The Accidental Safety Pro

Latest Episodes:

#34: Dr. Scott Geller at NSC 2019 Sep 09, 2019

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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.

#33: The day you’re born and the day you discover why Aug 28, 2019

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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.

#32: Not the safety cop Aug 14, 2019

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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.

#31: Body after body Jul 31, 2019

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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.

#30: Hardcore one-on-one safety stuff Jul 17, 2019

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Live from the University of Notre Dame! Jill connects with the trailblazing Eric Kloss, Director of Risk Management and Safety, who is leading the University’s effort to become the nation’s only higher education institution to enter OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). They talk about ND’s Safety Summit, a campus-wide kick-off event related to the VPP pursuit, the magnetism and impact of event speaker Charlie Morecraft, and Eric’s professional journey (he always wanted to be and eventually did become, a firefighter). You’ll learn about the benefits of real leadership training and rotational internships.

#29: Charlie Morecraft Jul 03, 2019

Show notes

Live at the University of Notre Dame Safety Summit, podcast series host Jill James connects with one of her idols, the spellbinding safety legend Charlie Morecraft. 30 years. 1 story. Hundreds of thousands of lives touched. That’s the Charlie Morecraft experience. Charlie shares the unforgettable story of how he got into safety the old fashioned way—after a serious injury at work. But there’s so much more. And that’s why his message has taken him from standing in a double-wide trailer in the middle of an Exxon refinery, across the world, in front of huge audiences.

#28: How to raise a safety pro Jun 19, 2019

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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.

#27: Big wheels keep on turning Jun 05, 2019

Show notes

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.

#26: You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf May 22, 2019

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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.

#25: The singing safety professional May 08, 2019

Show notes

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.

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