Bootstrapping Workplace Safety with Shawn Connick

Feb 16, 2026

Shawn Connick, safety consultant and founder of Construct Strategies with decades in construction and energy. He talks about turning influential safety ideas into practice on tight budgets. Short reads, study-action teams and leader involvement are highlighted. Practical beginnings, building safety fluency, and scaling sustainable programs come up in lively, concrete discussion.

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ADVICE

Start Small With Practical Topics

Start learning teams with low-stakes, repeatable tasks or near-misses to scope change small.
Avoid tackling huge emotional topics first; scope down to learnable problems.

insights

INSIGHT

Better Info ≠ Automatic Fixes

Learning teams improve the quality of information but don't enact fixes by themselves.
Organizations still need robust processes to implement and sustain changes.

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ADVICE

Scope Learning Teams With Problem Statements

Define a clear, narrow problem statement for each learning team focused on learning, not fixing.
Train participants to ask “what do we need to learn?” instead of demanding immediate remedies.

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Discovering HOP and the need to operationalize

02:17 • 34sec

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From operations to safety: early career context

02:51 • 58sec

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Reading Dekker and Conklin changed his language

03:49 • 1min

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Getting leadership buy-in amid skepticism

04:52 • 33sec

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Working with a limited budget strategically

05:25 • 58sec

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Study-action teams as incubation for change

06:23 • 1min

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Introducing learning teams to executives

07:36 • 2min

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Why choose low-risk topics first

10:00 • 2min

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Learning teams aren't a silver bullet

11:49 • 3min

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Evolving the learning team approach

14:46 • 6min

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What safety fluency looks like

20:57 • 2min

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Stages of organizational maturation

22:58 • 3min

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Building fluency through continuous conversation

25:47 • 1min

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Learning from operational events upstream

27:13 • 47sec

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Sustainability and scalability of initiatives

28:00 • 3min

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Bootstrapping safety with limited resources

30:44 • 2min

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Training the next generation: focus on philosophy

32:26 • 2min

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Using new tools to reflect on reports

34:27 • 11sec

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One lesson to his younger self: patience

• Mentioned in 7 episodes

Humble Inquiry

Edgar Schein

In this book, Edgar H. Schein and Peter Schein define Humble Inquiry as 'the fine art of drawing someone out, of asking questions to which you do not know the answer, of building a relationship based on curiosity and interest in the other person. ' The authors explore how Humble Inquiry differs from other kinds of inquiry, provide examples of its application in various settings, and discuss how to overcome cultural, organizational, and psychological barriers to its practice. The book emphasizes the need for open and trusting communication in today's complex, interconnected world, and offers practical advice on developing the attitude and skills necessary for Humble Inquiry.

#11152

• Mentioned in 5 episodes

The Field Guide to Understanding Human Error

Sidney Dekker

#26001

• Mentioned in 2 episodes

Five Principles of Human Performance

Todd Conklin

Safety Anarchist

Sidney Dekker

Sidney Dekker's 'Safety Anarchist' challenges conventional approaches to safety management, advocating for a more flexible and adaptive approach. Dekker argues that rigid rules and procedures can stifle learning and innovation, ultimately undermining safety. The book encourages organizations to empower workers to make decisions based on their expertise and the specific context of their work. It promotes a culture of trust and collaboration, where safety is seen as a dynamic process rather than a static set of rules. By embracing a more anarchistic approach, organizations can foster resilience and improve their ability to respond to unexpected events. The book serves as a provocative and insightful critique of traditional safety practices.

Bob's Guide to Operational Learning

How to Think Like a Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) Coach

Bob Edwards

Andrea Baker

Bob Edwards and Andrea Baker's 'Bob's Guide to Operational Learning' provides a practical framework for implementing operational learning within organizations. The book focuses on creating a culture of continuous improvement by learning from everyday work activities. It offers actionable strategies for conducting effective learning teams, facilitating open communication, and translating insights into meaningful changes. The guide emphasizes the importance of understanding the context of work, engaging workers in the learning process, and promoting a just culture where mistakes are seen as opportunities for growth. By following the principles outlined in this book, organizations can enhance their ability to learn, adapt, and improve their operational performance.

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Shawn Connick, a safety consultant with decades of experience across construction and energy.

Shawn reflects on why safety professionals are surrounded by ideas yet often struggle to turn them into practice. Drawing on his own experience, he shares his success operationalizing new workplace safety approaches with (all too familiar) resource constraints.

Discover how to effectively implement learning teams, ensuring safety is aligned with production and quality, insights emerge before workers get hurt, and your organization improves in all these areas together.

Shawn emphasizes the importance of building ‘safety fluency’, helping leaders understand that organizational change is the key to creating safer workplaces. This episode gives EHS professionals invaluable guidance on making new safety approaches work in practice - and on a limited budget.

Find out more about Shawn’s consultancy work: Shawn Connick Construct Strategies

Books recommended by Shawn:
- Sidney Dekker’s: The Field Guide to Understanding 'Human Error'

- Todd Conklin’s: The 5 Principles of Human Performance

- Bob Edwards and Andrea Baker’s: Bob's Guide to Operational Learning

- Edgar Shein’s: Humble Inquiry

Podcasts recommended by Shawn:

PreAccident Investigation Podcast | Todd Conklin

A HOP Podcast (With No Name)

Podcasts - Freakonomics

Shawn Connick on LinkedIn: Shawn Connick, CSP | LinkedIn

Safety Labs is created by Safety Products Global, the world's leading manufacturer of safety knives. Through our trusted brands, Klever, Slice and PHC, we empower companies to prevent injuries by providing safer cutting tools for every material and application. Find us at www.safetyproducts.global

If you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@safetyproducts.global

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