Dr. Ayers delivers a short, pointed reminder that your time is one of your most valuable safety tools. Safety professionals are constantly pulled in different directions, but if you don’t guard your schedule, you lose the ability to focus on the mission: reducing and eliminating hazards.

🧠 Key Themes 1. Safety Pros Struggle to Say “No”

Dr. Ayers acknowledges that safety leaders often feel obligated to help everyone, all the time. But saying “yes” to everything means:

You lose control of your day
You get stuck in reactive mode
Important hazard‑reduction work gets pushed aside Sources:

2. Time Is a Finite Resource

The episode emphasizes that your schedule is not unlimited. If you don’t protect it:

Distractions multiply
Priorities blur
You end up busy, not effective Sources:

3. Guard Your Schedule to Guard Your Mission

Dr. Ayers reinforces that the core mission of safety is simple: Reduce and eliminate hazards. Everything else is secondary. Guarding your schedule ensures you stay aligned with that mission. Sources:

4. Eliminate or Reduce Distractions

The episode encourages safety professionals to:

Block time for field engagement
Limit unnecessary meetings
Avoid getting trapped in administrative noise
Focus on high‑value tasks that actually improve safety Sources:

🚀 Leadership Takeaways

Your schedule reflects your priorities — protect it.
Saying “no” is a leadership skill.
Guarding your time strengthens your ability to reduce hazards.
Distraction is the enemy of effective safety work.

Episode 216 - Occupational Safety - Guard your Schedule