Core Competencies
Public Health and Safety brings over 25 years of proven expertise in environmental health and safety training. Our team of licensed professionals provides certification in Asbestos, Lead, Mold, and Safety, helping you and your staff return to the job site quickly and confidently. Our programs are led by Dr. Nick Peneff, a nationally respected educator with decades of experience in environmental health and safety education. All Asbestos training courses are fully accredited in Illinois and Indiana, ensuring compliance with state and federal requirements.
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
In collaboration with the Illinois Department of Public Health, PHS developed Illinois’ first accredited Lead Risk Assessor Training
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
- Expert Testimony during class courses providing real-life examples
- Health and Safety hazard task analysis for employees
Past Performance Highlights
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 Lead Repair Renovation Painting Training
- First Illinois training provider — Lead Risk Assessment
- First Illinois training provider — Lead Renovator
- OSHA 10-hour Safety in Construction & HAZWOPER 40-hour courses
- Chicago Homeland Security First Responder for Floods and Mold
- Mold, Moisture and Indoor Air Quality for Condo Associations
- Illinois Department of Public Health
- Lead Risk Assessor Training, Lead Renovator—1st in Illinois
Key Staff
Nicholas Peneff, DrPH, CIH, CSP
Dr. Peneff is a Certified Industrial Hygienist and a Certified Safety Professional and has a doctoral degree in Public Health Management. His 35 years of experience include providing training, field assessments and oversight for projects involving indoor air quality, asbestos, lead-based paint, mold, bacteria, noise, ambient air quality, silica, diesel exhaust, radon, mercury, drinking water quality, building ventilation, contaminant exposure monitoring as well as performing EPA, HUD and OSHA training, safety audits, environmental assessments, and abatement designs.
His current practice focuses on emerging EPA/HUD Healthy Homes Policy with an emphasis on occupant and inspector training as well as factors affecting the maintenance and ongoing monitoring of affordable housing. Nick firmly believes that no matter who performs renovation and maintenance activities, worker safety, personal protection, and long-term social impacts must be addressed with the development of administrative and engineering controls to eliminate unsafe working conditions and unacceptable public health and environmental impacts.
Jose Guzman
Mr. Guzman is a bilingual professional with over 25 years of experience teaching asbestos, mold & lead safety courses. He takes pride in delivering clear, compliant, and effective training that keeps workers safe and informed. Jose ensures to bring professionalism and integrity to every classroom and job site, ensuring that every project is completed to the highest standards.
Cedric Davis
Mr. Davis has 23 years of experience in the environmental and industrial hygiene field and is a licensed IDPH Lead Inspector/Risk Assessor and Asbestos Building Inspector. Currently at PHS, he serves as an instructor for multiple training programs, including OSHA/NIOSH courses, Asbestos Abatement Worker Initial and Refresher, Asbestos Contractor/Supervisor Initial and Refresher, and Asbestos Awareness.
His industrial hygiene experience includes serving as a Senior Project Manager on large-scale projects for clients such as the Forest Preserves of Cook County, the Archdiocese of Chicago, the Public Building Commission of Chicago, and Northwestern University.
Norman Robinson
Mr. Robinson is an educator, instructor, and trainer for PHS. Focusing his efforts as a primary instructor for nearly a decade on courses such as Lead Renovation, Repair & Painting (RRP), IDPH and IDEM Asbestos Abatement, Lead Abatement and Cross Training/Assistant in Asbestos Worker and Supervisor courses, Norman has been a trainer and educator at PHS since the EPA’s RRP mandate passed in 2008. Since that time, he has been educating, certifying, and accrediting students on asbestos, lead, mold and renovation.
Carlos Torres
Mr. Torres has served as on OSHA Outreach Trainer for the past 6 years instructing clients and staff on federal regulations and best work practices. His experience also includes managing, auditing, and reporting on multi-faceted crews for several high-profile infrastructure projects. He provides guidance related to safety training, procurement, and means and methods to safely accomplish each task. He also has 13 years of experience in construction safety related to various types of projects including power and industrial, airport, public school, and public transit as well the application of industrial hygiene and environmental practices on those jobsites.