The Accidental Safety Pro

Latest Episodes:

#9: Safety? In that industry? All I can think of right now are Buzz and Woody. Sep 05, 2018

Show notes

Ever wonder what occupational safety looks like for a Hollywood studio? This episode of the podcast finds series host Jill James talking with Carolina, a safety leader at Pixar. Her fascinating journey to occupational safety included a pit stop in franchise motor vehicle service, aviation electronics, emergency medical technician (EMT) certification, and a decade with the municipal police department. Her credentials and diversity of experience—emergency management, security, workers comp—ultimately helped her score a job with Pixar, a Disney company. A demonstrated life-long learner, Carolina’s hands-on, knee-deep, sponge-like approach to safety professionalism is a lesson for any aspiring EHS leader. This discussion shares some of the resources she’s leveraged along the way, including CAL-OSHA trainings, OSHA 10-hour, peer mentoring, and safety industry expertise. You’ll learn about building trust with regulatory bodies, how occupational safety is managed for Pixar’s 1400 employee, multi-building campus, and, once more, that hazards are present in all working environments.

#8: I have to tell you, those science teachers love to accumulate chemicals they shouldn’t keep. Aug 22, 2018

Show notes

For this episode, series host Jill James speaks with another friend and former OSHA investigator, Cheryl. While working toward pre-med in college, Cheryl’s father experienced a serious occupational injury—a miraculous near-miss of sorts—that deeply affected her family, ultimately leading her to switch course of study in pursuit of a Masters in Industrial Safety. She talks about her internship at a paper mill, the reality check of running her 1st safety meeting at 22-years old, and the ‘art & science’ of effective, live safety training. You’ll learn about the lives of two young female OSHA investigators with overlapping pregnancies, how to cook a turkey, pre-natal styrene exposure limits, and the merits of ‘upward mobility by spousal pressure’. This discussion covers Cheryl’s 10-year journey of safety leadership in the pipeline industry, where she’s writing confined-space entry programs, and is responsible for the wellbeing of thousands of employees across 12 states. Also, she talks about what it’s like to work along with 100 other safety professionals in thesame organization. And if you’re interested in high-level incident investigation and accidents with Serious Injury and Fatality (SIF) potential, this episode is a goldmine. Fun Fact: Host & Guest went through the same MA program and were taught by some of the same instructors!

#7: I’m letting everybody know our secrets. Aug 08, 2018

Show notes

Series host Jill James speaks with her former colleague and friend of 20+ years “Dr. Todd”, the man who inspired the podcast! Certified Safety Professional (CSP) Todd explains the moment that moved him away from the academic pursuit of chemical engineering, which led him to interviewing with OSHA and a career that involved working some of the same investigations as our own Jill James. This conversation covers why you shouldn’t be afraid to pick up the phone and call OSHA for help, where to get formal safety education, and shares about a dozen other credible sources of go-to safety info for people at any career stage. You’ll get tips for one of safety’s most active mentors—Dr. Todd is Wisconsin-Whitewater’s department Coordinator of Internships and Fieldwork—and learn what’s in store for the next generation of occupational safety pros from the guy who wrote the book on Safety Leadership and Professional Development. Bonus? Dr. Todd talks about OSHA’s “$1000 poster”, OSHA’s Field Operations Manual, and other secrets known to OSHA investigators (the “drive-by”).

#6: Turning a really great story into some story about death in like 5 seconds. Jul 25, 2018

Show notes

Series host Jill James talks to fellow self-avowed “safety nerd” and Board Certified Associate Safety Professional Michelle, who’s audited just about every high-risk work environment imaginable over the course of her career, laying the foundation of occupational health and safety programs from the ground on up. Somewhere on the path between chemical engineering, and her dream job of designing landfills, Michelle started consulting, and got a taste of “compliance” and audits (a taste one has to acquire), and along with it, her first real exposure to safety in the workplace, where she discovered her niche. Over the course of this conversation between two of Minnesota’s finest, Michelle shares her experiences managing safety across multiple facilities, talks about the importance of building relationships with the workforce to resolve real safety issues, starting over in the wake of the recession and working her way back to the top of the profession. You’ll learn about the fine art of staying flexible when facing inflexible regulations. Fun/weird fact: Their brothers share the same profession.

#5: Do your homework, speak your mind, and don’t be afraid. Jul 11, 2018

Show notes

Series host Jill James caught up with EHS Specialist Brandy while she was in the midst of studying for the Associate Safety Professional (ASP) exam, and just before attending ASSE’s SAFETY 2018 conference in San Antonio. After earning her bachelors in biology, Brandy got her start in safety doing industrial hygiene, where she “was excited to get in to asbestos”, to pay the bills after college. This discussion covers how annoying it must be for friends and family when you are unable to turn-off your ‘safety vision’ away from the job, and dealing with the old school safety mentality when you’re not only young but also a woman. 2 years into her current role, Brandy is writing custom lockout/tagout procedures for hundreds of unique pieces of machinery. She talks about the value of touring an organization “…so focused on safety, it’s crazy…” and offers her three pieces of advice for new safety professionals.

#4: Teach me. Jun 27, 2018

Show notes

To pay his way through school, Jeremiah started working in agriculture. Today, he’s the Director of Occupational Safety & Environmental Risk Management for a prestigious organization in the zoo and aquarium industry. While studying animal science and planning to attend veterinary school, he began a career in safety to support his young family, eventually moving on to larger leadership roles and never looking back. Speaking with series host Jill James, Jeremiah shares what he’s learned along the way, his good fortune to work early on in high-performing Safety cultures, what he is most proud of, and the reason why “teach” and “me” are the two most important words he’s ever learned.

#3: Everyone’s invincible until chemicals are pumped into the wrong tank. Jun 13, 2018

Show notes

Series host Jill James speaks with ‘Philly Joe’ Kaufmann, Director of Occupational Health Services for the Inspira Health Network. Joe discusses making the leap from 12-hour shifts in refinery production to the safety and occupational health role, and how his father’s severe occupational injury impacted his childhood, ultimately shaping his approach to the safety job. The conversation covers the pursuit of higher education mid-career, leaving behind the fear of reinvention, and the uncanny adrenaline rush of emergency response. You’ll hear all about what happens if you stay in a job where bad things happen to people, ethics and the state of safety denial, along with Joe’s advice for all safety professionals. Bonus? What happens when the Pope visits your block and how to plan for that.

#2: This is one of those dirty secrets people don’t want to talk about. May 30, 2018

Show notes

Series host and Chief Safety Officer Jill James talks to her good friend Brandy, a 10-year veteran safety professional from the mid-west. The conversation shares tips for earning credibility with employees (hint: recipe cards), the challenge of proving yourself to management in new environments, and how good it feels to finally get the win that helps. You’ll hear the word “trust” a lot, and learn why keeping your hands dirty with the workforce is a must. Also, how exposing management to hazardous working environments can be the right eye-opener. Beyond her career evolution, Brandy discusses her approach to safety management, what it’s like to take the job home with you each night, and reveals a deeper motivation. From the perils of beet sugar production to leading an industry-wide safety committee, this episode will connect with wherever you are on the occupational safety journey.

#1: They’re gonna give me a badge and a beige Ford Taurus? May 16, 2018

Show notes

True to the show, podcast host and Chief Safety Officer Jill James retraces her career-long journey in safety. Jill tells the story of how her professional aspirations changed in college, the internship that landed her a job as an OSHA investigator, and describes her mentors along the way. And if you’ve ever wondered what it was like to be a woman in the safety field circa 1990, this is the brief, often funny, oral history you’ve been searching for. Also, cleaning up a mercury spill and what that’s like—bonus!

#0: It’s about community May 10, 2018

Show notes

We’re launching a brand new safety-focused podcast, The Accidental Safety Pro. Vivid’s Chief Safety Officer Jill James will be hosting the show and having conversations with safety professionals across the country. We’ll hear the stories of how each safety career began and share the unique struggles and victories of the occupational safety job. Subscribe in the podcast player of choice and look for the first full-length episode to be coming out later this month.

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