This podcast explores different safety theories and frameworks such as Safety Differently, New View Safety, Human and Organizational Performance (HOP), Critical Risk Management, High-Reliability Organization (HRO) framework, and Behavior-Based Safety. Various guests provide insights and opinions on these approaches, highlighting key principles and debates surrounding them. The podcast emphasizes the need for an open mind, discusses changes in safety industry attitudes, and promotes continuous learning and adaptation in the field.

Greg Smith, an international award-winning author and qualified lawyer specializing in Safety and Health Management, discusses the disconnect between safety processes and their purpose. He highlights the challenges of preventing accidents completely and critiques the criminalization of safety. The episode explores the commercialization of safety culture and the corruptibility of safety processes. It proposes an inquiry-based model for addressing safety breaches and emphasizes the need for executive-level safety literacy. The guest provides training advice and recommended resources for safety professionals.

This podcast episode delves into the limitations of traditional safety metrics, the unrealistic goal of zero harm, the drawbacks of safety walks, challenges with health and safety data, negative consequences of a disciplinary approach to safety incidents, and finding a balance between safety and production in organizations.

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Christian Harris, the founder of Slips Safety Services, who also hosts the Safety Roundtable and the Safety and Risk Success podcast. Christian, a social media communications expert, joins us today to offer EHS professionals practical guidance to strengthen your online presence.Christian begins this insightful conversation by sharing his life-changing personal journey into Safety before explaining the concept of personal branding and why it’s so valuable for modern HSE professionals.He provides a comprehensive guide to developing your personal brand and discusses the dos and don’ts of leveraging social media.Packed with actionable advice such as being prolific rather than perfect, which channels to focus on, and the importance of developing a unique style, Christian also shares his fascinating views on the future of safety branding…Find out more about Christian’s work:Slip Safety ServicesThe Safety Roundtable:Take part in the Safety RoundtableThe Safety and Risk Success Podcast:The Safety and Risk Success Podcast on Apple PodcastsChristian highly recommends this book:Key Person of Influence Book - Daniel PriestleyChristian Harris on LinkedIn:Christian Harris | LinkedInChristian Harris on Youtube:Christian Harris - YouTubeSafety Labs is created by Slice, the only safety knife on the market with a finger-friendly® blade. Find out more: www.sliceproducts.comIf you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@sliceproducts.com

In this episode, we’re conducting a thorough investigation of a EHS practitioner’s job description to help you focus on the areas of workplace safety that matter most.We've compiled a collection of thoughts, opinions and ideas about Safety professional’s key responsibilities from 20 of our previous guests.All agree that practitioners are no longer “Safety Cops” but what should they be instead: facilitators, conduits, coaches? Are they best placed to write policies, implement procedures or conduct investigations? Do duties need to expand into workplace bullying, mental health and full psychosocial risk management? And is Safety even the HSE professional's responsibility??This Safety role special presents multiple perspectives on these crucial questions from experienced HSE professionals, consultants, authors and academics. It doesn't conclude with a definitive job description, but will help you decide what to do more of - and what is no longer in your remit.Featured guests (in order of appearance):James Junkin (Episode 37): What is a Safety Professional?Tanya Hewitt (Episode 7): What do we think the Safety manager's job is?Sam Goodman (Episode 27): Redefining the role of SafetySubena Colligan (Episode 34): Organizations don’t understand what Safety practitioners doChris Smith (Episode 2): Safety is the ultimate change leadership positionChris Moulden (Episode 31): From Safety Cop to ultimate team playerMikel Bowman (Episode 51): The power of Safety professionalsDavid Provan (Episode 58): Safety professionals can’t be everywhere!Bob Edwards (Episode 53): Safety practitioners can’t fix everything!Tony Muschara (Episode 70): Safety is not the Safety professional's responsibilityBrye Sargent (Episode 11): Safety practitioners shouldn’t implement Safety policiesBridget Leathley (Episode 19): Safety professionals aren't solely responsible for proceduresDr Gary Namie (Episode 41): Safety should be responsible for workplace bullyingJason van Schie (Episode 33): Safety’s role in managing psychosocial risksMark Alston (Episode 16): Facilitation is more important than ComplianceTim D’Ath (Episode 61): Safety professionals are conduitsCameron Stevens (Episode 62): Safety practitioners' role as a conciergeNicolai Massyn (Episode 63): Safety professionals are ideally placed to manage ESGDr Todd Loushine (Episode 74): The heightened value of Safety practitionersRosa Carrillo (Episode 57): Safety is an overlooked resourceDavid Provan (Episode 58): The future role of a Safety professional…Safety Labs is created by Slice, the only safety knife on the market with a finger-friendly® blade. Find out more: www.sliceproducts.comIf you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@sliceproducts.com

Carsten Busch, a safety historian, challenges the criticism of safety pioneer Herbert William Heinrich in an engaging interview. He explores Heinrich's work, emphasizes the importance of context, and reveals the surprising role of insurance companies in workplace safety. Carsten encourages safety professionals to read Heinrich's work before forming their opinions and explains the relevance of asking good questions. Check out Carsten's book on Heinrich and recommended reading. Safety Labs dives into the origins of safety as a profession and the concept of the 'new view' in safety.

Organizational psychologist and human factors specialist, Joelle Mitchell, discusses key topics such as psychosocial safety responsibilities, impact of organizational structures on workplace safety, managing trade-offs, incentivization issues, risk management controls, moral injuries, and the importance of humble inquiry. The podcast also covers improving safety culture in the offshore petroleum industry, challenges of incentive programs, governance for psychosocial health and safety, moral injury and organizational justice, the future of the health and safety profession, and advice for starting a safety career.

Former OSHA compliance officer turned safety educator Dr. Todd Loushine discusses the importance of civil discourse in safety, promoting open-mindedness, mentorship, and collaboration among safety professionals. He emphasizes the value of soft skills, practical experiences, and continuous learning in developing successful safety practitioners. Todd envisions a future of innovation, job satisfaction, and worker well-being in the safety profession.

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Dr Peter Brace, a psychological safety consultant who helps organizations link respect and accountability through psychological safety to improve team performance.He begins this engaging conversation by clarifying how much influence Safety professionals can have on psychological safety. Perhaps surprisingly for a consultant, Peter explains that you can’t create psychologically safe workplaces. Instead he describes the conditions required for this emergent quality.Peter reveals the 5 key aspects of psychological safety (as defined by leading neuroscientist David Rock): Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, and Fairness - and how these conditions can be assessed and cultivated.He also clears up the common misconceptions about psychological safety, highlights the key benefits and explains how this quality can be easily measured.Safety practitioners will learn how psychological safety is an important precursor for physical health and safety, while deepening awareness of the importance of diversity and inclusion.Find out more about Peter’s work:Human Capital RealisationPeter recommends the work of Professor Amy Edmondson and Dr. Timothy ClarkDr Peter Barce on LinkedIn:Peter Brace PhD | LinkedInSafety Labs is created by Slice, the only safety knife on the market with a finger-friendly® blade. Find out more: www.sliceproducts.comIf you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@sliceproducts.com

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Murray Ritchie, an experienced OHS practitioner, researcher, educator, and speaker who’s worked with various industries, governments, and NGOs.He joins us to discuss the content of his new book: ‘Seven Bad Habits of Safety Management - Examining Systemic Failure’ (published September 2023).Murray gives EHS professionals an honest, open and comprehensive appraisal of current approaches to Safety Management, covering education, regulations, Plan Do Check Act, the right to refuse, Heinrich, BBS, Zero Harm, Safety Culture, and so much more.This insightful interview is packed with real-life examples from his 40-year career and extension academic research, highlighting where the industry is failing to improve.Murray’s on a mission to propel Safety out of its ‘comfort zone’. This conversation helps HSE professionals focus on what’s important: finding facts and fixing them before somebody gets hurt.Find out more about Murray’s work:Tri-Lens Safety (trilenssafety.com)Murray’s book:Seven Bad Habits of Safety Management: Examining Systemic FailureMurray recommended the work of Sydney Dekker and Clive LloydContact Murray by email:murray@trilenssafety.comMurray Ritchie on LinkedIn:Murray Ritchie MSc | LinkedInSafety Labs is created by Slice, the only safety knife on the market with a finger-friendly® blade. Find out more: www.sliceproducts.comIf you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@sliceproducts.com