James Ward Ms Ehs Email & Phone Number

I’m James Ward, a Corporate EHS Director with over 20 years of dedicated service in Environmental Health and Safety leadership. My experience has driven the creation of safe workplace cultures in varied industries through strategic leadership, ownership development and effective collaboration.Throughout my career, I have designed, implemented and measured the performance of robust safety strategies that have resulted in significant cultural improvements across a wide variety of manufacturing sites and business units. I possess a deep understanding of regulatory requirements and consensus standards, which I leverage to ensure compliance while promoting a positive and proactive safety culture. My approach focuses on integrating safety into human behavior (Behavior Based Safety) and into all aspects of operations, fostering an environment where safety is recognized as a core value by all teammates.I pride myself on strong relationship-building skills, which have enabled me to effectively partner with leaders at all levels—from executives to frontline teammates. This collaboration is essential in influencing change and achieving results, as demonstrated by my success in reducing recordable injury rates from 5.08 in 2022 to 0 year-to-date in 2024 at Birmingham Fastener. Recordable injury rate reductions were also seen at the Nucor Sheet Mill in Crawfordsville, Indiana from 1.33 in 2017 to 0.30 in 2022. As Corporate EHS Director, I lead a comprehensive safety strategy that engages over 700 teammates across 16 divisions. I provide tailored training and coaching, utilizing a straightforward change management approach that ensures all team members are equipped with the tools and knowledge necessary for success. My efforts have not only improved safety performance but have also cultivated a positive culture of accountability where teammates truly care for one another and take full ownership of all aspects of Environmental Health and Safety. My approach also includes measurement of commitment to workplace safety practices and policies, ensuring that safety remains the most important value in every operation and in every teammate's mind.