Cheryl Scanlon-Zinner is a board-certified safety professional with over thirty-five years of experience developing and implementing 
occupational safety programs for construction and general industry employers, including large and small companies and government agencies.
Cheryl began her career working on hazardous waste cleanup sites as an environmental scientist and site safety officer. As she continued in her career at an international engineering firm, she became involved in construction and industrial safety. She was responsible for developing, updating and auditing the company’s written safety and health program. She performed evaluations of potential subcontractors based on safety performance. She conducted safety audits of company organizations, locations, and work sites. She eventually became Safety Director, responsible for providing oversight, mentorship and training of more than 25 safety professionals throughout the organization.
Cheryl started her own occupational safety consulting firm, Scanlon Safety Services, LLC, in 2007. That company, which she continues to operate, provides employers and government agencies with services that include preparation of written safety programs and plans, safety inspections of construction sites and industrial facilities, OSHA compliance assistance, and training of management and workers.
Cheryl filled the role of Site Safety Officer on over one hundred hazardous waste site investigation, remediation and construction projects. She developed over three hundred site specific safety plans and performed safety inspections and audits of hundreds of construction sites.
Cheryl has trained thousands of management representatives, supervisors, and competent persons on the principles and practices of safety management, hazard identification, hazard evaluation and the implementation of the hierarchy of controls. She has conducted over 200 Fall Protection Competent Person training classes, and over 100 other classes, including those in scaffold safety, trenching and excavation safety, safety management, demolition safety, OSHA compliance, and safety leadership.
Cheryl is a member of several professional safety organizations. She was the president of the Philadelphia chapter of the American Society of Safety Professionals and is active in that organization. She was awarded the chapter’s Safety Professional of the Year honor in 2021. She is also an active member of the Mid-Atlantic Construction Safety Council, the International Society for Fall Protection and Women in Safety Excellence.
In addition to her expert witness work, Cheryl runs a successful occupational safety consulting practice.
Our Founder
Safety Research, Inc. was founded by Vincent A. Gallagher in 1990. Vince continues to provide mentorship and assistance to Cheryl.
Vince is a safety expert with over 35 years’ experience in applying principles and practices of injury prevention in the workplace. Vince is a former OSHA Official with a master’s degree in Occupational Safety and Health. He received a Fellowship from U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Mr. Gallagher, who is fluent in Spanish and English, was an industrial safety consultant to government, industry, labor, United Nations Agencies and universities. He consulted throughout the United States and in eight countries and investigated over five hundred industrial accidents. He testified in Federal and State Courts as safety expert over fifty times.
Mr. Gallagher participated as expert witness in the Supreme Court of New Jersey case Fernandes vs. Dar Development Company. In that case the Court wrote:
In some cases, however, the collective experience of the jury is not sufficient to measure the defendant’s conduct. In those cases, the plaintiff must establish the standard of care governing the defendant’s conduct and the deviation from that standard through reliable expert testimony. Claims involving workplace accidents commonly fall into the category in which plaintiffs must produce reliable expert testimony to establish the standard of care and to explain how the defendant’s actions departed from that standard.
The standard of care is derived from many sources, including codes adopted by the Legislator, regulations adopted by state and federal agencies, and standards adopted by professional organizations.
Office Manager Michele Szachewicz keeps our office running and is our liaison with our clients. When you call our office, it is Michele you talk to first. If you have any questions about scheduling or billing, ask to speak with Michele.