The Employee Safety Podcast

Safety training has a reputation for being long and tedious. But as Rachel Walla-Housman puts it, bite-sized informational videos have been shown to increase learner retention, improve safety outcomes, and foster a better attitude towards safety. Rachel is the Founder of Ally Safety , which creates instructional videos and modules that transform training from hard-to-consume to entertaining and im...

Even in the best economic times, doing more with less is an ever-present pressure. So, how do safety and security leaders get buy-in for their initiatives in an economic downturn? John Robert is the Director of Global Intelligence and Protection at a major global manufacturer and has decades of previous experience in government intelligence. John joined the show to answer this question and explain...

For the Colorado Rockies , teamwork is the key to success on and off the baseball field.  This episode features Tony Lopez, Senior Director of Security, and Michael Bush, Senior Director of Information Systems at the Rockies. From securing 50,000 fans to scanning the skies for drones over Coors Field, Tony and Michael work together to ensure a safe and fun experience for staff, players, and f...

Employees expect their employers to not only care about their safety but actively keep them safe. How do we know? We asked them. For the second year in a row, AlertMedia surveyed more than 2,000 employees from across the U.S. to understand their genuine feelings about workplace risks and their organizations’ safety efforts. The results are documented in AlertMedia’s 2023 State of Employee Safety R...

In 2020, there were 392 homicides and more than 37,000 nonfatal intentional injuries by another person in workplaces around the U.S. These incidents, which occur coast-to-coast and impact virtually every industry, drive home how important it is for businesses to have a plan to prevent violence in the workplace. Matt Doherty is the Managing Director of Workforce Risk Management at Sikich, a profess...

With more than 33,000 locations and 380,000 employees worldwide, Starbucks relies on a team of experienced experts to approach business resilience from all sides. One way the company achieves resilience is by ensuring every employee, from the CEO to store-level, knows their role in an emergency.  This episode features Meghan Murphy , Senior Manager of Crisis Management, and Michelle Kubo , Se...

Now that business travel is back, risk management is a tall order. With a legal duty of care to protect employees while traveling, organizations have their plates full ensuring the physical and cyber security of their most precious assets.  So, how does a small team tackle travel risk management for thousands of employees?  Delia Midamba is Head of Physical Security at Cloudflare , where...

There’s no time for miscommunication during a crisis. Timing, messaging, length, and methods of delivery all affect how employees receive emergency communication. Keri K. Stephens, Ph. D. , is a Distinguished Teaching Professor at The University of Texas at Austin and a renowned author and expert in organizational crisis communication. Keri joined the show to share her research findings on how org...

Organizations regularly encounter unforeseen challenges. When faced with the unknown, a traditional approach to crisis management and resilience can limit an organization's ability to identify, assess, and respond to crises quickly.  Brendan Monahan is Head of US Resilience and Crisis Management for a major global pharmaceutical company and author of Strategic Corporate Crisis Management: Bui...

Safety professionals must make quick, informed decisions to create safer worksites. Those decisions depend on reliable data—from analyzed safety metrics and real-time reports from workers.  So how do safety professionals find time to mine data and nurture relationships? Abby Ferri is the Chief Risk Officer at Insurate and ASSP’s Safety Professional of the Year 2022 . According to Abby, the ke...

Planning and executing music festivals and community events requires meticulous risk mitigation to protect all attendees and staff. Scott Davidson  is the CEO and Founder of  Code 4 , an operations management and emergency services provider based in Austin, Texas. For Scott, risk forecasting and mitigation are the keys to planning safe and secure mass gatherings.  Listen in to learn...

The safety and security team for the Atlanta Hawks is charged with protecting guests, fans, and employees for 40+ NBA games and more than 150 events per year at State Farm Arena. For the Hawks’ Senior Director of Safety and Security, Emily Drexler , her team’s comprehensive and continual training program is the key to providing a safe experience for all guests, inside and outside the arena. In thi...

In the U.S. alone, 11 workers are injured or die from heat stress every single day. It also costs organizations an estimated $100 billion yearly in lost productivity. The good news is that heat illness is 100% preventable—with the right equipment and education.  In this episode, Cam Mackey, CEO of the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) breaks down what organizations need to kno...

EHS Today is an industry-leading publication with a mission to help safety professionals do their jobs better. Their annual audience survey received more than 1,100 responses from EHS leaders in 2022, revealing the top three challenges they face in their roles today.  Dave Blanchard , Editor in Chief of EHS Today , joins the show to deliver the results and break down how they could impact the...

Psychological safety has a measurable impact on organizations. When employees feel psychologically safe, they are eight times more likely to be engaged, three times more likely to be productive, and three and a half times more likely to be innovative.  So, how do organizations measure the psychological safety of their workforce, and what is the safety leader’s role in creating a culture of ps...

This episode is a highlight reel of some of our favorite moments from 11 interviews with safety and security experts in 2022. These experts share bite-sized emergency preparedness, workplace culture, and safety leadership advice that you can implement in your organization today. To hear more from the guests featured in this episode, check out their full recordings here: Jason Freeman, Six Flags &n...

As 2023 approaches, trendlines indicate that threats are on the rise globally. The overlapping impacts of severe weather, economic uncertainty, geopolitical concerns, activism, and active shooter events are complex and difficult for any organization to navigate. According to AlertMedia’s VP of Global Intelligence, Sara Pratley , the number one thing safety leaders can do to protect their organizat...

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce hosts 2,600+ events a year, where a revolving door of global VIPs presents unique security challenges. Vice President of Security, Jerry Marshall leans on his extensive experience in protective and investigative service—from the Air Force to Secret Service—to protect the Chamber, its personnel, and its guests. In this episode, you’ll hear how Jerry’s pride and apprecia...

Experts predict the 2022-2023 winter season will feature above-average temperatures for the third year in a row. But as AlertMedia’s Senior Meteorologist Jason Moreland explains, that doesn’t mean we’re in for a winter without incident. The forecast includes a high likelihood of significant winter weather events as well as a wide range of downstream impacts that organizations and their employees s...

Strong safety cultures are achieved and sustained when workplace safety is everyone’s responsibility. Building equitable and diverse teams within an organization is no different—it’s all hands on deck. Vanessa Mathews , Founder & Chief Resilience Officer of Asfalis Advisors , works with safety and security leaders to go beyond guns, gates, and guards to ensure that all people feel included and...

H-E-B provides food, prescriptions, and fuel for more than half of the state of Texas. For this top-rated grocer, keeping stores open is critical to disaster response and recovery in each community it serves. Staying on the front lines of disaster relief with mobile kitchens, food banks, and supporting local charity organizations, H-E-B maintains a “last to close, first to open” policy so Texans c...

More than 200,000 transitioning service members depart the military each year. For veterans and military spouses, finding civilian employment that suits their skills and abilities can be a daunting task.  This Veterans Day, we’re spotlighting the amazing work of Hiring Our Heroes , a nonprofit arm of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that connects the military community with companies—creating eco...

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ will be an event like no other. With 500,000 fans and 32 teams descending on Qatar’s capital, Doha, it will be the most compact World Cup in history.  For Director of Safety, Security, and Access, Helmut Spahn , success is built not on individual performance, but on teamwork. Through careful collaboration between FIFA and Qatari leaders, professionals, and citizens,...

Content Warning: This episode includes sensitive information about mental health conditions and suicide. If you or someone you know need support at any time, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.   Situational awareness is the ability to analyze, identify, and take action to prevent bad things from happening. While commonly associated with active shooter scenario...

When you operate “cities within cities,” public safety is the top priority. For Six Flags Entertainment Corporation , that means every employee at its 27 theme parks has an important role to play, whether they are on the safety team or not. Over the last 38 years, Jason Freeman , Corporate VP of Operations, Public Safety, Maintenance & Engineering, has overseen the growth of these "cities” fro...