About PHS

Core Competencies

Public Health & Safety, Inc. Logo

Public Health & Safety, Inc. is a Chicago-based environmental and occupational consulting firm.

Our staff maintains professional and academic standards developed at UIC / School of Public Health:

  • Certified Industrial Hygienist / Occupational Exposure Specialists / Air Sampling Professionals
  • Certified Safety Professional / Work and Community
  • Doctor of Public Health / Public Policy Development and Risk Communication
  • Partners with A/E – Multidisciplinary approach to solving toxic exposure problems
  • Facility or project planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating and budgeting for environmental and occupational health and safety programming.

Public Health & Safety, Inc. works closely with the client to focus project specifications for:

  • Environmental / EPA and Occupational / OSHA Exposure Assessment – Regulatory Compliance
  • Comprehensive OSH risk management and audit services – public and private organizations
  • Emergency Planning per OSHA, EPA, FEMA or CDC standards for public and private agencies
  • Construction or New Process Planning – Staging and Monitoring Regulatory Compliance
  • Statistical validation of testing methods – QA/QC for in-house, vendor or regulatory evaluation

What makes PHS better?

Public Health & Safety, Inc. is a professional firm providing depth over competitors where needed:

  • Multidisciplinary Professional Staff  education to doctoral level in public health
  • Research and testimony experience pursuant to current regulatory programming
  • Staff experience in FEMA, public health, OSHA and military emergency action planning
  • Risk Communication for employee and community exposure risk / risk perception
  • Expert Testimony in toxic torts, workers compensation defense, and testing
  • Health and Safety hazard task analysis for employees – modular
  • Systems Safety management principles in fault and failure analysis

Past Performance Highlights

  • Government
    • Federal Emergency Management Agency—Disaster Safety Officer
      • Legionnaires Disease Microbiological Fatality Investigations
      • OSHA 1960 Inspections of Flood, Hurricane/Tornado Disaster Field Offices
    • Federal Occupational Health / HUD – Multi-Family Lead Evaluations
    • Illinois Department of Public Health
      • Lead Risk Assessor Training, Lead Renovator—1st in Illinois
      • West Town Lead Project (HUD/CDC)
      • IL Refugee Lead Exposure Study
    • Lead & Asbestos Inspection, Project Design & Project Oversight/Historical Restoration of Clock Tower — Great Lakes Naval Training Center
    • UIC / City of Chicago / Dept of Homeland Security –  FEMA Regional Catastrophic Planning Grant – Risk Management
    • Soldier Field Renovation — Asbestos Project Designer
  • Architectural Clients
    • Bradley & Bradley, PC Architects
    • EC Purdy and Associates
    • Tyson & Billy Architects
  • Property Management Companies
    • Metroplex, Inc.
    • Evergreen, Inc.
    • Related Midwest, Inc.
  • US EPA – Environmental Justice Training
  • American Hospital Supply – Safety / Health Management Audit
    • Risk Management Information System Development with Vendor
  • Children’s Memorial Hospital
    • HUD Safer Yards Project – Lead Dust/Soil Research
  • Non-Profit Clients
    • The Salvation Army
    • LUCHA – Community Housing
    • Zion Redevelopment
    • Elevate Energy
  • Education and Public and Private School Districts
    • Northwestern University
    • Rockford University – HVAC upgrade / environmental sign project
    • Lead and Asbestos Inspection, Management Planning, Project Design & Oversight Services
      • Chicago area  schools
      • Rockford area schools
      • Highland/Rock Valley Community Colleges

Differentiators:

Public Health & Safety, Inc. is an IDPH accredited training provider for:

  • Lead Poisoning Prevention and Asbestos Management and Control courses required by law for renovation and maintenance tasks in many older facilities.
  • U.S. EPA RRP training
  • First Illinois training provider — Lead Risk Assessment
  • First Illinois training provider — Lead Renovator
  • OSHA 10-hour Safety in Construction & HAZWOPER 40-hour courses
  • Ebola First Responder course
  • Chicago Homeland Security First Responder for Floods and Mold
  • Mold, Moisture and Indoor Air Quality for Condo Associations

Principal Managers

Nicholas Peneff, DrPH, CIH, CSP

Dr. Peneff is a Certified Industrial Hygienist, a Certified Safety Professional, and also an Asbestos Project Designer. His doctoral degree is in Public Health Management. Dr. Peneff has carried out inspections and set up risk management and prevention program for thousands of homes, schools, government and commercial buildings and other facilities in the Midwest.

Kevin Croke, PhD, JD

Dr. Croke was an Associate Dean, Emeritus, University of Illinois School of Public Health and Director of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the School of Public Health, and formerly Director of the USEPA Midwest Asbestos Training Center. His doctoral degrees are in Engineering from Northwestern University and Law from John Marshall Law School.