Safety Labs by Safety Products Global

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Domini Montgomery, who leads safety and risk management at St. Louis Zoo, offering a fascinating perspective grounded in biology, public health, and occupational safety.Domini shares compelling stories from managing safety where the needs of staff, animals, and the public intersect, including the pandemic’s contribution to raising awareness of the role of mental well-being in workplace safety.With a strong focus on trust, communication and collaboration, Domini explains how total worker health approaches foster engagement, innovation, and safer cultures. She offers valuable insights into integrating psychological safety and becoming a genuine changemaker in your organization.This episode provides EHS professionals with thoughtful strategies to enhance safety by embracing a human-centered approach that balances organizational mission with worker well-being. (And you’ll be glad you don’t have to consider animal-centered approaches as well!)Recommended resources for safety professionals:ASSP - American Society of Safety Professionals | ASSPBoard of Certified Safety Professionals | BCSPWomen in the Safety Profession Member Community | ASSP Domini Montgomery on LinkedIn: Domini Montgomery, MPH, ASP, CSP, CEAS | LinkedIn Safety Labs is created by Safety Products Global, the world's leading manufacturer of safety knives. Through our trusted brands, Klever, Slice and PHC, we empower companies to prevent injuries by providing safer cutting tools for every material and application. Find us at www.safetyproducts.globalIf you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@safetyproducts.global

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Dr. Robert Long, founder of the social psychology of risk and an uncompromising voice in the world of safety.Drawing on over 50 years of experience across multiple careers, Rob delivers a forthright challenge to the safety industry’s status quo, even maintaining that it doesn’t deserve to be called a profession.“Nonsense” ideologies such as zero harm, and “meaningless” slogans like ‘blame fixes nothing’ are torn to shreds as Rob reveals safety’s ethical and educational deficiencies, and its lack of contextual awareness.He critiques the dominant technicist worldview - narrowly focused on engineering and regulation - and calls for a radical shift towards a person-centered, transdisciplinary approach embracing disciplines outside of safety’s comfort zone.This no-holes-barred interview will sound many alarm bells for safety ‘professionals’ who happily accept the current approaches to keeping workers safe.Find out more about Rob’s work:Human Dymensions - Dr Rob Long - Culture, Learning and RiskSocial Psychology of Risk (SPoR) – The Social Psychology of Risk, Safety and Leadership MaturityDr. Robert Long on LinkedIn: Robert Long | LinkedInSafety Labs is created by Safety Products Global, the world's leading manufacturer of safety knives. Through our trusted brands, Klever, Slice and PHC, we empower companies to prevent injuries by providing safer cutting tools for every material and application. Find us at www.safetyproducts.globalIf you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@safetyproducts.global

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Brandy Zadoorian, a certified safety professional and CEO of Triangle Safety Consulting, who helps organizations build robust and sustainable safety programs through her expertise in regulatory compliance.Unusually, Brandy is a passionate supporter of workplace safety regulations and highlights OSHA’s key role in keeping workers safe in America. She addresses common misunderstandings about the agency’s purpose and approach before exploring the major citation trends.Brandy analyzes the effectiveness of fines as a compliance tool and stresses the importance of proactive safety training, especially for smaller businesses. In addition to robust regulations, she also emphasizes the critical need for thorough follow-up on corrective actions to protect your workforce and prevent repeat incidents.This compelling conversation will help EHS professionals work with regulatory agencies, build trust within your organizations, and improve safety programs before enforcement or penalties are necessary.Find out more about Brandy’s services and resources, including her OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 workbooks: Triangle Safety Consulting LLCThe book recommended by Brandy: Basics of Occupational Safety, The: Amazon.com: Goetsch, DavidBrandy Zadoorian on LinkedIn: Brandy Zadoorian, CSP, CSD, LMSS | LinkedInSafety Labs is created by Safety Products Global, the world's leading manufacturer of safety knives. Through our trusted brands, Klever, Slice and PHC, we empower companies to prevent injuries by providing safer cutting tools for every material and application. Find us at www.safetyproducts.globalIf you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@safetyproducts.global

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Edward Tenner, a renowned author and lecturer at Princeton University, whose work explores the intersections of history, technology, and safety.Edward draws on his seminar “Understanding Disasters,” examining major events like the Titanic, the World Trade Centre, Fukushima and Covid to expose how hidden risks can break safety systems.He highlights how overlooked factors such as ‘gray rhinos’ and ‘mode errors’ have contributed to serious failures, demonstrating the unintended consequences of well-meaning safety measures.Through examples of expert decisions and system designs that didn’t work as intended, he encourages safety managers to vigilantly scan the horizon for subtle signals of weaknesses..This episode offers EHS professionals practical insights and historical lessons that help you identify emerging hazards to make workplaces safer.Find out more about Edward’s work, books and essays: Edward Tenner - WelcomeYou can read Edward’s latest essay here: Are We Getting Dumber? - Milken Institute ReviewOther books recommended by Edward:Engineers of Dreams: Great Bridge Builders and the Spanning of America: Petroski, HenryNormal Accidents – Living with High Risk Technologies: Perrow, CharlesEdward Tenner on LinkedIn: Edward Tenner | LinkedInSafety Labs is created by Safety Products Global, the world's leading manufacturer of safety knives. Through our trusted brands, Klever, Slice and PHC, we empower companies to prevent injuries by providing safer cutting tools for every material and application. Find us at www.safetyproducts.globalIf you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@safetyproducts.global

In this special 100th episode, we look back at the conversations that have shaped Safety Labs by Safety Products Global over the past 99 shows.The series has consistently explored the major challenges facing today’s EHS professionals, providing a platform for expert guests to share candid perspectives on the realities of workplace safety.Inevitably, certain subjects have consistently shaped the conversations and sparked wider debate on LinkedIn - so you’ll find lots of firmly-held views on hot topics including safety theories, metrics, and blame; frank assessments of the role of EHS professionals, psychological safety and Heinrich; and emphatic statements on safety porn, Zero Harm, and safety culture.Expect rallying calls to action, powerful messages, and hard-hitting insights. And some of the language is as strong as the opinions.Thanks for being part of the Safety Labs journey, and we hope you enjoy this celebration of its success - here’s to the next 100 episodes!Featured guests (in order of appearance):Sam Goodman (Episode 27): Making Safety Suck LessFred Sherratt (Episode 84): The Ever-Changing World of Construction SafetyDavid Provan (Episode 58): What Is the Role of a Safety Professional?Tim D’Ath (Episode 61): A Human-Centric Approach to Safety ManagementBrye Sargent (Episode 11): Who is Ultimately Accountable for Safety?Tony Muschara (Episode 70): The Critical Steps in Workplace SafetyScott Gesinger (Episode 24): The Past, Present and Future of SafetyLeslie Rex Stockel (Episode 91): Making Sense of Evolving Safety ApproachesStephen Harvey (Episode 38): Why Safety Needs More Fun and ConnectionTodd Loushine (Episode 96): Redefining Safety SuccessGary Namie (Episode 41): How Bullying Impacts Workplace SafetyTim Marsh (Episode 01): How Can You Make a Case for Empowering Safety Culture?Stephanie Benay (Episode 42): Women in SafetyI. David Daniels (Episode 30): Workplace Safety is for EveryoneCrista Vesel (Episode 94): The Power of Words in Workplace SafetyDr Tristan Casey (Episode 40): What Does Safety Culture Mean?James Junkin (Episode 37): Thoughts From a Safety OutlawBob Edwards (Episode 53): Managing Complexity in Workplace SafetyKym Bancroft (Episode 05): The End-to-End Process of Safety Culture ChangeStephen Scott (Episode 28): Embracing New Approaches to Workplace SafetyClive Lloyd (Episode 44): The Key Component of Workplace Safety: TrustGreg Smith (Episode 80): The Safety Profession’s Disconnect Between Process and PurposeElisa Lynch (Episode 14): Is New View Safety More Effective Than Traditional Approaches?Logan F. Martin (Episode 22): The Safety Profession: Where are We and Where Do We Go From Here?Josh Bryant (Episode 26): Using Multiple Safety Theories to Implement Critical Risk ManagementNippin Anand (Episode 99): Is Safety Learning the Right LessonsLori Guasta (Episode 95): Getting Back to Safety BasicsMikel Bowman (Episode 51): Leading From the Middle To Enhance Workplace SafetySafety Labs is created by Safety Products Global, the world's leading manufacturer of safety knives. Through our trusted brands, Klever, Slice and PHC, we empower companies to prevent injuries by providing safer cutting tools for every material and application. Find us at www.safetyproducts.globalIf you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@safetyproducts.global

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Doug Parker, former US Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, whose illustrious career has spanned labor law, federal and state oversight, worker advocacy, policy leadership and consultancy.Doug explains why regulators are often seen only through the lens of enforcement and what that view misses. Drawing on his time leading OSHA, he describes the broader role of guidance, dialogue and worker voice in improving safety outcomes.The conversation explores how trust shapes the relationship between regulators and organizations, why engagement matters and how fear of enforcement can limit learning and transparency. Doug also reflects on the constraints regulators operate under and what that means in practice.This episode gives EHS professionals a rare regulatory perspective on how to engage more constructively with oversight bodies and use regulation as a lever to support meaningful, lasting safety improvement.Find out more about OSHA: Home | Occupational Safety and Health AdministrationCalifornia State OSHA resources and templates: Cal/OSHA - Division of Occupational Safety and Health - Home PageWorker-focused global resources Doug recommends: Hesperian Health Guides | Knowledge for Action - Action for HealthDoug Parker on LinkedIn: Doug Parker | LinkedInContact Doug directly: dougparker1@gmail.comSafety Labs is created by Safety Products Global, the world's leading manufacturer of safety knives. Through our trusted brands, Klever, Slice and PHC, we empower companies to prevent injuries by providing safer cutting tools for every material and application. Find us at www.safetyproducts.globalIf you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@safetyproducts.global

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Dr. Todd Loushine, an Associate Professor, EHS professional, scientist and Data Analytics enthusiast who has extensively researched how we track safety.Todd challenges the profession’s reliance on familiar aspirations and indicators, questioning whether established goals and metrics actually enhance workplace safety.In this stimulating interview, he explores the current balance between compliance and people, and shares his extensive critical analysis of the data we rely on to measure performance. Other big-picture questions, such as safety’s role and alignment within an organization, also come under the spotlight.Todd pushes EHS professionals to raise ambitions for safety. He urges you to think more deeply and critically about metrics, while broadening your perspective beyond hazards to a more empathetic approach.Resources recommended by Todd:Home - Safety On The Edge ConferenceSafetyInsights.org – Home of safety & risk research summariesDr. Todd Loushine on LinkedIn:Todd William Loushine, PhD, PE, CSP, CIH | LinkedInSafety Labs is created by Safety Products Global, the world's leading manufacturer of safety knives. Through our trusted brands, Klever, Slice and PHC, we empower companies to prevent injuries by providing safer cutting tools for every material and application. Find us at www.safetyproducts.globalIf you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@safetyproducts.global

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Crista Vesel, an academic, author and safety communication specialist whose work focuses on how language influences learning and decision-making in safety-critical environments.Crista explores why safety professionals often rely on familiar approaches even though they fail to produce meaningful learning. She explains how language used around incidents can steer inquiry in particular directions, narrowing what is explored and what gets left out.Drawing on her pioneering work on learning reviews, Crista explains how certain language patterns can unintentionally shut down inquiry, reinforce blame and limit understanding. She contrasts this with approaches that support open and collaborative dialogue to give organizations deeper understanding of workplace safety.This conversation offers EHS professionals practical insight into using language more deliberately, strengthening insights after events and creating cultures where workers share and organisations learn.The Masters of Engineering program where Crista teaches: Graduate | Advanced Safety Engineering and ManagementHer (open access) thesis on agentive language: Language Bias in Accident InvestigationCrista and Ivan’s book: Human & Organization PotentialFind out more about their work: Dynamic Inquiry | All change starts with a questionKenneth Gergen’s book recommended by Crista: An Invitation to Social ConstructionCrista Vesel on LinkedIn: Crista Vesel, MSc | LinkedInIvan Pupulidy on LinkedIn: Ivan Pupulidy, PhD | LinkedInSafety Labs is created by Safety Products Global, the world's leading manufacturer of safety knives. Through our trusted brands, Klever, Slice and PHC, we empower companies to prevent injuries by providing safer cutting tools for every material and application. Find us at www.safetyproducts.globalIf you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@safetyproducts.global

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Diane Chadwick-Jones, a former BP safety leader and long-time researcher whose work has shaped how organizations think about safety incentives.Diane explains why linking pay and bonuses to injury rates often creates unintended consequences, including suppressed reporting and reduced learning. Drawing on years of internal and external research, she shows how incentives can reinforce belief systems that feel right but undermine safety in practice.She shares how BP and other high-hazard organizations have moved away from injury-based bonuses, what replaced them and why peer recognition, transparency and supportive leadership matter more than annual rewards.This conversation offers EHS professionals practical insight into influencing senior leaders, changing belief systems over time and building conditions where people feel safe to speak up about problems before they escalate.Diane’s published research on safety incentives: Rewarding safety performance: Improving safety or maintaining beliefs?Find out more about Diane’s work: Diane Chadwick-Jones / Safety Leadership / Human PerformanceEnergy Institute videos Diane recommends:The modern view of incident causationHuman performance - what does it mean?Walk through a task to prevent incidentsSafety leadership in the fieldDiane Chadwick-Jones on LinkedIn: Diane Chadwick-Jones | LinkedInSafety Labs is created by Safety Products Global, the world's leading manufacturer of safety knives. Through our trusted brands, Klever, Slice and PHC, we empower companies to prevent injuries by providing safer cutting tools for every material and application. Find us at www.safetyproducts.globalIf you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@safetyproducts.global

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Martijn Flinterman, a sociologist, researcher and author, specializing in how organizations deal with safety. Drawing on the work of Niklas Luhmann, Martijn challenges many assumptions that underpin traditional safety management.He explores why focusing primarily on accidents can obscure crucial safety insights, and why categories such as “safe” and “unsafe” often create blind spots. Martijn explains how systems manage risk through distinctions, narratives and routines, and how these can unintentionally suppress reflection, dissent and learning.The conversation also covers interesting ideas including harmony bias, constructive distrust and humble confidence. Martijn argues that too much trust can become negligent, silence can itself be a risk, and safety professionals must learn to act decisively while acknowledging that their understanding is always partial.This wide-ranging discussion offers EHS professionals a sociological lens to better understand complexity, challenge comfortable assumptions and create space for critical reflection in safety systems.Learn more about Martijn’s work: Unter Soziologen / Among SociologistsMartijn’s book featured in this interview: Managing Safety in ComplexityLuhmann’s most accessible writing: Introduction to systems theory : Luhmann, Niklas, 1927-1998Martijn also recommends the sociologist Stefan Kuhl: Stefan Kühl – UklitagMartijn Flinterman on LinkedIn: Martijn Flinterman | LinkedInSafety Labs is created by Safety Products Global, the world's leading manufacturer of safety knives. Through our trusted brands, Klever, Slice and PHC, we empower companies to prevent injuries by providing safer cutting tools for every material and application. Find us at www.safetyproducts.globalIf you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@safetyproducts.global

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Aaron Potash, an experienced EHS Design Program leader with a background in emergency response and diving instruction.Drawing parallels from these two high-pressure, unpredictable environments, Aaron explores why rule-heavy approaches often fail to support real-world decision-making.He explains how practice, repetition and exposure to realistic scenarios - rather than regulations - are key to helping people develop resilience and reliable judgement.This wide-ranging interview provides practical tools rooted in trust, curiosity and open communication to help EHS professionals support workers in making safer decisions.Find out more about Aaron’s work: Original Oaktown DiversBooks recommended by Aaron:There are no accidents by Jesse SingerHumble Inquiry by Edgar H. ScheinAaron Potash on LinkedIn: Aaron Potash, CSP | LinkedInSafety Labs is created by Safety Products Global, the world's leading manufacturer of safety knives. Through our trusted brands, Klever, Slice and PHC, we empower companies to prevent injuries by providing safer cutting tools for every material and application. Find us at www.safetyproducts.globalIf you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@safetyproducts.global

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Dr. Ashley Gill, an experienced safety consultant whose passion for developing the next generation of EHS professionals led her to teaching.Through her work educating the next generation of EHS professionals, experienced practitioners and engineers, Ashley has firsthand knowledge of the habits, assumptions and gaps that shape how students understand safety. She shares stories from the classroom and explores the importance of teaching safety principles to professionals in adjacent roles.Ashley explores how OHS education has evolved over recent years and how it can improve even further. She recognizes that certain elements including non-physical psychosocial risks, soft skills and wider culture enhancement should be key areas of focus going forward.Dr. Gill’s unique perspective offers EHS professionals practical guidance to raise safety standards in the real world - and not just in theory.Find out more about Ashley’s consultancy work: ERM - Environmental Resources ManagementLearn more about WISE: Women in the Safety Profession Member Community | ASSPAshley highly recommends the work of Sydney Decker: Sidney Dekker: Safety DifferentlyDr. Ashley Gill on LinkedIn: Ashley Gill, DBA, CSP | LinkedInSafety Labs is created by Safety Products Global, the world's leading manufacturer of safety knives. Through our trusted brands, Klever, Slice and PHC, we empower companies to prevent injuries by providing safer cutting tools for every material and application. Find us at www.safetyproducts.globalIf you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@safetyproducts.global

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Dr. Fred Sherratt, a world-leading academic in the field of construction safety and the founder of Straight Talk Safety. Drawing on her decades of experience and research, Fred explains why safety in construction is never static, and why, at its heart, safety is a people’s game.She describes the unique challenges of an industry where crews, work areas, and priorities constantly shift, positioning construction as a powerful case study for EHS professionals managing change. Fred discusses how production pressures, subcontracting, and evolving environments affect performance, and how leadership, respect and communication keep people safe when conditions are unpredictable.Fred also explores why measuring “safety culture” misses the point, arguing that safety is continually recreated through human relationships and shared understanding. Her perspective and wisdom offer highly practical ways to make systems more adaptable, guide teams effectively, and build trust in complex workplaces.Fred’s company: Straight Talk SafetyFred’s book: Unpacking Construction Site SafetyDr. Fred Sherratt on LinkedIn: Fred Sherratt | LinkedInSafety Labs is created by Safety Products Global, the world's leading manufacturer of safety knives. Through our trusted brands, Klever, Slice and PHC, we empower companies to prevent injuries by providing safer cutting tools for every material and application. Find us at www.safetyproducts.globalIf you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@safetyproducts.global