The Accidental Safety Pro

Jill James, Chief Safety Officer, and podcast host talks with Jacy Good and Steve Johnson about their story, Hang Up and Drive, as well as what it’s like to be married public speakers on the road together.

Vivid Learning Systems Chief Safety Officer and podcast host sits down with Dr. Scott Geller live on the expo floor from the 2019 NSC Expo.

Podcast series host Jill James talks with Mark Hernandez, Navy man, construction veteran, EMT, OSHA compliance officer, speaker, coach, author, and safety professional. Mark’s remarkable journey began at the bottom of a scaffolding operation, when he raised his hand for a late-night safety coordinator role, leveraging his bilingual talent…and never looked back. You’ll learn why a combination of technical and soft skills are essential for any aspiring safety pro, the difference between mentors and maestros, and the “full dimensional” approach to safety.

​Jill James speaks with special guest Abby Ferri about her storied career path, how to avoid being the safety cop by earning the trust of your workers, and utilizing social media as a safety pro.

Podcast series host Jill James speaks with former professional boxer, firefighter, and elephant stampede survivor, Tony Taylor. Tony’s start in safety began while serving as a Marine, where he pushed leadership to support injury rate reduction efforts—and won (26% down!). No small feat in the armed services (or any organization, for that matter). As a civilian, he later found work fighting fires for the Department of Defense, where he focused on fire prevention. Eventually, he was orchestrating fire drills and Life Safety training for a major healthcare provider. Today, he’s carrying safety in the construction trades, where there’s a lot of work left to be done. You’ll find a ton of great advice in the episode and a new idea: job shadowing for safety.

Podcast series host Jill James connects with Debra, a lecturer at her alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in the Occupational & Environmental Safety and Health Department. Debra received her formal safety education at the school in the early 1970s, making her a pioneer in what remains a male dominated profession.  Often the only female in class, Debra’s experience started with whispers of “She won’t make it” and ended with “May I borrow your notes?”. After earning her degree, Debra found work as an engineer in the loss control division of a large insurer. She went back to the school to earn her Masters and found herself lured into teaching a few classes part-time, and hasn’t stopped since.   You’ll learn—through Debra’s example—why learning continuously is so critical to success in the safety profession.

Today, Jill James talks with Andrew, JB Hunt’s Regional Safety Manager. Andrew helps keep those 80,000 pound big rigs rolling safely down the highway. In fact, Andrew can maneuver a semi truck like a pro. He looks forward to the journey ahead by embracing new technology and the challenges it will bring.  His key piece of wisdom? Earning a little street cred goes a long way.

​Live meditation practice? On a podcast? Yep! Podcast series host Jill James brings in two incredible guest-experts on the subject of mindfulness in safety. Former Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) President Linda Martin, and Australian triathlete-turned-social science researcher Rachael Grace, join Jill to share their passion for the subject of mindfulness. After returning from a 30-day meditation retreat, Rachael soon began training hundreds of her co-workers on the discipline—by popular demand—and was unexpectedly rewarded for her efforts improving the safety culture of her organization. Linda published an influential research paper titled The Art and Science of Mindfulness in the Practice of Safety along the pursuit of her doctoral thesis. Together, they’re changing the safety profession by introducing a powerful new idea, and leading organizations into field practice exploration.

Podcast series host Jill James welcomes Josh to the show. Now practicing safety on behalf of a large civil constructor, Josh’s unlikely path started as a teenage tagalong on his father’s construction sites, a go-fer. When his college pursuit of music scholarship was sidetracked by romance and relocation to the West Coast, he found familiar work back in the construction industry. While seeking heavy equipment certification, Josh caught on with a safety consulting firm and threw himself into learning the OSHA regs. Today, he’s also an authorized OSHA Outreach program trainer. You’ll learn the difference between a “qualified” and “competent” person, and why calling OSHA is a smart move when you’re stuck.

In this episode, Chief Safety Officer and host of the show, Jill James, talks with Cassandra, a workers compensation claims consultant. Cassandra’s accidental path to the world of occupational safety began in college. Having trouble choosing a course of study and career, Cassandra eventually found herself working as a receptionist with a printer packaging company. That role soon presented an unexpected opportunity—an interview for the risk management position (she got it) that started her career in safety.  Cassandra and Jill discuss workers comp in some detail, including experience modifiers, how to deal with the sometimes dishonest “11%”, and how different state laws affect working in this field.