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Hosted by Jill James, HSI's Chief Safety Officer.
This safety podcast is a series of conversations with safety professionals about how they came into their role, what they've learned along the way, as well as some of the highs and lows that come with job.
We've created this safety podcast for you, the safety professional.
Latest episodes
#107: An OSHA Inspection My First Week on the Job
August 16, 2023 | 48 minutes 24 seconds
Sometimes not being an expert has its benefits. Rusti Dyals, Certified Safety Professional and national director of EHS at ESFM, chats with Jill about getting her degree in public relations, stumbling into a safety coordinator position at a sawmill, and immediately learning the site would be undergoing an OSHA inspection. Listen to this week’s episode to learn how she approaches getting leadership on board with safety-based decisions, why continuing education is so important in this field, and find out Rusti’s biggest piece of advice for anyone in the safety industry.
#106: Live From ASSP Safety 2023
July 18, 2023 | 41 minutes 17 seconds
This month’s podcast looks a little different, as Jill was able to sit down with EHS professionals who were attending ASSP’s Annual Safety Conference and Expo. She met with people from many different industries, including construction, pharmaceuticals, and aerospace, as well as an assistant professor, a Ph.D. student, and even the editor in chief of a safety publication. Tune in to discover their favorite part of being a safety professional, advice for other professionals, their EHS heroes, and what the future of EHS looks like to them. Plus, find out how you could have a chance to contribute your own EHS story during an upcoming live podcast recording!
#105: How I Found My Safety Job at the Dog Park
June 6, 2023 | 1 hours 01 minutes
As is the case with many things in life, sometimes the most obvious advice truly is the best advice. In this episode, Jill chats with Jane Davies, Senior Risk Analyst and Loss Prevention Consultant at the Arizona Department of Administration and OSHA 10/30 trainer, to discuss her unexpected EHS career (that started with a visit to a dog park!) and dole out her best professional advice. Tune in to learn how there is always something you can bring to the table, why building your network is so important, and how simply listening to those more experienced than you can help in many ways.
#104: How a Passion for Worker Justice and Microbes Led to a Career in Industrial Hygiene
May 16, 2023 | 55 minutes 48 seconds
Like many of our guests, Dr. Amber Mitchell didn’t start out with the goal of becoming a safety professional. Chance encounters and unique opportunities that presented themselves throughout her career seemed to push her toward that end. Amber has carved out her own niche within the safety and industrial hygiene industries; studied psychology, received a Master’s and Doctorate in Public Health, completed a pathogenic research fellowship, OSHA’s first national Bloodborne Pathogens Coordinator, and even completed a 500-hour Pilates teacher training program. As she says during her sit-down with Jill, “There are no limits to what you can do in the safety field. It just depends on what drives your heart.”
#103: Preventing Workplace Violence vs. Reacting To It
April 26, 2023 | 1 hours 05 minutes 18 seconds
For decades now, we have seen innumerable examples of violence in the workplace, both by internal perpetrators and external. And organizations are very good at taking swift, actionable response measures to mitigate the damage. But maybe we are looking at workplace violence all wrong. Felix Nater, president and owner of workplace security consulting firm Nater Associates, joins Jill to discuss why preventing workplace violence — not reacting to it — should be our focus. Mr. Nater dives into his history with the U.S. Postal Service, why prevention through education must start at the top of any organization, and how he helps employers make sure their workers get home safe every day.
#102: Understanding Psychosocial Hazards in the Workplace
March 1, 2023 | 1 hours 4 minutes 28 seconds
EHS professionals have done a good job of mitigating physical hazards for as long as occupational safety has been an area of focus. But how do employers go about creating a work environment that is free from psychosocial hazards? Dr. David Daniels joins us in this episode to discuss what is the most significant hazard people are exposed to in the workplace, and how to identify and mitigate it. Dr. Daniels has an impressive résumé spanning more than 40 years — EHS professional, podcaster, speaker, President and CEO of ID2 Solutions, National Safety Council board member, thought leader, culture warrior — and his experience has shown him that nearly every incident could have been prevented simply by addressing the psychosocial factors.
#101: Why EHS Isn’t Just Morally Right, But Good Business Too
February 14, 2023 | 1 hours 07 minutes 28 seconds
Even though everyone understands that safety in the workplace is important, it can still be tough for decision-makers to get on board with making necessary, and lasting, changes. It’s easy to conduct an incident investigation and put a fix in place, but what about working to prevent incidents instead of just responding to them? Join Jill as she chats with Carla Davis-Madgett, who stumbled into a 38-year-long career as an EHS professional after recognizing her strengths and personal values; capturing the hearts and minds of leadership in order to create a continuous dialogue.
#100: How Important are Soft Skills in Safety?
January 25, 2023 | 56 minutes 06 seconds
Fighting the “safety cop” stereotype can be a difficult task. This is especially true if you are trying to build your new career in safety. Nadia uses her natural leadership and relationship-building skills to unite her coworkers for the common good. Nadia Ullah Morin is a QHSE Lead at a water technology manufacturing company, with a background in biology, chemistry, and crude oil quality control testing. Although she may be new to the profession, Nadia shares the skills she learned from day-to-day team building, pushing back on the safety cop mentality, and paving her way to being a true leader in the EHS world. Learn how you can use your soft skills to bring people together and make safety everyone’s job.