Below is an article written by the NJ Chapter Secretary Phillip Bauknight who is a Partner at Fisher & Phillips LLP.

No matter the industry – construction, manufacturing, healthcare, or beyond – the well-being of your workers is non-negotiable. And behind every solid safety program is a professional making sure the gears are turning: overseeing policies, conducting training, enforcing regulations, and generally staying on top of things. But there’s one often-overlooked part of the job that can make or break a safety program – documentation. This Insight will unpack why documentation matters, what can go wrong if you don’t do it right, and provide you with five best practices to build smart, reliable recordkeeping habits.

Why Documentation is Essential

• Proving Compliance: Officials at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and at state agencies don’t just want to hear that your safety program exists – they want to see it. Documentation is the evidence. You need to be able to show what hazards were identified, which trainings took place, how equipment was inspected, and what actions were taken after incidents. These aren’t just boxes to check, they’re the backbone of legal compliance and internal accountability.
• Promoting Consistency: Turnover happens. So do leadership changes, shifting job roles, and evolving procedures. Documentation keeps safety efforts from unraveling during transitions. Clear written records like standard operating procedures (SOPs), safety checklists, and meeting minutes all ensure that safety protocols don’t vary wildly from site to site or shift to shift. They also provide a resource for new team members to quickly familiarize themselves with your safety culture and standards.
• Backing Up Training Efforts: Training is only as good as your ability to prove it happened. Keeping records of dates, topics, and employee participation ensures you can demonstrate what happened. Solid documentation does more than protect you during audits. It also helps identify gaps in your program – like employees who missed a session or topics that need reinforcement – and demonstrates compliance with labor laws and regulations.

John Duffy, CHST, CBRE
Current President-Elect

John has been safety professional for over 20 years. He currently is The HSE Lead for the Industrial and Logistics PJM group for CBRE/Turner & Townsend. He served as the HSE by Design Program Manager for Novartis Americas. Prior to CBRE/Novartis he was an Executive EHS Consultant with Signature Safety. Before joining Signature Safety, he was the Safety Manager for one of the largest mechanical contractors in New Jersey. Prior to that position he worked on a several high-rise projects as the site safety manager. John is an OSHA Authorized Instructor, Certified MEWP/Forklift/Telehandler instructor and teaches numerous safety awareness topics for clients. John has served as a member of his church’s parish council with a tenure of 10 years as its president. He currently serves as the chairmen of the Zoning Board in his town.

Phillip Bauknight, Esq.: Fisher Phillips
Current Vice President

Phillip C. Bauknight represents and serves as trusted counsel for employers in a broad range of employment, business, and labor issues. As part of his practice, Phil handles OSHA and workplace safety matters across the country. He routinely helps clients contest and litigate OSHA citations and has experience representing employers during OSHA inspections and investigations, conducting OSHA compliance audits, and defending whistleblower/retaliation claims as well as providing OSHA compliance counseling to clients. Phil also counsels and represents his clients on employee hiring, discipline, and termination issues, performance management, discrimination, retaliation, employee leave, and disability accommodations issues.

Cristiano Godoy, CHST
Current Treasurer

Cristiano Godoy, CHST, is a passionate and dedicated safety professional with over two decades of experience in the construction industry, including more than 20 years specializing in health and safety. He has been an active member of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Society of Safety Professionals (NJASSP) since 2015 and currently serves on the chapter’s Standing Committee and Executive Board, holding the position of Treasurer for the past four years.

Cristiano’s career began in Florida, where he successfully owned and operated a construction company for five years. After selling his share of the business, he transitioned into a role as a coating inspector. It was in this role that he identified a widespread need for improved safety knowledge on job sites—an observation that sparked his deep commitment to safety education and advocacy.

Jess Vallee-Vasquez

My name is Jess Vallee-Vasquez and I am running for the position of Treasurer for the NJ Chapter of ASSP. ASSP, recognized as the premier global safety professional organization, has been a driving developmental support throughout my educational and professional career. I would love to give back to the chapter that has helped me become the safety professional I am today. I have been a member since 2015, starting as a student member during my time at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). As a recipient of two NJ ASSP scholarships, I know how important financial strength is to this chapter and its impact on our members. Solid financials are the cornerstone for all the wonderful events and value we give to our members.

After graduating from IUP and Chatham University with a B.S. in Environmental Biology, a Master’s in Sustainability, and an MBA, I entered the safety field with Sompo as a Risk Control Trainee under the management of Christine Sullivan. I was fully immersed in all the facets of EHS- worker safety, environmental protection, and consumer safety. I am grateful for this career opportunity because I get to see all the ways that EHS is interwoven throughout daily life and its positive impact. I will soon be celebrating my 5th year anniversary with Sompo as a Risk Control Consultant.