The Safety Guru

Positive safety climate has an impact on safety performance and safety outcomes. In this episode, Dr. Robert Sinclair, a Professor of Industrial/Organizational Psychology at Clemson University and Editor in Chief at Occupational Health Science, explains the link between safety climate and behavior and how to prioritize safety in the workplace with a reward system. He also touches on the importance of safety training and the critical role of supervisory and safety leadership. Learn how to increase employee engagement and improve safety performance!About the guest:Bob Sinclair is a Professor of Industrial/Organizational Psychology, having previously held faculty positions at Portland State University (2000-2008) and the University of Tulsa (1995-1999). He currently serves as the graduate program coordinator for the Department of Psychology's Ph.D. and MS programs. Dr. Sinclair is a founding member and past-president of the Society for Occupational Health Psychology and a Fellow of the Society for Industrial-Organizational Psychology and American Psychological Association. He is the founding Editor-in-Chief for Occupational Health Science as well as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Business and Psychology and an editorial board member of the Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, and Group and Organization Management. His published work includes over 80 book chapters and peer reviewed journals such as the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, Journal of Applied Psychology, and Journal of Organizational Behavior. He also is the editor of four volumes including Building Psychological Resilience in Military Personnel: Theory and Practice (2013, with Tom Britt), Research Methods in Occupational Health Psychology: Measurement, Design, and Data Analysis (2012, with Mo Wang and Lois Tetrick), Contemporary Occupational Health Psychology: Global Perspectives on Research and Practice, Vol. 2 (2012 with Jonathan Houdmont and Stavroula Leka) and Vol. 3 (2014 with Stavroula Leka). His research interests focus on Occupational Health Psychology - the application of theories and methods of psychology to the study of worker safety, health, and well-being. His current research focuses on (1) economic stressors (such as job insecurity and perceived income inadequacy) and health, (2) building organizational climates that enhance worker safety, health, and well-being, and (3) occupational health risks in special populations such as healthcare (physicians/nurses) and military personnel.More Episodes: https://thesafetyculture.guru/Powered By Propulo Consulting: https://www.propulo.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To err is human… but to learn and identify organizational ‘accidents waiting to happen’ is more critical than to lay blame. In this episode, we’re TAKING OFF with Dr. Suzanne Kearns, Associate Professor of Aviation at the University of Waterloo and Founding Director at the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics. Suzanne shares critical insights in Human Factors and Aviation Safety to help listeners explore how aviation has been able to make substantial improvements in safety and, more importantly, how it can help every organization improve safety performance.About the guest:Dr. Suzanne Kearns is an Associate Professor of Aviation at the University of Waterloo. She is an internationally recognized leader in aviation education research, earned airplane and helicopter pilot licenses at the age of 17, advanced aeronautical degrees from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and began working as an aviation professor upon graduation at the age of 24. In the 16 years since, she has taught and mentored thousands of aviation students, and written/co-authored six books printed in multiple translations (including Competency-Based Education in Aviation, Fundamentals of International Aviation, and Engaging the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals). She has received several awards for research and educational works, frequently delivers invited keynote addresses at international conferences, and holds leadership positions with several international aviation organizations. In 2021 she founded the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA), which she leads as its Director.More Episodes: https://thesafetyculture.guru/Powered by Propulo Consulting: https://www.propulo.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

October is ‘Safe Work’ month in Australia. We’re heading Down Under with special guest Cookie, an award-winning powerline safety expert from Queensland, Australia! In this episode, he illustrates the importance of powerline safety, the significance of ‘unintentional blindness’ and shares life saving tips in the event of a contact. Tune in to learn more about his innovative app ‘Look up and Live’ along with how your organization can proactively prepare for powerline risk.About the Guest:Glen Cook (Cookie), is an experienced and Passionate Powerline Safety Specialist based in Australia. Cookie is extremely passionate about raising powerline safety awareness and was the 2020 Australian Health and safety professional of the year. Working as an electrician for over 30 years within the construction and utilities industries he has been first responder to serious injury/burns and fatalities due to accidental contact with powerlines. Cookie is the driving force behind the award winning lookupandlive.com app that is assisting workers plan work near powerlines.Glen Cook - Community Safety Specialisthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cookie-powerlinesafety/ Mobile: +61418443944   glen.cook@energyq.com.auMore Episodes: https://thesafetyculture.guru/Powered by Propulo Consulting: https://propulo.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Tim Marsh, a leading authority on behavioral safety and safety culture, dives deep into the vital connection between mental health and safety outcomes. He discusses how leaders can enhance safety performance by addressing fatigue, anxiety, and depression in the workplace. Proactive safety conversations and developing soft skills among supervisors are pivotal for cultural change. Marsh emphasizes the importance of emotional well-being and active listening to promote a safer work environment and reduce accidents.

About a month before his high-school graduation 27 years ago, John Westhaver was involved in a devastating car accident that left him with varying degrees of burns covering 75% of his body. This experience jumpstarted his life as a motivational speaker and safety advocate, as he continues to emphasize the importance of minimizing dangerous distractions. In this thrilling episode, John discusses techniques to practice that will help individuals become more aware of understanding the possible risks in seemingly safe situations. The importance of leadership within safety culture is highlighted and John teaches the audience how to prioritize physical and psychological conditions so that everyone makes it home safely at the end of the day – tune in!About the Guest:John Westhaver is masterful at driving home the importance of Road Safety. He uses his life experiences of surviving a fatal car crash at the age of 18, where he lost three friends and sustained life-threatening burns to 75% of his body. He has been speaking to audiences since 2002 and has impacted tens of thousands of people across Canada and the USA. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers and is also a certified Virtual Presenter. On or off stage, he is a master at engaging and empowering people.John’s focus is that road safety is everyone’s responsibility, and the choices you make in a vehicle impact everyone in your workplace, company, family and community. He motivates and drives home just how important it is to be a safe driver, not only at work but outside work. Masterful at empowering people to change their driver behaviours, John leaves the audience with lots to think about.Connect with John at https://www.johnwesthaver.comMore Episodes: https://thesafetyculture.guru/Powered by Propulo Consulting: https://www.propulo.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Jason Anker discusses the work incident that paralyzed him from the waist down at just 24 years old. Mental health in the workplace is a popular topic of discussion these days, but it’s rarely linked to worker safety. How does mental health affect decision-making at work? What impact can a work accident have on your life and the lives of those around you? What can supervisors do to support workers? Anker tackles these tough questions and shares the inspiring journey of how he overcame the trauma from his life-altering incident.About the guest:After a tragic workplace fall 28 years ago left Jason confined to a wheelchair without the use of his legs, he identified as a survivor of his accident, focusing on physical recovery and turning to a combination of alcohol and drugs to cope. He was overwhelmed by self-blame and shame and too proud to say that he needed help as he believed he was helping those around him by shielding them from his true inner struggles. Today, he speaks openly and honestly about his mental health crisis and no longer hides his feelings, preferring instead to spend his time living in the present and thriving.Connect with Jason at www.p2bs.org and www.ankerandmarsh.comMore Episodes: https://thesafetyculture.guru/Powered By Propulo Consulting: https://propulo.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mental health is a safety issue, yet its importance in the workplace is often minimized. Dr. Keita Franklin is a leading expert in workplace mental health and suicide prevention. This week, she discusses the mental health challenges faced by workers everywhere, relating it to her experience working with active duty armed forces. Take a listen to learn about useful practices that people at all levels of an organization, from the CEO to front-line supervisors and workers, can use to shift organizational culture and lessen the stigma surrounding seeking help.About the guest:Dr. Keita Franklin serves as the Chief Clinical Officer at Loyal Source Government Services. In this capacity, she leads the company’s Behavior Health line of practice. An experienced senior executive with a proven record of success, Dr. Franklin joined the Loyal Source team in May of 2020 to formalize work in the mental health, suicide prevention and substance abuse areas. A compassionate leader and agent for change, Dr. Franklin is keenly focused on improving access to care and ensuring the delivery of evidence-based services across the Nation.More Episodes: https://thesafetyculture.guru/Powered By Propulo Consulting: https://propulo.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Front-line employees are more influenced by their supervisor than their CEO on a day-to-day basis, yet many supervisors are never provided with safety leadership training. In this episode, Eduardo Lan, partner at Propulo Consulting, discusses the importance of investing in your supervisors’ skills. Abilities like assigning work, asking questions, involving employees, and connecting with team members are often overlooked and dismissed, but they are the key to a safer, more productive workforce. It’s time to move beyond outdated “command and control” methods and ensure that all supervisors are taught how to lead effectively and respectfully to achieve the best results.About the guest:Eduardo Lan is a Partner with Propulo Consulting, a global management consulting firm delivering significant and sustainable improvements in organizational performance. As an accomplished organizational consultant and safety leadership coach, Eduardo has extensive experience in safety culture transformation, leadership development, high-performance projects and operations across the United States, Canada and Latin America. With over 20 years of experience in Leadership and Organizational Transformation, Eduardo is truly an expert in Organizational Development and Change, specifically safety leadership.More Episodes: https://thesafetyculture.guru/Powered By Propulo Consulting: https://propulo.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

18 years ago, Spencer Beach’s life changed forever when a workplace incident left him with severe burns on 90% of his body. Today, he is a safety motivational speaker who shares his story and wisdom to help prevent future incidents. In this engaging episode, Beach discusses the importance of listening to your gut feeling and speaking up. He also shares insightful ideas on how to develop a trusting relationship with employees and how to talk about safety in a way that motivates workers and increases safety awareness. Tune in to listen to Beach’s important message!About the guest:Spencer Beach was a 3rd generation flooring installer and among the best in his field when he endured a horrific flash fire that left him permanently and severely scarred. After spending 14 months in the hospital and a year more of rehabilitation he has gone on to carve out a new path for his life. He has now achieved such designations as a Construction Safety Officer through the Alberta Construction Safety Association, as well completed with distinction the University of Alberta’s, Faculty of Extensions, Occupational Health & Safety Certificate program. Spencer has been an international professional speaker for 14 years and delivered over 1,500 presentations. His messages focus on people’s behaviours to improve workplace safety, overcoming hardship, drug and alcohol abuse, understanding self and self-esteem, healthcare groups and more. Spencer is also the author of his bestselling book In Case of Fire, works with the Workers’ Compensation Board of Alberta to motivate injured workers, is a volunteer for the Friends of the University Hospital of Alberta, was awarded the 2013 Avenue Magazine Top 40 Under 40 for his community work and was the first recipient of the Award of Courage through Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital.Connect with Spencer at https://spencerspeaks.caSpencer's Book: In Case Of Fire -https://www.amazon.ca/Case-Fire-please-remain-rebuild-ebook/dp/B079G9NM1GMore Episodes: https://thesafetyculture.guru/Powered By Propulo Consulting: https://propulo.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s episode geared towards leaders, founder of See to Solve, MIT senior lecturer and award-winning author Steven Spear shares his rich knowledge of safety success stories to help guide you towards tried and tested approaches to safety. Learn from real life examples, from Toyota’s commitment to “coaching the coach” and late Alcoa CEO Paul O’Neill’s revolutionary learning culture to the U.S. Navy’s smooth sailing operations thanks to a connected task force. What better way to improve your safety leadership and safety culture than to learn from the original trailblazers?About the guest:Steve Spear DBA MS is founder of SaaS firm See to Solve LLC, is a senior lecturer at MIT's Sloan School and is a senior fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. His work focuses on managing complex enterprises so they can get the maximum benefit of their associates' distributed and collective intelligence. He's author of a number of influential works including The High Velocity Edge, "Decoding the DNA of the Toyota Production System" and "Fixing Healthcare from the Inside Today" both award winners from Harvard Business Review, and articles in Annals of Internal Medicine and USNI Proceedings. He's been advisor to the Director of the Army's Rapid Equipping Force, a Secretary of the Treasury, the Chief of Naval Engineering, and the Chief of Naval Operations. His worked has influenced the creation and deployment of the Alcoa Business System, DTE Energy's operating system, and operating systems at healthcare at Intuit and Intel. He has degrees from Harvard, MIT, and Princeton.More Information: http://www.thehighvelocityedge.com/See to Solve: https://seetosolve.com/The High-Velocity Edge: How Market Leaders Leverage Operational Excellence to Beat the Competition by Steve SpearMore Episodes: https://thesafetyculture.guru/Powered By Propulo Consulting: https://propulo.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices