Growing up in a mining town in the West African nation of Ghana, Emmanuel Winful would often hear of miners returning from their pursuit of precious metals with injuries and even unexplained illnesses. He didn’t know it then, but unsafe mining practices and exposure to harmful chemicals in the mines were major factors for these maladies.

In a culture steeped in spiritualism, many injuries and illnesses were often attributed to superstitious beliefs, such as being cursed or having bad juju. Despite these cultural attitudes, Winful was interested in the science behind these incidents and ways to prevent them.

That formative experience sparked his interest in occupational safety, leading him down a path to become the first safety manager for Auburn University’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. One aspect of Winful’s work will be to safeguard against the types of incidents that have occurred at other research universities. Injuries and deaths have been reported recently at universities in California, Texas and Connecticut due to improper safety with chemicals and research equipment.

Winful works in tandem with Auburn University Risk Management and Safety as well as Campus Safety and Security. He has also established an Engineering Safely Council to identify, review and implement programs to address safety, health, security and emergency preparedness issues.

You can listen to Winful’s interview on #GINNing here.