
Safety Office
The Safety Office provides oversight and leadership for overarching workplace safety efforts across our organization. A goal is ensuring workplace safety is the key management priority, followed by fiscal responsibility, operational excellence, and regulatory compliance.
The Safety Office focuses on enhancing our safety culture to measurably reduce injuries/incidents and to have each employee get home safely at the end of the day.
​​​​​​​Through an all-inclusive workplace safety program, Tacoma Safety is uncompromising in its commitment to taking every possible step it can to protect the health and well-being of City employees and, by extension, the community members, and customers they serve.​​​​​​​
The City of Tacoma is responsible for providing a safe workplace, free from recognized hazards
Goals of the Safety Office
- Return each employee home safe daily
- Reduce injuries
- Reduce incidents
Safety Office Divisions
Field Operations and Training
- Â We have embedded safety personnel in Environmental Services, Fire, Power, Water and Rail. These safety professionals are boots on the ground working in operations and meeting the various challenges they encounter each day.
- Responsible for training, from traditional trainings like Traffic Control, Fall Protection and Confined Space to psychological safety trainings like situational awareness, de-escalation and mental health.
 Compliance
- Subject matter experts on for federal and State OSHA/WISHA and DOT regulations.
- Updates our 620 page safety manual
Worker Compensation
- Manages all of the injury cases across the city, manage and approve the medical treatment
- Liaison with the employee, their leadership, our third party administrator and all restricted and lost time injuries
Services Provided by the Safety Office
- Development and communication of the City’s Safety Program
- Regulatory interpretation
- Advice on work practices and equipment
- Site safety assessments
- Primary interface for site inspections, assessments and citations
- Training – from traditional trainings like Traffic Control, fall protection and confined space to psychological safety trainings like situational awareness, de-escalation and mental health.
Meet the Director
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Safety Office Director
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Director of the Safety Office
Laurie Hardie
With over 24 years of dedicated experience in safety and operational management, Laurie is committed to fostering a culture of physical and psychological safety at all levels of the organization. As the Director of Safety for the City of Tacoma, she brings a wealth of expertise in developing and implementing comprehensive safety and health programs that empower employees to embrace a safety-first mindset and actively participate in creating safer work environments.
Laurie has demonstrated adaptability and resilience in challenging environments, earning her a reputation for being a trusted advisor and problem-solver in matters of safety, risk management, and Department of Transportation operations.
Laurie excels in cultivating strong relationships even when operations are across multiple states. She has held several regional management positions with Fortune 500 companies during her career including FedEx, Republic Services, WestRock, and the Department of the Army.
Laurie received a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Technology from the University of Missouri, graduating with honors, cum laude.