The Safety Consultant Podcast

Latest Episodes:

OSHA 2026: What’s Changing, What’s Coming, and Where Enforcement Is Headed Mar 03, 2026

Show notes

OSHA has a new leader, a new poster, and a very clear inspection strategy for 2026. Are you ready?

In this quarterly OSHA update, Sheldon breaks down the biggest changes safety professionals and consultants need to know — from the new “OSHA Cares” poster to federal enforcement reductions and the 24,929 inspections planned for the year.

You’ll learn:

What the new OSHA poster means for employers
Who the new head of OSHA is and why it matters
Where enforcement dollars are shrinking (and where focus is tightening)
Why 70–80% of inspections will be unprogrammed
The four hazards that will dominate construction inspections

If you're a consultant, safety manager, or building your own safety business, this episode helps you anticipate where OSHA is headed — so you can position yourself (and your clients) ahead of the curve.

Stay proactive. Stay strategic. Stay inspection-ready.

Spring Forward: From Learning Mode to Leadership Mode Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

Spring is a season of growth — but growth doesn’t happen just because the calendar changes. It happens when you decide to move.

In this episode, Sheldon explores why so many safety professionals stay stuck in “learning mode” and never make the leap into leadership. Backed by behavioral research on the intention–action gap, perfectionism, and productive procrastination

Spring Forward

, he breaks down what’s really holding you back — and how to shift from preparation to execution.

More importantly, this conversation goes beyond hustle. It’s about the freedom that comes with ownership: choosing your clients, controlling your schedule, and building a career that gives you options — not just income.

If you’ve been thinking about launching or growing your consulting business, this is your nudge to stop collecting knowledge and start building momentum.

🌱 Learn more at sheldon.coach

What Really Happens to OSHA During a Government Shutdown? Feb 16, 2026

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When the federal government shuts down, what actually happens to OSHA? Do inspections stop? Are citations paused? Is enforcement put on hold?

In this episode of the Safety Consultant Podcast, Sheldon Primus breaks down what a government shutdown really means for OSHA, employers, and safety professionals. Using the Department of Labor’s official contingency framework as a guide, Sheldon explains which OSHA functions continue, which ones pause, and how businesses should prepare for both the shutdown period and the surge of activity that often follows reopening.

You’ll learn why a shutdown does not mean a free pass on compliance—and why relying on enforcement pressure instead of building a strong safety culture can put your organization at risk.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

How government shutdowns affect Department of Labor agencies
What percentage of OSHA staff are furloughed during a lapse in funding
Which inspections still happen (imminent danger, fatalities, catastrophes)
What enforcement and compliance activities are suspended
Why injury reporting requirements never stop
How the six-month statute of limitations still impacts citations
Smart steps safety professionals should take during a shutdown
Why OSHA activity often increases after funding resumes

Whether you’re a safety manager, business owner, municipal leader, or consultant, this episode gives you a strategic roadmap for navigating uncertainty while staying compliant and protecting your workforce.

Because even when the government shuts down…

Your responsibility under the OSH Act does not.

Hard Hat, Heavy Mind: Safety Pros and Mental Health Check-Ins Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

📄 Description / Show Notes

As safety professionals, we’re wired to look out for everyone else’s well-being — but when was the last time you checked in on your own mental health?

In this introspective episode, Sheldon opens up about the importance of taking care of your emotional and psychological safety, especially in a high-stress, high-responsibility field like EHS.

🎧 He challenges you to ask:

What are you doing for your mental health right now?
How are you managing burnout, isolation, or overwork?
Do you treat mental health as a compliance issue — or a culture issue?

From self-awareness to intentional self-care, this episode is a needed pause — a mental PPE check for those who often carry the weight for others.

Beat the March 2 Clock: Turn OSHA Recordkeeping Into Consulting Revenue Feb 02, 2026

Show notes

It’s recordkeeping season—and that means opportunity. Sheldon breaks down exactly how EHS consultants can turn OSHA logs into paid engagements before the March 2 electronic submission deadline, including who must file, who’s exempt, and how to target high-hazard NAICS industries. You’ll get the outreach scripts, a free-audit offer structure (300/301/300A), and a pricing tactic anchored to real citation dollars—plus how to build a short course from OSHA’s recordkeeping directive (CPL 02-00-172) and 29 CFR 1904 so you can upsell audits and ongoing compliance support. If you want a fast, ethical way to help clients and grow revenue this month, start here

Psychological Safety in a Politically Divided Workplace Jan 27, 2026

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Psychological Safety in a Politically Divided Workplace

What if the biggest risk in your organization isn’t a missing procedure or a broken control—but the things people are afraid to say?

In this episode of The Safety Consultant Podcast, Sheldon Primus explores how political and ideological discord can quietly introduce psychological risk into the workplace. Drawing on recent research and real-world observations, Sheldon explains how distrust, self-censorship, and siloed communication create latent safety hazards that traditional safety systems often miss.

This conversation isn’t about debating politics—it’s about understanding how disagreement, when left unmanaged, leads to silence, broken information flow, and increased operational risk. You’ll learn how political tension can undermine psychological safety, weaken hazard reporting, and fracture safety culture from the inside out.

Sheldon also introduces a Learning Team–style approach to addressing sensitive workplace friction, offering practical ways organizations and consultants can surface hidden risks, rebuild trust, and keep critical safety conversations moving—without turning the workplace into a battleground.

Key takeaways include:

How political discord creates psychological hazards
Why silence is not harmony—it’s deferred risk
The connection between trust, psychological safety, and safety performance
How Learning Team principles can restore communication and visibility

If you care about safety culture, leadership, and real risk reduction, this is a conversation you don’t want to ignore.

From EHS Pro to Consultant: The Roadmap We’ll Build in Safety Consulting 101 Jan 21, 2026

Show notes

Feeling capped in your EHS role? In this episode, Sheldon Primus breaks down Safety Consulting 101—a practical roadmap designed to help safety professionals transition into consulting without overwhelm or guesswork.

You’ll learn how to identify your best income lanes, build credibility that clients trust, choose a profitable niche, and package your expertise into clear, paid offers. This episode walks through the exact framework Sheldon teaches in his live workshop—focused on clarity, boundaries, and action.

If you’ve ever thought, “I know my stuff, but I don’t know how to turn this into a business,” this episode is your starting line.

Your Proposal Isn’t Expensive—Their Non-Compliance Is Jan 12, 2026

Show notes

Most proposals fight on price instead of value. In this episode, we flip the script: anchor your price to the real cost of non-compliance (penalties, repeat findings, injury costs), prove ROI on a single screen, and give buyers a simple plan they can approve fast. We cover the one-screen justification, how to pick the right leading metric, and common traps like vanity metrics and tool sprawl. Walk away with a week-one checklist, a reusable template, and a mini-course to make “no-brainer” proposals your default.

Top 10 EHS Challenges 2025: My Review One Year Later Jan 05, 2026

Show notes

Happy New Year 2026! In this episode, Sheldon Primus reviews his eBook Top 10 EHS Challenges for 2025 and gives himself a scorecard: Hit, Partial, Mixed, or Evergreen. He breaks down what “regulatory scrutiny” really looks like (enforcement, rulemaking, and data transparency), highlights why climate and heat planning became a major operational focus, and explains why remote work and mental health remained real EHS issues—not just HR topics.

You’ll also hear practical examples tied to real-world signals (OSHA reporting/data transparency, training gaps reflected in common standards, public health guidance, and cyber/ICS attention). Sheldon closes with a forward-looking challenge: stop relying only on lagging metrics and start building leading indicators—like EAP utilization trends, hazard reporting rates, and near-miss learning—to predict risk before incidents happen.

Plus: Sheldon shares how to access a free proposal mini-course + template and invites you to Safety Consultant 101 (free live workshop).

From Invisible to In-Demand: How New Safety Consultants Attract Clients in 2026 Dec 15, 2025

Show notes

In this end-of-year power episode, Sheldon talks directly to new and emerging safety consultants who are asking the big question: “I know what to charge… but how do I actually get clients?”

He breaks down why so many EHS pros struggle to market themselves—coming out of an employee mindset, not wanting to “sell,” and hoping good work will magically create a full pipeline. Then he walks you through a simple, no-fluff 90-day marketing rhythm designed specifically for safety consultants who want more paying clients in 2026 without feeling sleazy or spammy.

You’ll learn how to:

Turn your existing network (old employers, vendors, and peers) into real leads
Use LinkedIn and simple content to be seen as the “go-to” safety person in your niche
Create clear starter offers so people know exactly how to begin working with you
Follow a weekly rhythm of outreach, posting, and real conversations that actually leads to contracts
Use the end of the year to send check-in emails, offer Q1 packages, and jump-start your 2026 revenue

If your inbox has been too quiet and you’re ready to move from “invisible” to in-demand as a safety consultant, this episode gives you a practical game plan you can start using this week.

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