NSSGA Podcast

In this episode of Safety Shorts, Libby welcomes Sarah D'Amico, Marketing Manager of Turner Mining Group and Turner Staffing Group, to discuss the deeply personal importance of safety in such industries as mining. Sarah shares how her perspective on safety evolved from a set of rules to an emotional priority, particularly with her fiancé being a project superintendent in mining. Coinciding with Sa...

Bill Duguay brings his vast amount of industry experience back to the podcast today to  discuss the importance of workplace safety, accident prevention, and the implementation of stringent safety protocols. Bill, who now advises leadership teams on running safety-oriented businesses, shares a personal and poignant story about a lockout/tagout procedure gone wrong, an incident that nearly cost his...

In a key Safety Shorts episode, Aaron Witt, CEO of Build Witt, shares crucial safety insights from his early construction days. Starting at 18 with no prior experience, Witt learned the hard way that following experienced workers without question doesn't guarantee safety. His narrative highlights the danger of neglecting safety protocols, especially around trenches, and the life-saving importance...

Josh Ierna, Safety Manager at Tilcon Connecticut, joins Libby today to delve into the transformative journey of Total Worker Health and its profound impact on organizational wellbeing. Josh highlights the evolution of Total Worker Health, addressing multifaceted issues such as mental wellness, opioid overdose prevention, and suicide awareness, through proactive engagement with employees, fostering...

This week, Libby reunites with DJ Schmutz, Director of Operations with MSHA Safety Services, as he delivers a compelling narrative that transcends workplace boundaries to underscore the real-world significance of safety training. DJ's harrowing personal experience from a year and a half ago vividly illustrates the importance of being prepared for emergencies, as his son's seizure becomes a poignan...

Welcome to another impactful episode of Safety Shorts with your host, Libby Pritchard. In this episode, Libby welcomes back a special guest, Cal Beyer, Vice President of Risk, Safety, and Mental Well-Being at ethOs, who brings with him his extensive experience and knowledge in addressing mental health and critical incident response in the workplace. Today, he shares a pivotal moment when he realiz...

With the holidays right around the corner, Libby brings us this special installment of Safety Shorts that is both timely and timeless. Today, the spotlight is on Bill Duguay, an industry veteran with an impressive 40+ years of experience in constructing roads and bridges across the nation. Beyond his career in construction, Bill now collaborates closely with leadership teams, aiding them in the pu...

In another compelling episode of Safety Shorts, host Libby Pritchard introduces a special guest, Jennifer Miles, a seasoned safety professional with 16 years of expertise currently affiliated with Sales Solutions. Jennifer's passion for safety and her dedication to saving lives serve as a true source of inspiration. In this episode, the focus delves deeply into the critical topic of fall protectio...

Welcome back to another impactful episode of Safety Shorts, where Libby welcomes Jason Epstein, NSSGA's Director of Membership, to delve into the significance of Epilepsy Awareness Month and explore Jason's own personal journey living with epilepsy. In this engaging conversation, they discuss the importance of dispelling myths about epilepsy, offer practical tips for assisting someone having a sei...

In yet another compelling episode of Safety Shorts, Libby welcomes DJ Schmutz, an advocate from MSHA Safety Services, to highlight the paramount importance of fostering a strong workplace safety culture and encourage individuals to assert their Stop Work Authority in hazardous situations. DJ's gripping personal story vividly illustrates the human inclination to yield to external pressures, emphasi...

Travis Wilson, a former member of the 82nd Airborne, joins Libby on the podcast this week. As an army veteran with extensive experience in safety and health, Travis brings his wealth of knowledge in hazardous waste management, chemical safety, and industrial hygiene to share a cautionary tale that highlights the importance of safety basics and staying vigilant in the face of potential hazards. As...

In this latest episode, Libby is joined by Kyle Zimmer, Health and Safety Director with the Operating Engineers at Local 478, who has been passionately working towards improving worker well-being, mental health, and addressing substance abuse issues for over 15 years. Today, Kyle shares his journey of developing a peer program for both construction and general industry to tackle addiction, suicide...

Welcome to another episode of Safety Shorts, in which Libby is joined by Dr. Lynne Morrison, a renowned medical dermatologist with over 30 years of experience. Today's focus is on the importance of skincare, particularly in preventing skin cancer as Dr. Morrison shares valuable insights into recognizing it early, as well as the risks associated with sun exposure. She also highlights the significan...

Welcome to a special episode of Safety Shorts where Libby is joined by Cal Beyer, Vice President of Workforce Risk and Worker Wellbeing at Holmes Murphy and Associates. The focus today is squarely on the crucial topics of mental health and reframing safety, as Cal shares valuable insights and thought-provoking perspectives gleaned over his extensive 30+ years of experience in workplace mental heal...

Welcome to the latest episode of Safety Shorts, where the special guest today is Steve Benton, the Corporate Director of Safety with Peckham Industries, who has 25 plus years of experience in construction materials and both operations and safety. Today, he shares the story of a recent life-saving event involving one of their owner-operator truck drivers, which highlights the importance of investin...

Justin Ganschow, Business Development Manager for Caterpillar Safety Services, is back on the podcast again today. In case you missed his first appearance, Justin has been in the industry for almost 20 years and has a formidable wealth of stories and presentations to offer. Today, he shares a story that is all about accountability and catching the things that people are doing right rather than foc...

In this episode of Safety Shorts, Libby is joined by Scott Levine, a product manager at Materially, who has five years of project management experience for a large general contractor under his belt. Today, Scott shares the story of an unfortunate incident which highlights the importance of having the right tools for everyone to be safe and successful on the job. Episode Highlights: Scott's story a...

Today, Libby welcomes Dr. John Morrison to the podcast. In addition to being an ophthalmologist and glaucoma researcher at Oregon Health and Sciences University with over 40 years of experience, Dr. Morrison is also Libby's father! He joins her here today to discuss the importance of taking care of our eyes in general, and more specifically, to share important information regarding glaucoma.   Epi...

Justin Ganschow, Business Development Manager for Caterpillar Safety Services joins Libby for today's episode. Justin has been in the industry for almost 20 years, and, as a result, has a wealth of stories and presentations to offer. In this episode, he shares a story about the human side of safety and about being an intentional safety leader.    Episode Highlights: Several years ago, Justin was w...

Today, Libby is  joined by Emily Haas, a research health scientist for NIOSH, which is the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Emily earned her PhD in Health Communications from Purdue University, and she has become a fantastic partner with NSSGA and a great advocate for this industry. In this episode, she shares her story about communicating health concerns. Episode Highlights:...

Jim Anderson, Safety Superintendent at Mitsubishi Cement, joins Libby on the podcast today. From doing Search and Rescue all the way to being a Chief at the volunteer fire department where he worked, Jim has always been involved in health and safety for his entire career. In this episode, he shares one of the many safety stories he has accumulated over the years that is really quite personal for h...

Joining Libby today is Jay Canada, VP of Safety and HR at Pine Bluff Sand and Gravel In this episode, Jay shares details about his company's Good Catch program, including its journey all the way from its origins up to the current day, and the remarkably positive impact it continues to have. Episode Highlights: While the Good Catch program officially started in 2009,  it really has its roots in a 2...

Embracing and Internalizing Training with Steve Trussel On today's episode, Libby is joined by Steve Trussell, Executive Director of the Arizona Rock Products Association & The Arizona Mining Association. Early on in his 25+ year career in both hard rock and aggregates, Steve learned that " we do not rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training". Today, he shares a v...

Libby is very excited to welcome Dr. Eric Lutz, Director of the Mining Safety Center of Excellence at the University of Arizona to the podcast today. Formerly the Mining Research Director at Spokane, Dr. Lutz has gained a vast amount of expertise, knowledge and experience in his more than 20 years in the mining industry. In today's episode, he shares a story highlighting the importance of heat saf...

Safety Consultant, speaker, writer, and facilitator Ronn Lehmann returns to the podcast today, fully armed with his more than 35 years experience as a safety consultant focusing on the human elements of work . As many will remember, Ronn has worked all over the world helping organizations and individuals acquire the mindsets, skill sets, and tool sets necessary to achieve success. He is back today...