Safety Labs by Safety Products Global

Edward Tenner, author and Princeton lecturer on technology, risk and unintended consequences. He walks through famous disasters to reveal hidden risks and how safety fixes can backfire. Multiple short stories explore expertise turning into blind spots, deferred 'gray rhino' risks, and why rehearsals and historical perspective matter.

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Sarah Ischer, CIH, CSP, the Senior Director of Expertise at the What Works Institute, who recently published a ground-breaking report investigating neurodiversity in the workplace.Roughly 1 in 5 people are neurodivergent, meaning their brains process information, perceive hazards, or communicate differently. Yet many traditional safety programs still assume a single way of thinking.Sarah explores why neurodiversity isn’t given the same focus in the workplace as it now receives in the education system and highlights how this negatively impacts the well-being of your workers.She provides EHS professionals with practical and affordable tactics to improve workplaces for neurodiverse - and neurotypical - workers, giving you a new lens to enhance safety systems at your organization.Find out more about Sarah’s work: What Works InstituteThe full report into neurodiversity at work: Neurodiversity in EHSSarah Ischer on LinkedIn: Sarah Ischer, CIH, CSP | LinkedInSafety 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.globalIf you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@safetyproducts.global

In this special 100th episode, we look back at the conversations that have shaped Safety Labs by Safety Products Global over the past 99 shows.The series has consistently explored the major challenges facing today’s EHS professionals, providing a platform for expert guests to share candid perspectives on the realities of workplace safety.Inevitably, certain subjects have consistently shaped the conversations and sparked wider debate on LinkedIn - so you’ll find lots of firmly-held views on hot topics including safety theories, metrics, and blame; frank assessments of the role of EHS professionals, psychological safety and Heinrich; and emphatic statements on safety porn, Zero Harm, and safety culture.Expect rallying calls to action, powerful messages, and hard-hitting insights. And some of the language is as strong as the opinions.Thanks for being part of the Safety Labs journey, and we hope you enjoy this celebration of its success - here’s to the next 100 episodes!Featured guests (in order of appearance):Sam Goodman (Episode 27): Making Safety Suck LessFred Sherratt (Episode 84): The Ever-Changing World of Construction SafetyDavid Provan (Episode 58): What Is the Role of a Safety Professional?Tim D’Ath (Episode 61): A Human-Centric Approach to Safety ManagementBrye Sargent (Episode 11): Who is Ultimately Accountable for Safety?Tony Muschara (Episode 70): The Critical Steps in Workplace SafetyScott Gesinger (Episode 24): The Past, Present and Future of SafetyLeslie Rex Stockel (Episode 91): Making Sense of Evolving Safety ApproachesStephen Harvey (Episode 38): Why Safety Needs More Fun and ConnectionTodd Loushine (Episode 96): Redefining Safety SuccessGary Namie (Episode 41): How Bullying Impacts Workplace SafetyTim Marsh (Episode 01): How Can You Make a Case for Empowering Safety Culture?Stephanie Benay (Episode 42): Women in SafetyI. David Daniels (Episode 30): Workplace Safety is for EveryoneCrista Vesel (Episode 94): The Power of Words in Workplace SafetyDr Tristan Casey (Episode 40): What Does Safety Culture Mean?James Junkin (Episode 37): Thoughts From a Safety OutlawBob Edwards (Episode 53): Managing Complexity in Workplace SafetyKym Bancroft (Episode 05): The End-to-End Process of Safety Culture ChangeStephen Scott (Episode 28): Embracing New Approaches to Workplace SafetyClive Lloyd (Episode 44): The Key Component of Workplace Safety: TrustGreg Smith (Episode 80): The Safety Profession’s Disconnect Between Process and PurposeElisa Lynch (Episode 14): Is New View Safety More Effective Than Traditional Approaches?Logan F. Martin (Episode 22): The Safety Profession: Where are We and Where Do We Go From Here?Josh Bryant (Episode 26): Using Multiple Safety Theories to Implement Critical Risk ManagementNippin Anand (Episode 99): Is Safety Learning the Right LessonsLori Guasta (Episode 95): Getting Back to Safety BasicsMikel Bowman (Episode 51): Leading From the Middle To Enhance Workplace SafetySafety 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.globalIf you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@safetyproducts.global

Nippin Anand, event investigation consultant and author focused on human-centred learning, challenges familiar safety myths. He explores the Costa Concordia case, how stories and unconscious meanings shape explanations, and why root cause fixes often miss complexity. Short, punchy discussion on myth, blame, three minds, and the iCue visual method for surfacing tension and meaning.

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Doug Parker, former US Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, whose illustrious career has spanned labor law, federal and state oversight, worker advocacy, policy leadership and consultancy.Doug explains why regulators are often seen only through the lens of enforcement and what that view misses. Drawing on his time leading OSHA, he describes the broader role of guidance, dialogue and worker voice in improving safety outcomes.The conversation explores how trust shapes the relationship between regulators and organizations, why engagement matters and how fear of enforcement can limit learning and transparency. Doug also reflects on the constraints regulators operate under and what that means in practice.This episode gives EHS professionals a rare regulatory perspective on how to engage more constructively with oversight bodies and use regulation as a lever to support meaningful, lasting safety improvement.Find out more about OSHA: Home | Occupational Safety and Health AdministrationCalifornia State OSHA resources and templates: Cal/OSHA - Division of Occupational Safety and Health - Home PageWorker-focused global resources Doug recommends: Hesperian Health Guides | Knowledge for Action - Action for HealthDoug Parker on LinkedIn: Doug Parker | LinkedInContact Doug directly: dougparker1@gmail.comSafety 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.globalIf you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@safetyproducts.global

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.

Dr. Todd Loushine, Associate Professor, chemical engineer and EHS researcher focused on safety metrics. He questions common safety indicators and recordkeeping. He advocates work-centered design, empathy to improve reporting, and analyzing distributions not averages. He urges measuring responses to incidents and building databases of effective solutions.

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Lori Guasta, a safety leader whose career spans frontline practice, academia and consultancy.Lori reflects on the profession’s obsession with the next shiny object, even though the fundamentals that support safe work have been understood for decades. She explains that chasing the latest silver bullet will actually distract organizations from doing safety well.Leadership development and cultural change are key themes throughout this inspiring conversation; however, Lori’s experience allows her to cover many important areas, including generational change and women’s role in workplace safety.Lori encourages EHS professionals to step back from the noise, reconnect with proven principles and focus on what genuinely supports people to work safely. This episode offers practical guidance to get back to basics and ignore the temptation to search for safety shortcuts.Explore the life’s work of Edgar Schein: Edgar H. Schein: books, biographyLori Guasta on LinkedIn: Lori Guasta, Ph.D. | LinkedInSafety 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.globalIf you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@safetyproducts.global

Crista Vesel, an academic and safety communication specialist who studies how language shapes learning and decision-making. She discusses how common wording narrows inquiry and reinforces blame. She explains agentive language, why 'why' can shut down learning, and practical question techniques to open dialogue. She shares models and simple steps to change conversations and build environments where people speak up.

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Dr. Simon Goncharenko, a respected thought leader and author on a mission to make safety management theory more accessible. He examines why many organizations continue to rely on specific philosophies, frameworks and metrics to manage safety, even as serious injuries and fatalities remain stubbornly high. He questions what established measures, such as TRIR, tell us and where they can distract attention from more meaningful risk.Known for challenging narrow thinking in safety management, Simon revisits key concepts, including behavior-based safety and safety culture, highlighting the crucial gaps between theory and practice. Throughout the interview, Simon returns to a central theme: safety is not a single-solution challenge. He encourages EHS professionals to broaden their approach, push boundaries and resist over-reliance on specific ideas. Safety is a journey, not a destination.Simon’s safety management books:Save Lives: Pushing Boundaries in Human FactorsOperationalizing Twenty-First Century SafetyFind out more about Simon’s work: Save Lives Global – Safety ConsultingDr. Simon Goncharenko on LinkedIn: Dr. Simon G. | LinkedInSafety 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.globalIf you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@safetyproducts.global