Pantex Fire Department Captain Chad Zarbock taught hundreds of Pantexans the correct way to perform CPR using a mannequin. Photo by Adam Baker.
More than 1,000 Pantexans attended the recent Health, Safety, and Benefits Fair, a two-day event with a wide array of vendors, providing our workforce with valuable resources and information. By all accounts, the event was a resounding success marked by strong employee turnout and exceptional engagement throughout both days.
“The work performed here demands absolute precision, vigilance, and reliability, which can only be achieved when our workforce is healthy, supported, and operating in a culture that prioritizes safety above all else,” Wellness Manager Cody McClary, the event organizer, said. “Events like this reinforce that safety and wellness extend beyond compliance — they are fundamental to maintaining operational excellence and protecting the critical deterrence capabilities our nation relies on every single day.”
Thirty-one booths lined the Building 12-70 Cafeteria and the John C. Drummond Center to educate our workforce through memorable, hands-on presentations and displays.
“All of the booths were informative,” Environmental Scientist Emmy Schniederjan said. “My favorite booth was the Fire Departments’ because they had the coolest hands-on simulator, and I was able to learn how to use a fire extinguisher. It was great information to be reminded of in the case of an emergency!”
The Emergency Response Organization displayed exercise simulation photos and educated Pantexans on how drones can be used in emergency response. Occupational Health Services administered 120 influenza vaccines to safeguard our workforce against seasonal illness. Finally, representatives from the new insurance providers, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas and Sun Life, spoke with employees about their benefits, and Northwest Texas Hospital Healthcare System came to introduce themselves to the Pantex population.
“I gained so much knowledge about all of the awesome partnerships we have that emphasize our safety and health,” Schniederjan said. “I was also able to get some questions answered about our insurance and was reminded of some benefits I sometimes forget are an option!”
Facility Engineering Specialist Douglas Atwood said he has attended the fair every year since becoming a Pantexan nine years ago. The event allows him to see changes in equipment and how technology has developed over the last year. In learning about new technology, it sparks ideas of how it may help in our processes and procedures.
“The HSB fair gives me the latest in safety, and I am able to evaluate my facilities to see where there are areas where improvements can be made,” Atwood said. “Industrial Hygiene had a display that showed the purpose of a task exhaust and displayed visually how it operates. Reading about it is one thing but seeing it in action is totally different. I believe it was a great idea in displaying why we need to push safety in all we do.”
The event went off without a hitch, but the planning, execution, and behind the scenes arrangements started nearly half a year in advance. Preparation was a comprehensive, site-wide effort that began in May. Cross-functional collaboration was vital to the fair’s success — nearly every department across Pantex contributed resources, expertise, and support to ensure seamless execution from start to finish.
“We are immensely grateful to be part of an organization and leadership team that truly prioritizes the well-being of its workforce,” McClary said. “Having dedicated time, resources, and leadership backing for an event of this scale demonstrates that employee health and safety represent genuine, core commitments rather than mere talking points. It makes us proud to come to work every day knowing that our site actively invests in its people.”