All Things Safety

Kay Yoder, Senior Vice President of EHS at Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, shares how she manages safety across an expansive North American footprint. The conversation explores the historical evolution of EHS from reactive compliance to a strategic driver of company culture.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) affect 1.5 million workers and cost employers a staggering $18 billion annually. While traditional ergonomics programs successfully target major posture and lifting risks, repetitive hand and wrist strains have historically flown under the radar due to data collection barriers. Dr. Julia Penfield, Chief AI Officer at VelocityEHS, talks about a groundbreaking, first...

What does a meaningful retirement look like after a lifetime of protecting others? Michael Saujani, a veteran safety director, shares his journey from a mechanical engineer in Uganda to a safety leader in corporate America. He discusses the vital evolution of corporate safety and discusses his advice for navigating retirement, explaining how young EHS professionals can cultivate a "servant leader"...

Wyatt Bradbury, Avetta’s Principal of Health and Safety, talks about modern indicator-based safety strategies and advocating for inclusive safety standards. He also reflects on his career achievements that led to the ASSP honor. Sponsored by:

Chad Lingerfelt, Director of Training at Werner, talks about the company’s expanding OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Down initiative, bridging the disconnect between compliance and real-world behavior, and building a sustainable culture where safety is deeply personal. Sponsored by:

Scott Woestman, Group Vice President of Public Sector at Sphera, talks about how the company has been working with NASA and the Defense Logistics Agency, part of the DoD, to modernize how they handle hazardous materials.

Industries are facing a couple issues that Simon Goncharenko, Director of HSE at Veriforce, talks about in this podcast episode. We have a surge in fake IDs and fraudulent credentials bypassing site access controls. Another current concern is that we are losing workplace inherited knowledge as a generation of veteran workers retires, leaving a skills gap.

Alex Hempel, Senior Director at ORBIS Corporation, discusses reusable packaging in industrial manufacturing. He says it isn’t just a "green" choice, but a strategic asset for navigating federal regulations and tight margins.

The manufacturing industry has long struggled with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). As safety professionals look for better ways to reduce risk, motion capture combined with AI has become an option. Kristianne Egbert, B.S., HFE, CPE, is a Senior Corporate Ergonomist at Briotix Health (link to www.briotix.com). She explains this emerging tech and talks about how it’s being used. For the past 25 ye...

ISHN editors Benita Mehta and Dave Johnson talk about the recent news out of Washington, including the resignation of the labor secretary and proposed budget cuts to OSHA and NIOSH. They also discuss the increasing use of AI in manufacturing. Links to articles discussed: Motion Capture and AI are Revolutionizing Ergonomics in ManufacturingLabor Secretary Chavez-DeRemer Resigns Amid Misconduct Inve...

Matt Matsui of EcoOnline talks about how automating the creation of safety checklists and investigative drafts has improved efficiency. The goal is to use technology as a tool to move beyond simple compliance into visibility and predictability.

Phil Molé, an EHS and Sustainability Expert at VelocityEHS, delves into the pitfalls of injury and illness recordkeeping and how organizations can shift from a "compliance checkbox" mentality to a proactive, risk-focused strategy.

Shawn Galloway of ProAct Safety talks about "The Engagement Spectrum." He says that moving the needle on safety isn't about more rules; it’s about adaptive leadership and removing the demotivators that stall discretionary effort.

In a casual conversation, ISHN Editors Benita Mehta and Dave Johnson talk about recently published articles about the top challenges facing EHS pros today, as well as recent BLS fatal injury statistics. 

How does a manufacturing and service powerhouse maintain a decades-long safety streak? Canton Larson, EHS Specialist at Sentry Equipment, talks about the transition to a dedicated EHS role to the unique accountability of an employee-owned (ESOP) culture, Larson shares how to combat complacency and why your biggest safety risks deserve your most aggressive focus.

Duane Duhamel, HSE Director at ISN, talks about winter weather safety, and dismantling the dangerous myth that safety and productivity are at odds during a crisis. As winter storms become more volatile, he says that traditional safety manuals are often too static for rapidly shifting environments.

In this monthly podcast, ISHN's editors Benita Mehta and Dave Johnson talk about Dave's recent article on his top EHS predictions for 2026 and Benita's year-long LinkedIn project challenging safety professionals and open AI to identify safety hazards.

Drawing on 25 years of experience, Justin Dugas, CSP, Senior Director of Safety and Corporate Services at USG. discusses the shift from "dull and dangerous" manufacturing to a high-tech industry driven by AI, data-led insights, and holistic employee wellness. Discover how modern leadership is moving beyond lagging indicators to build a culture of "knowledge and courage."

Mark Harris, CEO of HeroWear, dismantles the myths surrounding exoskeletons and discusses their practical application in today’s workforce. Far from the bulky, motorized suits seen in Hollywood, modern exosuits are lightweight, breathable, and designed to function as artificial back muscles.

In a casual chat, ISHN editors Benita Mehta and Dave Johnson discuss recent articles they have written on mental health topics and careers in skilled trades. 

In this podcast episode, Dave Tibbetts, CSP, Chief Safety Officer of Highwire, discusses the need for the construction industry to focus on Serious Injury and Fatality Potential (SIF-P) events. He says that while the industry has reduced its total recordable incident rate (TRIR) over the last 30 years, fatality rates have remained flat for the past 15-20 years.

Chet Brandon, CSP, is thought leader and senior director of global EHS, operations for Hexion, Inc., a chemical manufacturer of adhesives, coatings and resins. This summer, Chet developed an artificial intelligence digital twin to expand his influence and leadership at Hexion. In effect, he cloned himself. In this podcast we talk with Chet about how he did it, how other EHS pros can do the same, a...

Peter Vassalo is a nationally recognized authority on OSHA enforcement. Peter recently joined an employment and labor law practice after decades of experience at the U.S. Department of Labor. Peter shares his thoughts on federal safety regulations and the shift to private practice.

Discover how remote monitoring, program visibility, and virtual training are transforming AED readiness and reshaping the future of emergency response. Sponsored by:

Former Amazon Safety VP Heather MacDougall, JD, CSP, talks about executive safety leadership, moving from a reactive to a proactive stance on safety, fostering a shared safety culture, and how to best leverage technology.