5 questions with Susan Caldwell

1. You’re a product manager in tune with the printing industry at GMG EnviroSafe. Can you tell us a little about your role?

I provide printing industry-specific expertise to help shape assessments and ensure they reflect current industry challenges and best practices of developing safety cultures in the printing industry. I work to build relationships with industry leaders, organizations, and associations.

2. How did you get into this line of work?

My experience as a National PrintEd Certified Instructor for high school students, combined with my background in environmental management systems and health and safety management, uniquely positioned me to emphasize the importance of safety to my students. My transition to GMG EnviroSafe in 2023 to foster safety cultures in printing companies highlights my commitment to not just individual education, but also to the broader industry.

3. From your perspective, what are the biggest concerns facing the printing industry today?

There are several: lack of a written program, insufficient training, resource allocation, regulatory changes, and environmental concerns, as well as hiring and retaining qualified employees in the print industry.

4. With President Trump’s administration focused on pulling back regulations, what kind of changes can print shops expect?

There have been efforts to roll back various environmental regulations. Print shops that use chemicals and inks may have seen changes in regulations regarding waste disposal, emissions, and the use of certain materials. While some regulatory changes could ease operations and reduce costs for print shops, others could raise concerns about safety and environmental impact. Each shop would need to evaluate how these changes specifically affect their operations and compliance.

5. GRAPHICS PRO readers often cross over into other trades as well as printing. What does your company offer for those more focused on engraving or apparel decoration?

As always, GMG EnviroSafe works to develop a safety culture within printing communities and works to ensure worker safety. With the apparel industry, we work to stay on top of PFAS laws and how these laws affect the industry for regulatory fines and environmental issues. With engraving, we look to make sure the industry is maintaining safety for its work force and also working to ensure they are environmentally compliant in the U.S. Making sure we are taking care of our environment and workers’ safety is our No. 1 goal at GMG EnviroSafe.