The Employee Safety Podcast

This October marks the 20th anniversary of Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Now more than ever, organizations need a plan to face the ever-evolving threat of ransomware attacks.  In this episode, Heather Engel, Managing Partner at Strategic Cyber Partners , shares invaluable insights on building an effective ransomware attack response plan and navigating the complex decisions before, during, an...

When Hurricane Ian wreaked havoc on the shores of Florida in 2022, Kohl’s mobilized a task force of over 100 corporate leaders, deploying their National Disaster Playbook with precision and compassion.  To commemorate the one-year anniversary of the storm, Peter sat down with Stephanie Reissing , Kohl’s Business Continuity Manager, to hear the incredible story of the company’s unwavering comm...

Effective communication becomes the linchpin of organizational resilience in times of uncertainty. From weather disruptions to reputational crises, organizations need to master the art of communication when it matters most—before disaster strikes.  Julie Kay Roberts is the Founder of the Private Sector Emergency Management Association, which connects business resilience professionals with the...

The healthcare industry is currently grappling with a significant staffing shortage, which directly impacts employee safety. For hospitals and care providers overwhelmed by burnout, workplace violence, and other systemic issues, the key to improving their safety culture is near-miss reporting.   Heidi Raines is Founder and CEO of Performance Health Partners and author of Shared Voices: A Fram...

In today’s threat landscape, physical security leaders face mounting risks with increasing resource constraints. At Datadog , a SaaS-based data analytics platform, Julius Jayasekaran embraces the lean security model by leveraging technology.  As Global Head of Physical Security with decades of experience in security operations, Julius discusses how utilizing technology and automation empowers...

People can be unpredictable, especially in a crisis.  Organizations should understand how human behavior can impact emergency response and outcomes and update their plans, policies, and procedures accordingly.  Behavioral Scientist and Clinical Psychologist, Steve Crimando, is Founder and Principal of Behavioral Science Applications LLC . He helps organizations form accurate behavioral a...

Knowing what to expect during an OSHA inspection can be a challenge for any organization. With more than 400 pages in OSHA's Field Operations Manual , companies need expert advice to prepare for unexpected visits from an inspector. Michael Rubin is a shareholder and OSHA attorney at Ogletree Deakins . Michael joined the show to explain how to: Prepare people, documents, and facilities Conduct mock...

There’s no such thing as too much preparation for active shooter events. But what’s the best way to train your people to respond in a real scenario?  And how do you support impacted employees if or when it happens at your organization?  Chris Nelson , SVP and Head of Asset Protection at Gap Inc. , joins the show to answer these questions and explain how organizations can:  Leverage...

Enterprise-level emergency management requires standardization of local, regional, and company-wide preparedness and response plans.  For Kevin Hannes , Vice President of Emergency Management at AccentCare , a delicate balance of repeatable processes and agile implementation combine to ensure staff safety and patient continuity of care.  In this episode, Kevin breaks down how to:  T...

Nearly one-third of the U.S. population lives in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). These fire-prone areas are a perfect storm of fuel availability, weather conditions, and ignition sources—leaving organizations and communities at serious risk of wildfire.   U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell joined the show to discuss how businesses within the WUI can innovate to mitigate w...

With flights circling the globe from Dallas to Tel Aviv to Port-au-Prince, American Airlines operates in zones of significant risk. For Mohammed Baloch , Manager of Geopolitical Risk, strategic and tactical intelligence combine to ensure true risk resilience—an approach they call “stractical” intelligence. Mohammed joins the show to discuss: How strategic and tactical intelligence teams work toget...

For Andrea Davis, the key to business resiliency is applying lessons learned from past disruptions to continuity planning. As Founder, President, and CEO of The Resiliency Initiative, Andrea draws on her business continuity, crisis management, and resiliency experience at major enterprises to help private and public sector organizations navigate the growing threat landscape.  In this episode,...

Extreme heat can have severe impacts on an organization’s people, facilities, and operations. With 2023 forecast to rival the hottest global year on record, we’re airing a refresher on how to prepare your employees and business to stay safe in the swelter.  Paul Yura is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service. Paul shares heat trends throughout the U.S. and how...

30+ years after the American Disabilities Act, many organizations still struggle with granting reasonable accommodations. Requesting accommodation often forces individuals with disabilities to disclose private health information, putting both employees and employers in uncomfortable positions. This episode features Hannah Olson , Co-Founder and CEO of Disclo , a tech company that helps organizatio...

In early 2023, California experienced multiple atmospheric rivers that dumped 30 trillion gallons of water across the state, causing weeks of widespread flooding, landslides, and power outages. In this episode, Peter sits down with Scott Van Pee , Quality and Risk Project Director at CLA , an advisory firm with several offices affected by the storms. Thanks to CLA’s modern emergency communications...

Organizations with strong safety cultures achieve better safety outcomes—but building and maintaining a great safety culture is no easy feat. So how should organizations approach it? And what is a leader's role in creating it?  Marcia Kay Thompson, Esq. is a former intelligence analyst at the DEA, a celebrated civil rights attorney, U.S. Capitol ombudsman, diversity, equity, and inclusion exp...

Psychosocial hazards are factors in the workplace environment that can affect an individual's mental and social well-being. Things like poor working relationships, lack of role clarity, inadequate rewards or recognition, and traumatic events are potentially hazardous to employees. Dr. I. David Daniels is the President and CEO of ID2 Solutions and host of the Psych Health and Safety USA Podcast . D...

Accidents happen, but workplace incidents shouldn’t cost life or limb for employees. For Mark Jones , the key to reducing serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs) is building a capacity to fail safely. Mark is the EHS Director at Plastipak , a packaging and recycling leader with more than 50 sites worldwide. Mark instituted a culture of transparent dialogue with associates to ensure that day-to-day...

June is National Safety Month, so we’re sharing a special two-part series on preventing serious injuries and fatalities in the workplace.  In part one, Laurel and Russ Youngstrom, Co-Owners of Youngstrom Safety, share their deeply personal story of how a serious workplace injury changed everything. Laurel and Russ have dedicated their lives to speaking with organizations to ensure that leader...

When Hurricane Ian battered the state of Florida in 2022, Family First Homecare faced the daunting task of ensuring their electricity-dependent patients were safe, accounted for, and receiving life-sustaining care.  In part two of our 2023 hurricane preparedness series, Beth Harbold , Director of Quality Assurance and Emergency Management, explains that fast and personalized two-way communica...

The first step to hurricane readiness is knowing what to do and when. In part one of our 2023 hurricane preparedness series, guest host Sara Pratley sat down with AlertMedia’s Senior Meteorologist, Jason Moreland , to unpack the early forecasts for the 2023 hurricane season and what organizations need to know to protect their people and property. As Jason explains, now is the time to review commun...

Safety and security leaders need relevant, accurate metrics to properly evaluate the effectiveness of their systems and processes. Some systems are not designed to generate metrics at all, so it’s up to the organization to develop reporting systems from scratch. Scott Napier , Global Systems and Technology Lead at Zendesk is tackling this by capturing data that enables him to justify expenses, tra...

Work-related hearing loss can have devastating effects on an employee’s physical and mental health and significantly impact an organization’s safety culture. Even work environments with relatively low noise intensity levels can cause hearing damage over time. To help prevent hearing loss in the workplace, employers must educate their workers on noise hazards and protect them from potential impacts...

A traditional crisis management approach starts with planning, training, and exercises. Yet, in this linear model, organizations often find cracks in the system when the rubber meets the road. Steven Kuhr is a crisis and emergency management leader with decades of experience spanning public service and private sector roles. For Steven, true resilience is a continuum of crisis management, business...

Business travel is back and rapidly returning to pre-pandemic levels—but managing risks for traveling employees can be complex and overwhelming, even for the largest companies. Business travelers can face many threats, from severe weather and natural disasters to geopolitical conflicts and IP theft. They expect their employers to both prepare and protect them when they’re on the go.  In...