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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
#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.
#99: Cannabinoids, Immortal Cells, Baby Teeth, and a Passion for Helping Others
December 21, 2022 | 1 hours 01 minutes 45 seconds
How do you manage EHS at a company that produces cannabinoids and other psychedelic drugs to try to help with diseases? Listen to Chris Garza the EHS Manager at manufacturing company Benuvia. Like many of you, Chris had no idea what a certified safety professional was before he took the safety job. Chris Garza walks us through his inspirational story that starts with a very early passion for helping others and the world with his work. He started his career in the lab working on stem cell therapy and moved on to overseeing hazardous material disposal from electrical transformers. Chris is now the EHS Manager for Benuvia Manufacturing, with over 13 years of experience, and Principal Consultant for Feather and Mane EHS Consultants. Listen in as Chris explains why he believes the EHS profession is one of the most special.
#98: How to Use Data Analysis to Improve Your EHS Program
November 30, 2022 | 1 hours 04 minutes 3 seconds
There are many hats to be worn as a safety professional, and data collector/analyzer is often one of them. Jill sits down with Arianna Howard to better understand how safety data analytics and software systems play a role in the EHS environment. Arianna is a Manager of EHS IT Data Platforms and Digital Software Systems in the electric vehicle manufacturing industry. She has over 8 years of environmental, health, and safety consulting and industry experience focused on data management and information systems. Learn how you can better use data analysis and EHS software to create a safer and smarter workplace.
#97: Safety in the Bering Sea
October 19, 2022 | 1 hours 25 minutes 13 seconds
Alan Davis, CSP sits down with us to share his story of how he "accidentally wound up in a profession to prevent accidents". His story starts with a farm injury that ruled out a military career before it began, but gave him an opportunity to explore a career in safety. He eventually ended up overseeing safety at sea as the Director of Safety and Compliance at American Seafoods Company. With years of experience in Conducting In-Port and At-Sea Vessel Safety Inspections, including Machine Guarding, Work Practices, OSHA Compliance, Life Safety, and more.