Illusion of Safety

Time to set the Wayback Machine to 2023 when we had our very first podcast guest: Subena Colligan! We're pretty sure 2023 Subena would be pretty amazed at what would happen just a couple years later with the launch of the BOLD Summit in Atlanta, GA. Whether it's discussing purpose and legacy or exploring finding joy in work, we love hearing what Subena has to say. For more info about BOLD (Blacks...

This one's for the hardcore safety nerds (we see you!) Jenny Houlroyd has done extensive research on the often overlooked impact of hidden injuries like silicosis, mainly due to her personal connection with people in the trades who have suffered from the long-term effects of silicosis and tuberculosis. She explains how it affects people in the trades and why early awareness matters. Josh, Allison,...

We loved the PPE Runway Show at the American Society of Safety Professionals professional development conference so much that it got us thinking about one of our favorite women's workwear founders: Alexis Armstrong! Alexis is the founder of Peggy Workwear, where her company combines fit, function, durability, and (gasp!) even style into technical workwear made by women, for women. With more women...

Now that Josh is a world traveler, we thought it would be a good time to explore how other countries approach workplace safety. And who better to help us understand it than Dr. Steve Thygerson, who is the 2025 Safety Professional of the Year from the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP)! Steve has done a lot of research in developing countries with regards to health and safety and chats...

We're chatting about construction safety on this episode! Unfortunately, we're not experts in this field, which is why we welcome the amazing Taylor Pedmo, CSP, CHST to the podcast to talk about her experience in the construction field and why it's such a great place to work! Taylor shares how construction has definitely progressed, especially as a place where more women are going to work. Taylor...

Being in a job search can feel like a job in and of itself...and an especially stressful one at that! And the job hunt has gotten that much more complicated with new technology that can be helpful in some cases, and damaging in others. That's why we had Terra Carbert on this episode to help us navigate the wild and wacky world of job hunting and how to do it SAFELY! Terra is a recruiting manager a...

Imagine a workplace danger that you can’t see, hear, taste or touch but it can definitely hurt you. On top of that, it’s nebulous and some people will even ignore it exists. That’s what a psychosocial hazard is like and why Dr. David Daniels wrote his book “Psychosocial Hazards are Real”. He set out to clarify the definition of this hazard and used many of his own experiences to guide him as he ex...

It's been a hot minute since we've checked in to say hey and have a gentle reminder for us as to why we do this (gestures at everything). And by "this" we mean the Illusion of Safety Podcast and the safety profession that we know and love! Our goal from the beginning is to create a global collective of professionals dedicated to bringing passion, community and fun to the safety industry.  If that...

You think you’ve seen it all before when it comes to safety topics. Maybe you’ve even tried a few of them at your company. Then a “new” safety concept comes out reaching buzzword status but it’s just a rehash of something you’ve already heard a thousand times. How do you stay motivated and keep things fresh when it comes to safety? For the Illusion of Safety gang, turns out with a little bit of cu...

Since June is Men's Mental Health Awareness month, we're putting the "men" in "mental health" (see what we did there?) on this mini-episode! Josh and Gabe talk about the challenge of even starting a conversation about mental health when talking with other men, and how important it is to do so. Holding it all in doesn't work well, which is why it's so important to have honest, open conversations wi...

Let's face it: we can be fans of the safety profession to the point of being absolute nerds about it. But is it possible to take it overboard? That's what we wanted to talk about with Sam Goodman, host of "The HOP Nerd" Podcast! We talk about terminology, safety debates (and beefs) and what's the best way to stay grounded to make sure safety is still applicable for everyone. Especially those who h...

Let our powers combine…on this crossover episode between The Case for Safety Podcast from the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and the Illusion of Safety! The gang chats with Scott Fowler on how they’ve been impacted personally and professionally through collaboration with others in safety. Whether it’s through local connections or through big conferences like ASSP’s annual professi...

The safety profession can be a demanding one, so why give even more? Turns out it’s beneficial for everyone! Generosity is a two-way street, benefitting both the person giving and the person receiving. Safety is a very people-oriented field where there’s a lot learned on the job. That kind of knowledge can best be passed down from one professional to another through different means. The gang talks...

You don't have to be in the working world long to realize that peoples' minds work differently, from how we process information and work on tasks to how we interact with others. This neurodiversity can be challenging in the workplace but there are also ways it can be an asset as long as we understand one another and how we work. This is a big part of the research done by Tim Vogus, which he shares...

If you've spent any time on social media you've probably found yourself chasing some of those vanity metrics: likes, follows, smiley-face-emojis. But what do those really mean and do they translate to real connections with real people? That's what we want to learn from Laurel Youngstrom on this episode. She and her husband Russ are motivational speakers who talk about Russ's workplace injury chang...

Evolution, reinvention, progression…whatever you want to call it, change is inevitable, especially in the safety profession. What’s great, though, is that you can be in charge of your own growth and progression in your career because of all the different ways Safety can be applied in an organization. That’s what Dr. Megan Tranter found out as her safety career took her from Australia to leading sa...

It’s clear that curiosity can benefit people in certain fields like the arts where creativity is necessary, or in the sciences when you’re experimenting and discovering. But what about in a field with lots of regulations like Safety? Brad Green joins the gang to explore how curiosity is helpful and even necessary for people in the Safety field and how to deploy it wisely. There are even connection...

We're here to put the "Professional" in "Safety Professional"...or are we? Hopefully Abby Holovach can shed some light on what it means to be professional in a field that doesn't exactly have a clear definition on what that even means. It's tricky to jump between situations as a safety professional--working with executive management one moment then being on a jobsite the next--and juggling how to...

“Sounds like an HR issue.” “Talk to Safety about that.” What if instead of being at odds with one another, it turns out that HR professionals and Safety professionals can recognize that they share a lot of the same goals in their organization and can actually work together? That’s what the Illusion of Safety gang finds out when talking with Jamie Jackson, HR professional extraordinaire and co-host...

What's new in the safety profession? If you're Ahsan Manji...YOU are! There are more people jumping into the wonderful world of Safety and they bring their fresh ideas and passion for people to keep the profession moving forward. There's a lot to learn when you're new to Safety and Ahsan shares his experience as someone who got into Safety right out of school and where he hopes to take his career....

Aloha! Even on an island paradise life throws all sorts of curveballs your way, especially when you work in safety. As we hear from Pete Evans, building resilience is absolutely key...but it's far easier said than done. Listen in as Pete shares what he continues to learn about resilience, from an academic, professional, and personal perspective. Having the ability weather the storms at work and li...

Leaving a legacy at work ensures that your contributions have a lasting impact, benefitting the organization and your colleagues even after you've moved on. It reflects the values, skills, and innovations you brought into the workplace, inspiring others to build upon your efforts. Sounds great, right? It can be, but it takes thought and actions to help that legacy be one that you're proud of. We t...

Imagine having a job where you get to just do "safety stuff" and you get to call the shots. You're the expert that companies call in when they need help and you get to work on your schedule. If that sounds like a dream job, maybe safety consulting is for you! Or is it? On this episode, we talk with Brandy Zadoorian, CEO and principal consultant of Triangle Safety Consulting, LLC. Brandy walks us t...

Artificial intelligence, machine learning, ChatGPT...all of it sounds exciting and wild and there's a lot of potential for it to really help the Safety Professional, but where do you begin even figuring out what all these things mean? We're right there with you, which is why we checked in with Abby Ferri, one of our favorite safety professionals who is passionate about STEM and how emerging techno...

What better way to find out how the Safety Profession can continue to iterate and develop than by hanging out with Pam Walaski, CSP, FSSP? Pam chats with us about how far the safety profession has come and where it can still continue to evolve. Whether you're trying to breathe new life into a tired safety program or starting from scratch with something new, Pam has some great wisdom to share. It's...