The Occupational Safety Leadership Podcast

Dr. Ayers delivers a short but important reminder: safety professionals need to take their vacation time and truly recharge. The work will still be there when you return — but you will come back clearer, calmer, and more effective.   🧠 Key Themes 1. Burnout Hurts Safety Performance Dr. Ayers emphasizes that when safety leaders push nonstop: Decision‑making suffers Patience decreases Communication becomes strained Small issues feel bigger than they are Rest isn’t a luxury — it’s a performance requirement.   2. The Work Will Still Be There A central message of the episode: You are not abandoning your responsibilities by taking time off. Safety work is continuous, and stepping away briefly doesn’t derail progress.   3. Recharging Makes You a Better Leader Vacation time helps you return with: Fresh perspective Renewed energy Better emotional bandwidth More creativity and patience This directly improves how you show up for employees.   4. Model Healthy Behavior Employees watch what leaders do. If you never take time off: They assume they shouldn’t either They feel guilty requesting PTO Burnout spreads through the culture Taking vacation is a leadership signal.   🚀 Leadership Takeaways Rest is a safety strategy. Your team needs a leader who is present, not exhausted. Taking vacation models healthy boundaries. Recharging improves clarity, patience, and decision‑making.

Dr. Ayers brings on Phil from Hazmat Scholars to break down the fundamentals of hazardous waste — what it is, how it’s defined, and how safety professionals can get reliable answers when dealing with complex waste‑management questions. This episode is a practical, beginner‑friendly guide to understanding hazardous waste classification and compliance.   🧠 Key Themes 1. What Counts as Hazardous Waste? Phil explains the regulatory definition and emphasizes that hazardous waste is determined by: Its characteristics (ignitable, corrosive, reactive, toxic) Its source (F‑listed, K‑listed) Its chemical identity (P‑listed, U‑listed) He stresses that many organizations misunderstand when a material officially becomes a waste.   2. The Importance of “Discard Intent” A chemical becomes a hazardous waste the moment you decide you’re no longer going to use it, not when it’s thrown away. This is one of the most common compliance mistakes Phil sees.   3. How to Get Your Questions Answered Phil shares strategies for navigating confusing regulations: Use EPA guidance documents Contact state environmental agencies Build relationships with local regulators Consult experts when classifications are unclear He emphasizes that hazardous waste rules vary by state, so local guidance is essential.   4. Practical Tips for Safety Leaders The episode highlights: Proper labeling and container management Avoiding “unknown waste” situations Keeping good documentation Training employees who handle chemicals These basics prevent violations and reduce risk.   🚀 Leadership Takeaways Hazardous waste classification is both technical and regulatory — you must understand both. Discard intent triggers waste status, not disposal. Local regulators are your best resource for accurate answers. Good labeling, storage, and training prevent most compliance problems.

In today's episode, Dr. Ayers discusses performing a risk assessment and having to decide whether to wear a helmet when swimming with horses.

In today's episode, we discuss performing risk assessments while on vacation.  We are always performing risk assessments.

Dr. Ayers calls out a growing problem in many organizations: “Safety Initiative of the Month” overload. When leaders constantly roll out new programs, campaigns, and slogans, employees stop listening — and the initiatives lose their impact. The episode urges safety professionals to stop chasing magic bullets and instead focus on meaningful engagement and consistency.   🧠 Key Themes 1. Employees Are Overloaded With Initiatives Dr. Ayers explains that workers often feel: Bombarded by new campaigns Confused about priorities Skeptical of “flavor of the month” programs This leads to disengagement, not improvement. Sources:   2. Stop Looking for a Magic Bullet Many organizations keep launching new initiatives hoping one will “fix” safety. But real improvement comes from: Consistent leadership Clear expectations Daily conversations Reinforcing fundamentals Not from constant program changes. Sources:   3. Get Buy‑In Instead of Pushing Programs The episode emphasizes: Talk to employees Ask what actually helps them Build initiatives with the workforce, not for them Buy‑in beats branding every time. Sources:   4. Focus on What Works — and Stick With It Sustained improvement requires: Stability Repetition Reinforcement Trust Employees need clarity, not constant reinvention. Sources:   🚀 Leadership Takeaways Too many initiatives create noise, not progress. Stop chasing magic bullets — focus on fundamentals. Engage employees early to build real buy‑in.  

In this episode, Dr. Ayers challenges safety professionals to understand their organization’s true risk appetite — not the one written in policies, but the one revealed through decisions, priorities, and mixed messages from leadership. He asks a pointed question: “Do you really know how much risk your company is willing to accept?”   🧠 Key Themes 1. Mixed Messages Create Confusion Dr. Ayers notes that many safety pros hear conflicting signals from management: “Safety is our top priority”… …but production pressure says otherwise. This disconnect makes it hard to know what leadership actually expects. Sources:   2. Risk Appetite Drives Real‑World Decisions A company’s risk appetite shows up in: How quickly they correct hazards How they respond to near misses Whether they invest in controls or delay them How they balance production vs. protection Sources:   3. Safety Leaders Must Clarify Expectations Dr. Ayers encourages safety professionals to: Ask direct questions Seek alignment with leadership Understand the boundaries of acceptable risk Communicate those boundaries clearly to employees Sources:   4. You Can’t Lead Safety Without Knowing the Rules of the Game If you don’t know your company’s risk appetite, you can’t: Prioritize effectively Make consistent decisions Set realistic expectations Build trust with the workforce Sources:   🚀 Leadership Takeaways Mixed messages undermine safety — clarify them. Risk appetite is revealed through actions, not slogans. Safety leaders must understand leadership’s true tolerance for risk. Alignment creates consistency, trust, and better decisions.  

Dr. Ayers uses a real‑life moment — fixing his own car — to highlight how easily we overlook ergonomic risks when we’re focused on getting a job done. The episode reminds safety professionals that workers often push through discomfort, awkward postures, or poor setups without realizing the long‑term consequences.   🧠 Key Themes 1. Ergonomic Risks Hide in Everyday Tasks While working on his car, Dr. Ayers found himself: Twisting awkwardly Reaching too far Working in cramped spaces Ignoring discomfort to “just get it done” These are the same patterns employees fall into daily. Sources:   2. Discomfort Is a Warning Sign, Not an Inconvenience The episode emphasizes that discomfort is often the first indicator of: Musculoskeletal strain Poor body mechanics A task setup that needs adjustment Ignoring these signals leads to cumulative injuries. Sources:   3. Fix the Setup, Not the Worker Dr. Ayers reinforces that ergonomics is about: Adjusting tools Improving access Reducing reach and force Designing work to fit the person Not about telling employees to “lift better” or “be careful.” Sources:   4. Field Observations Matter Just like he learned more by physically working on his car, safety leaders learn more by: Watching employees perform tasks Asking about discomfort Identifying awkward postures Making small improvements that reduce strain Sources:   🚀 Leadership Takeaways Ergonomic risks are subtle but costly — look for them. Discomfort is data. Improve the task setup, not the worker’s willpower. Field presence reveals ergonomic hazards you’ll never see from a desk.

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.

In this reflective episode, Dr. Ayers speaks to his younger self — and to every safety professional who feels like their career is just “happening” to them. His message is simple and direct: Don’t let fate plan your future. Take charge of it. He challenges listeners to be intentional, ask uncomfortable questions, and actively shape the safety career they want.   🧠 Key Themes 1. Don’t Drift — Decide Dr. Ayers warns against letting your career unfold by accident. Instead of waiting for opportunities, he urges safety pros to: Set clear goals Identify the skills they need Pursue growth deliberately Sources:   2. Ask Difficult and Uncomfortable Questions Growth requires honesty. He encourages listeners to ask themselves: What do I want next? What’s holding me back? What skills am I avoiding developing? Sources: These questions create clarity — and clarity drives progress.   3. Talk to Your Boss and Coworkers Dr. Ayers emphasizes the importance of communication: Tell your boss what you want to improve Ask coworkers for feedback Seek mentorship and guidance Career development is a team sport. Sources:   4. Rise to the Next Level The episode closes with a motivational push: You don’t get better by accident. You get better by: Planning Practicing Learning Taking ownership Sources:   🚀 Leadership Takeaways Your future is something you build, not something you receive. Intentionality beats luck every time. Ask hard questions — they reveal your next steps. Communicate your goals so others can help you grow.

In this interview episode, Dr. Ayers sits down with Wylie Davidson, a well‑known motivational safety speaker, to explore what it truly means to leave a safety legacy. The conversation focuses on how safety leaders can influence people long after a meeting, a training session, or even a career ends. Wylie’s message is simple and powerful: Your legacy is built through the daily choices you make and the way you make people feel about safety.   🧠 Key Themes 1. Safety Legacy Is About People, Not Programs Wylie emphasizes that a legacy isn’t created by: Policies Procedures Paperwork It’s created by how you show up and how consistently you reinforce safe behaviors. Sources:   2. Motivation Comes From Connection Wylie discusses how safety leaders can inspire employees by: Being relatable Sharing personal stories Showing genuine care Communicating with authenticity People remember how you made them feel, not the slides you used. Sources:   3. Small Actions Build Big Legacies The episode highlights that legacy is built through: Daily conversations Small corrections Encouragement Modeling safe behavior Consistency beats intensity. Sources:   4. Everyone Leaves a Legacy — The Question Is What Kind Wylie challenges listeners to reflect on: What they want to be known for How they want employees to describe them Whether their actions match their intentions Your legacy is being written whether you’re intentional about it or not. Sources:   🚀 Leadership Takeaways Legacy is built through people, not paperwork. Connection drives motivation. Small, consistent actions shape culture.