compliant with safety regulations. 

“I develop a safety program, do an assessment on their program, put policies in place, suggest training programs and provide the training,” Souliere said. From manufacturing to construction to offices, Souliere will put all safety proceedures in writing for the owner of the company and for the employees. 

“I’m trying to get people to be more pro-active to think safety before someone gets hurt,” Souliere said. “I’m coming in to be a safety manager for them.” Souliere will put together a full safety program for any company that wants to do that. He will customize programs to fit a company’s needs.

“A lot of companies just don’t know what they’re supposed to do,” Souliere said. 

Souliere Safety Consulting does training programs on blood borne pathogens, ergonomics, fall protection, “lock out, tag out”, trip hazards and that’s not all. He will come to a business and do fit testing for respirators, will look at ergonomics at a saw mill. He’ll teach stretching exercises. Everything he does gets printed out to act as a reminder for the employees and bosses. Souliere brings a PowerPoint presentation to the work place and then has everyone sign a paper of understanding. 

“My job is to protect the employees 100 percent and on the other hand I protect the company 100 percent,” Souliere said. 

Companies that he has worked with have had decreased workman’s compensation, has protected the company and helped employees stay safe. 

“Employees know when they come to work they are in a safe environment,” Souliere said. 

Souliere was in the Air Force, and while there he was in human resources and safety. He keeps up with his training by taking OSHA classes and though his experiences working with the state. He was an environmental health and safety manager for a large company before going out on his own. The state called and asked him to come to work for them, but Souliere had a different plan in mind.

“I have confidence in myself. I’m good at what I do,” he said. “They have to put their trust in me.” Souliere comes to the companies at the time that’s most convenient for the employees, regardless of the shift. 

Recently, Souliere opened an online store for safety supplies. His customers were purchasing everything from safety signs to safety glasses online, but Souliere knew he could provide them less expensive than the big companies were selling them for and as an added bonus, Souliere will stock and restock items that run low. “You don’t have to do anything,” he said. His next step is to have a warehouse to have stock readily available. 

Souliere is still looking for clients on the consulting side of the business, those business owners who want to make sure their company is safe. 

“I enjoy meeting people,” he said. “I’m not OSHA. I’m there to help your company avoid OSHA violations or citations.”

On his website he is able to educate visitors and they are able to buy the supplies they need. Call 675-4009, email andre@souliereconsulting.com or visit www.SouliereConsulting.com for more on how to make a work place safe.