The Occupational Safety Leadership Podcast

Episode 261 - Story Telling and Occupational Safety

In this episode, Dr. Ayers explains why storytelling is one of the most powerful tools a safety professional can use when delivering training. Instead of relying solely on rules, regulations, or technical explanations, stories make safety personal, memorable, and emotionally engaging.

🔑 Key Points

• Stories increase engagement. Employees pay more attention when training includes real‑world examples rather than dry instruction.

• Stories make safety relatable. When workers hear about real incidents or near misses, they connect emotionally and understand the “why” behind safe behavior.

• Stories improve retention. People remember narratives far better than bullet points or policy language.

• Stories build credibility. Sharing authentic experiences shows humility and helps employees see the safety leader as a partner, not a lecturer.

🧭 Central Message

If you want employees to truly absorb safety training, don’t just teach—tell a story. It’s one of the simplest ways to make safety meaningful and memorable.

Episode 260 - Occupational Safety - Over Commitment

In this episode, Dr. Ayers tackles a common trap for safety professionals: trying to take on too many hazards, projects, and initiatives at once. He explains that over‑commitment spreads time, money, and attention too thin, ultimately weakening safety performance rather than improving it.

🔑 Key Points

• Resources are finite. Time, money, and effort must be allocated intentionally; you cannot fix everything simultaneously.

• Risk ranking is essential. Dr. Ayers recommends using a structured method to prioritize hazards based on severity and likelihood.

• Over‑commitment leads to under‑performance. When leaders chase too many issues at once, none receive the focus needed for meaningful improvement.

• Strategic focus improves outcomes. Choosing the highest‑risk items and addressing them deeply produces better long‑term safety results.

🧭 Central Message

Effective safety leadership requires discipline and prioritization. You make more progress by doing fewer things well than by trying to tackle everything at once.

Episode 259 - Expect Hardship in Occupational Safety

In this episode, Dr. Ayers delivers a blunt but important reminder: safety work is not supposed to be easy. He argues that many safety professionals unintentionally create frustration for themselves by expecting smooth implementation, instant buy‑in, or effortless compliance. Real progress requires embracing the fact that hardship is part of the job.

🔑 Key Points

• Hardship is normal, not a sign of failure. Safety professionals should expect resistance, setbacks, and challenges as part of the process.

• Employee input is essential. Getting buy‑in early—before writing policies or launching training—gives employees ownership and increases success.

• Stop assuming things will be easy. When leaders expect difficulty, they plan better, communicate better, and stay more resilient.

• Shared ownership strengthens safety culture. When employees help shape the solution, they have “skin in the game,” making implementation smoother and more sustainable.

🧭 Central Message

Safety leadership becomes far more effective when you anticipate hardship instead of being surprised by it. Expect challenges, involve employees, and build solutions together.

Episode 258 - Tracy Krieger - Shelter in Place and 5150 in California

In this powerful interview, Dr. Ayers speaks with Tracy Krieger of OC Safety about a real-life incident involving an employee experiencing a mental health crisis at work. The episode explores how safety professionals can prepare for and respond to such situations with clarity, compassion, and legal awareness.

 

🔑 Key Lessons

🚨 1. Have a Plan for Mental Health Emergencies

Most safety programs focus on physical hazards—but mental health crises require their own protocols.

🛑 2. Understand “5150” and Shelter-in-Place Laws

In California, a “5150” hold allows authorities to detain someone for psychiatric evaluation. Knowing when and how this applies is critical.

🧭 3. Safety Leaders Must Be Ready to Act

Tracy shares how she navigated the situation, coordinated with law enforcement, and protected other employees while supporting the individual in crisis.

🤝 4. Empathy and Preparedness Go Hand-in-Hand

The episode emphasizes the importance of balancing legal compliance with human compassion.

 

🎙️ Central Message

Mental health emergencies are part of workplace safety. Don’t wait for a crisis—build your response plan now.

Episode 257 - Favoritism in Occupational Safety

In this episode, Dr. Ayers shares emphasizes that while friendships are natural, they must never interfere with enforcing safety expectations.

 

🔑 Key Points

👥 1. Friendships at Work Are Normal

We naturally connect with certain employees—shared interests, personalities, or history make it easy to become close.

⚠️ 2. But Friendship Cannot Influence Safety Decisions

Hazards, unsafe behaviors, and policy violations must be addressed consistently, regardless of personal relationships.

🧭 3. Perception Matters as Much as Reality

Even if a leader believes they are being fair, employees may still perceive favoritism, which erodes trust and credibility.

🛑 4. Consistency Builds Integrity

Safety leaders must apply rules evenly, document decisions, and avoid giving friends “the benefit of the doubt.”

 

🎙️ Central Message

Being friendly is fine—being biased is not. Safety leaders must ensure that every employee is held to the same standard, no exceptions.

Episode 256 - Occupational Safety - Training for a new skill

In this episode, Dr. Ayers challenges a common assumption in safety: we think we’re training employees, but often we’re not. He explains that many organizations bring new hires onboard by pairing them with an “old‑timer” and hoping they learn through observation—an approach that leads to inconsistent skills and unsafe habits.

According to the episode description, the focus is on what real training looks like and why safety leaders must be intentional about developing new skills. Sources:

 

🔑 Key Points

🛠️ 1. Training ≠ Telling

Simply explaining a task or giving a quick demonstration is not true training. Employees need structured, hands‑on practice.

👷 2. The “Old‑Timer Method” Is Unreliable

Putting a new hire with a veteran worker often results in passing down shortcuts, outdated habits, or incomplete knowledge.

📋 3. Competency Must Be Verified

Leaders should confirm—not assume—that an employee can perform the task safely and correctly before allowing independent work.

🧭 4. Onboarding Sets the Tone

The first days and weeks shape an employee’s long‑term safety behavior. Strong training early on prevents injuries later.

 

🎙️ Central Message

Don’t assume new hires know what they’re doing. Real training requires structure, demonstration, practice, and verification.

Episode 255 - Occupational Safety - Beware of Rabbit Holes

In this short episode, Dr. Ayers warns safety professionals about a common productivity trap: falling down “rabbit holes” when trying to answer safety questions. He openly calls himself a “recovering rabbit‑hole expert,” highlighting how easy it is to get lost in unnecessary details instead of delivering practical, timely guidance.

 

🔑 Key Points

🧭 1. Frame Success Before You Start

Before answering a safety question, define what a successful answer looks like. This prevents over‑researching, over‑explaining, or chasing irrelevant information.

🕳️ 2. Rabbit Holes Waste Time and Momentum

Diving too deep into regulations, interpretations, or edge cases can derail progress and overwhelm employees.

🎯 3. Stay Focused on What the Employee Actually Needs

Most workers want a clear, actionable answer—not a dissertation. Give them the path forward, not the entire regulatory universe.

🧹 4. Discipline Is a Leadership Skill

Avoiding rabbit holes requires intentional focus and the ability to stop yourself from drifting into unnecessary complexity.

 

🎙️ Central Message

Safety leaders are most effective when they stay focused, define success, and avoid unnecessary detours. Clarity beats complexity every time.

Episode 254 - Occupational Safety - Micromanagement

In this episode, Dr. Ayers tackles the issue of micromanagement in safety leadership. He challenges the common assumption that micromanagement is caused by “problem employees,” arguing instead that it usually reflects a supervisor’s need for control.

🔑 Key Points

• Micromanagement is a leadership issue. Dr. Ayers emphasizes that supervisors often micromanage because they want tasks done their way, not necessarily the best or safest way.

• It damages trust and performance. Employees who feel micromanaged become less confident, less engaged, and less willing to take initiative.

• Leaders must let employees own their work. Effective safety leadership requires giving employees room to think, act, and solve problems.

• Coaching beats controlling. Instead of hovering, leaders should set expectations, verify competency, and then step back.

🧭 Central Message

Micromanagement doesn’t create safer workers—it creates frustrated ones. Trust your people, guide them, and let them do their jobs.