How Kevin Swinden built Global Hazmat by prioritizing competency, culture, and real-world preparedness
Why Competency Matters More Than Certification
The interesting thing about Kevin Swinden is that he “doesn’t do” titles. He feels they’re impractical and too high-minded. There’s no need—in his mind—to create an imbalance in the workplace. He is the founder and president of Global Hazmat, but more than that, he is, in his simple words, “the owner.”
His experience and knowledge includes three decades of navigating hazardous materials. He’s reshaping how organizations approach their safety culture. Kevin’s seen too many close calls and knows the cost of complacency. “Safety and hazmat are often very separate, but they shouldn’t be,” he says.
For Swinden, this divide is a critical flaw he’s spent 30 years working to correct. He’s blunt about the consequences. This disconnect is especially stark in Canada. Here, EHS managers juggle many roles. Their United States counterparts enjoy “more specialized” siloed positions.
“It’s a structural gap that leaves people vulnerable,” says Swinden. His passion for bridging this divide is evident in every aspect of his work.
“Hazmat is frequently sidelined and shuffled away. Most of the time, safety personnel have absolutely zero understanding of hazardous materials. Zero experience with dangerous goods or waste management.“
Kevin Swinden – President
Founding a Legacy
Swinden’s path to founding Global Hazmat wasn’t linear. He was “disillusioned” and frustrated by a lack of integrity in his previous roles. Clear objectives in the industry were few and far between, so he struck out on his own.
“I realized I couldn’t work for people who didn’t have a clear purpose – I felt like I was spinning my wheels” he says. “So, I decided to do it myself. I said… I’m going to go off and become your competitor.” Starting as a one-man operation, he built Global Hazmat brick by brick. Fueled by a relentless commitment to precision and education, he found his north star: “Doing things the right way.”
Over the years, Swinden’s vision has transformed Global Hazmat into a leader in the industry. The company’s name change 18 years ago The company’s name-change 18 years ago was a signal of its evolution – a shift towards something bigger. “You have to adapt constantly,” Swinden reflects. “Regulations change, industries shift, and things keep evolving. Staying stagnant really isn’t an option, it just isn’t.”
Lessons From the Field
Swinden’s career is full of moments that would rattle most people. He recounts a chlorine gas incident, the result of improperly packed/stored chemical waste. The reaction required evacuating over 100 homes and countless businesses. “One 45-gallon drum has a bad reaction and suddenly we’re evacuating a Canadian Tire, a Scotiabank, a Costco, a gym. Anything the wind could touch with this chlorine gas. It’s a perfect example of why competency matters more than a certification,” he says. “A certificate won’t save you in front of a judge, much less a gas leak. A certificate doesn’t mean a hill of beans if you aren’t competent. Show me you can do this.”
There’s not much of a margin for error in his industry, but there’s nuance. Training employees to understand chemical waste takes an eye for detail.
“A lot of people don’t realize that chemical-as-product and chemical-as-waste have identical properties and hazards,” he explains. “I’ve seen drums packed with incompatible chemicals create dangerous reactions.” His work – like any good safety initiative – focuses on potential consequences. The smallest misstep in understanding could mean big problems later.
Safety is a concrete reality, not a hypothetical concept. Practical knowledge will always beat rote learning. “You learn from error, but you have to make the choice to learn from the error.” Uncover the gap and fix it.
Bridging Gaps and Changing Minds
Swinden is candid about the challenges in the industry. His main frustration is with the industry’s reactive culture. “Employers often mandate training for their employees but don’t train themselves,” he explains. Safety changes often create a bottleneck when they need to be implemented. Moreover, many companies only focus on safety after accidents.
“The biggest problem is trying to change the organization’s culture. They need to shift to a proactive point of view. It takes time,” he acknowledges. “But it’s essential.”
One persistent issue is the handling of paperwork. Swinden recounts an audit where 83% of shipping documents were incorrect. It was a simple oversight that could lead to disaster.
“It’s ‘not that important’, until you get caught. Picture this,” he says. “You’re a responder showing up to an accident and the intel you have does not match what’s going on. What’s your priority then? You are responsible for the costs of a document’s flaws. And it could be millions Those flaws get pushed onto first responders during an accident.” Incorrect documentation is more than an admin mistake. It’s a critical failure. It can disrupt emergency response efforts and endanger everyone involved.”
“We’ve had to call in the bomb squad a couple of times in the past. Three years ago, I got called to a mobile trailer. They had stockpiled chemicals for 15 years and then skipped town.
We had to clean this trailer full of chemicals and hazardous items. Situations like that are nerve-wracking because there is no documentation. There is no compliance whatsoever, and so there’s no sense of safety.“
Kevin Swinden – President
A Philosophy of Preparedness
For Swinden, preparedness is personal, and a survival skill at that.
He recalls a near miss during an emergency response training session. “It’s not enough to assess [the spill]; you need to assess your entire area. We had a case where an employee was panicking. Part of their task was to go get the spill supplies. They were almost impaled by a forklift. The operator came around the corner with the forks up. The employee had to jump off to the side to avoid being struck. That hazard had nothing to do with the spill, but it still presented a danger in the workplace.”
Swinden’s emphasis on preparedness extends beyond immediate hazards. He understands safety culture’s broader implications. He urges organizations to adopt proactive measures, not just reactive fixes or band-aids. “It’s not only about preventing accidents, but fostering a mindset,” he explains. “It has to be cultural.”
Looking to the Future
As technology reshapes industries, Swinden remains optimistic. “I’m old school, as you’ve figured out. I’m always going to be a very, very strong believer in competency as the key. I’m 100% for any tech that makes things better, so long as it doesn’t hurt competency,” he says. “[This industry] is looking at different avenues, methods that are not as archaic as the old ways. But the core understanding must remain. It has to match workers’ skills and compliance. If it speeds things up and cuts corners, it’s useless. Jeopardizing competency is not an advantage; the biggest issue we see is confusion between being certified and being competent.”
Swinden also sees opportunities in digitizing processes like documentation. “Canada’s moving toward electronic paperwork, which is a step in the right direction,” he notes. “Switching over is going to be a long process, but it’s going to reduce errors. It will save you from trying to read pages that are soaking wet.”
Advice for Newcomers
For those new to the safety world, Swinden’s guidance is clear: find a mentor, network, and never stop learning. “You can’t learn everything in school,” he says. “Having the education is great, but most of what I’ve learned was either by making a mistake or talking to someone. [Mentors] will explain things to you, and you’ll go ‘oh, I’ve never thought about that.’ Experience and the willingness to listen are invaluable. You have to be willing to be a part of the safety industry as a whole; you can’t pretend you know everything.” He urges young pros to find seasoned experts, attend trade shows, and immerse themselves.
Swinden also stresses the importance of humility. “Having a master’s degree doesn’t make you a good safety professional. What matters is your experience, your network, your ability to listen and learn,” he asserts. “I see this often. A safety person markets themselves as a guru with 20 years of experience at 17 companies. I would never hire them in my life because they can’t invest in a safety culture for longer than a year.” His advice resonates in an industry where experience trumps degrees.
A Quiet Revolution
Kevin Swinden’s work with Global Hazmat shows the power of persistence and precision. He has built more than a company. He has fostered a culture of competence and care in a neglected corner of the safety world.
Swinden’s journey underscores the importance of bridging gaps between safety and hazmat. In a world where small mistakes can have grave results, Swinden’s mission reminds us of the impact one person can have on safety culture.
Work smart. Stay strong. Speak up.
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