Explore every episode of the podcast The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management

One of the things I always say to my team is, how can we move from firefighters to proactive fire marshals?”Jesse Marano, Director of Global EHS at EVAPCO. Safety leadership isn’t about responding faster when something goes wrong; it’s about preventing the fire before it starts. Jesse Marano, Director of Global EHS at EVAPCO, explains how to shift safety teams from reactive firefighters into proactive fire marshals while building programs that can scale across global operations. In this episode of The Canary Report, host Michael Zalle sits down with Jesse to explore managing EHS across 28 facilities in 13 countries, balancing corporate standards with local autonomy, and getting real stakeholder buy-in. Jesse also shares why safety professionals need to speak the language of operations, demonstrate business value, and package their initiatives effectively. Because safety isn’t about citing regulations or creating more rules. It’s about building practical systems that prevent risk, strengthen operations, and help people work safely.

"A strong safety culture lives at the intersection of psychological safety, lived experience, and consistency across people, backgrounds, and shifts." - Jeffrey Bowers, Owner/Consultant of Dream Bay Services LLC. Safety culture doesn’t start with more rules; it starts with trust. Jeffrey Bowers, Owner/Consultant of Dream Bay Services LLC, explains how to transform safety in a high-risk, heavy-industrial environment by asking the right questions and building psychological safety within teams, rather than playing the role of "safety cop.” In this episode of The Canary Report, host Michael Zalle sits down with Jeffrey to explore truly building safety in one of the most hazardous environments. Jeffrey also shares how to break risk into processes, uncover blind spots through perspectives, and build consistency across shifts. Because safety isn’t about checking boxes, it’s about creating an environment where people speak up, leaders listen, and everyone can go home safe.

"If the system really works, the employees are doing the right thing. Their leaders are doing the right thing and committed to health and safety as well." Words of wisdom from Jeff Schmitt, CSP, Director of Corporate Safety and Health at Kyndryl. Scaling safety across 60 countries is not about adding more rules or hiring dozens of EHS professionals. It is about building structured playbooks that teams can actually execute when conditions change. In this episode of The Canary Report, host Michael Zalle sits down with Jeff Schmitt to explore how to build operational safety systems across a distributed global workforce. With over 20 years of experience, Schmitt shares practical lessons on managing risk across employees, contractors, customer sites, and high-risk data centers. We discuss rebuilding safety systems after a corporate spinoff, aligning with ISO 45001 standards, and why true safety ownership belongs to the frontline.

I think safety leadership definitely starts with incident prevention through human connection. I spoke with Joseph Klinzing from GE Healthcare to learn about his journey from the US Army to managing rigging operations and crane operations. We discussed how switching from an auditor to an advocate transforms workplace safety culture. Building trust with the team really does wonders for safety compliance. Joe shares how his military background informs his safety professional career today.

Safety Leadership and Zero Harm are at the heart of my conversation with Christopher Diaz from Balfour Beatty. We talk about his forty year career in Workplace Safety and his transition from pulling nails to executive leadership. Chris explains why we must look beyond the traditional Fatal Four risks to include live traffic. He also tells a story about building bridges in Rwanda and I personally find it very moving because they show how safety values are universal.

Workplace safety culture and risk management are the primary drivers of my conversation with Robert Poole from D. H. Griffin Companies. Managing construction safety programs and incident prevention takes on a whole new meaning when your daily job involves controlled implosions. Robert explains how his team handles huge technical exposures while maintaining an exemplary record. We cover the unique challenges of being a self-insured organization and how that financial structure changes their entire approach to safety compliance.

One of my recent realisations is that workplace safety culture isn’t built on the words we say but on the actions we allow. I invited Jim Wathen from CW Driver to share how he transformed his team into safety champions over two decades. Jim explains how he uses a safety champion mindset to manage forty active job sites with only three people, and he says that it comes down to one simple thing. Taking care of your people every single day.

Workplace safety and construction safety management require more than just a degree on a wall. Nathan Haynes and I talk about how real life experience trumps certifications when you need to keep people safe on the road. Some stories that stand out are his journey from Alaska to the highway patrol and how he standardized safety across forty infrastructure projects. He also explains why he rejects online training for high risk tasks and creating accountability through standardized safety systems is the need of the hour.

I discuss workplace safety and food safety management with Laura McCready to understand how risk management protects the inner body. We look at the intersection of compliance and regulations where machine guards intended for protection can accidentally harbor bacteria. I learn about the massive complexity of the modern supply chain through the journey of a single bag of lettuce. This conversation reveals why a strong safety culture is the ultimate safeguard for both workers and consumers across North America.

I recently spoke with James Ferrell about Safety Leadership and Perdue Farms Risk Management strategies. We talked about his transition from flying the V-22 Osprey in the Air Force to leading safety for twenty thousand people. James explained why traditional safety campaigns often fail to change behavior. I found his focus on fixing systems rather than blaming people very insightful. We explored how high quality and safe operations are connected. It was a great conversation about building a culture that truly values every associate.

In this talk about workplace safety culture and EHS leadership, I talk about vulnerability transforming high-stakes environments. I host Lori Elam from Takeda Pharmaceuticals to discuss her twenty-five year journey in pharmaceutical manufacturing and why she believes in leading with human connection. We discuss the power of being present in the field and why she encourages her teams to speak up about their mistakes. This conversation really highlights why caring for people is the ultimate driver of risk management strategy success.

I talk with Todd Thams about how a workers compensation insurance experience mod score functions as a credit rating for your business risk management strategy. We discuss why a score above one point zero can stop you from bidding on contracts and how managing workers comp claims management effectively saves hundreds of thousands of dollars. Todd also explains the financial levers that drive insurance premium negotiation and why your safety training programs must focus on the real human impact of workplace safety.

I discuss workplace safety and construction safety management with Derek Cox to see how safety leadership and site safety improve through human connection. We talk about how risk management and safety culture evolve when you focus on building relationships. I find his story of moving from the tools to the office shows why authentic experience matters in our industry.

In this episode, I talk about workplace safety culture and how energy-based safety drives incident rate reduction. William LePage from Posillico Civil Inc. details why his safety professional career focuses on what truly hurts people rather than useless checklists. I learn how he manages risk for 1,200 employees by building project-specific programs instead of generic manuals. We discuss why he prefers to watch real work before making any judgments. This conversation changed how I view safety compliance in heavy construction.

I explore workplace safety and construction safety management with Jim Ruggiero to understand how real risk management involves more than just procedures. Jim brings 40 years of experience from the steelworkers union and state OSHA to discuss why our industry needs a deeper focus on the human element. We talk about the personal tragedies that drive his mission and how he builds a safety culture at EDIS Company. I find his perspective on mental health and worker presence to be a vital shift for every safety leader today.

Chris Braamse, VP of DH Pace and I explore how workplace safety leadership and risk management strategy apply across any industry, from trash trucks to pharmaceutical labs. Chris explains how he manages 60 locations using a smart hub and spoke model. We also talk about why a safety professional's career development path is more flexible than you might think.

Workplace safety leadership and roofing company safety strategies require a shift in how we view control. In this episode, I speak with Robert Hudson, VP of EHS at Baker Roofing, to explore EHS risk management and construction safety across 28 locations. We discuss why 18 years of experience taught him that hoarding knowledge is a danger to the team. I love how Robert shares his journey from chemistry to safety leadership while managing a fleet of 750 vehicles and prioritizing the humans behind the hard hats.

I sit down with Mike Place to discuss how a workplace safety culture and safety leadership drive incident prevention through a safety mindset. We discuss the reason we prioritize occupational health and safety, i.e. the "silent stakeholder.” Mike shares how Dakota Supply Group managed safety scaling in growing organizations while maintaining employee safety programs across 64 locations. I learn why treating your team with a parental eye helps in risk management strategies and hazard awareness training.

In this episode, I sit down with Chris Seider to discuss how workplace safety culture and safety leadership lead to incident rate reduction. We explore why your safety professional career depends on building a risk management strategy that outlasts you. Chris shares how he transformed a massive shipyard by shifting from safety compliance to employee safety ownership. I learn why doing everything yourself kills the culture and how leading safety initiatives requires becoming a coach instead of an executor. It is a masterclass in safety transformation and workplace injury prevention.

In this episode, I discuss EHS leadership, workplace safety programs, safety culture, risk management, and Scotts Miracle-Gro with Jason Johantges. I am fascinated by how his team achieved zero COVID deaths by monitoring regulatory changes and scientific data months in advance. We also dive into his "Kickoff for Safety" program, a football-themed gamification strategy that led to their safest fiscal year on record. It is a powerful look at how human-centered leadership transforms compliance into a competitive advantage for 8,000 employees.

“If you're being paid to do safety, why don’t you call yourself a professional?” In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Michael Dupont who shares why safety is not just a role, but a mindset. He says that the scope extends from redefining professionalism to building systems that prevent injuries and its impact. In this conversation, we look at safety and ownership with a new lens.

“I don’t ever want to have to give that speech in this job.” In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Thomas Lippert, Senior Vice President of Safety & Quality Assurance at Higley Construction, to talk about how to build a safety culture that goes beyond compliance. Drawing from his military background and years in construction, Tom shares how discipline and constant vigilance shape safer worksites. We unpack why OSHA is only the baseline, how success can breed complacency, and what leaders must do to keep safety front of mind every single day.

“Blue collar, the roughest and toughest, yet the most emotional, they want to be cared about too.” - Justin Short, Safety Director, Kirby Nagelhout Construction Company I sat down with Justin Short, Safety Director at Kirby Nagelhout Construction Company, for a conversation that goes beyond compliance and into what makes safety work on the ground. Justin’s journey from the trades to the Air Force and back into construction has shaped a leadership style grounded in respect, connection, and real-world experience. We talk about what it takes to earn trust in the field, why leadership behaviour matters more than policy, and how safety professionals can bridge the gap between systems and people.

Most safety leaders think about job-site hazards first. But what if one of your biggest risks isn’t on the jobsite at all? In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Zac Elliott, Safety Director at Mead & Hunt, to talk about one of the most overlooked risks in modern operations: driving. With employees logging more than 5 million business miles per year, Zac shares how his team manages fleet risk, distracted driving, and fatigue while maintaining a culture that truly puts people first. We also explore why some of the best safety professionals come directly from the field, how strong company culture enables strong safety culture, and why sometimes the most effective safety conversations are the most human ones. If you’re responsible for protecting people across complex operations, this conversation will challenge how you think about risk and where it really lives.

"Once you hear that rack of that shotgun, if you take another step forward, we all know the outcome of that. When we ignore these so-called near misses, we lead ourselves down the road to having an incident." – Reginald Shubert, Director of Safety, Barr & Barr Reginald Shubert didn't set out to be a safety professional. He was a union ironworker, happy in the field, until three people saw something in him that he didn't yet see in himself. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Reggie, Director of Safety at Barr & Barr, a 100% employee-owned construction management firm operating across the East Coast. We talk about what it actually takes to shift a workforce from compliance to commitment. They get into near misses, psychological safety, the trades gap nobody wants to talk about, and why tying safety back to home changes everything on a job site.

"Everybody buys into safety. They just don't know how." Matt Shaffer, Director of Vision Technologies Most safety programs fail because of bad relationships, not bad rules. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I speak with Matt Shaffer, Director of Vision Technologies, to explore why ditching the "safety versus operations" mindset is the single highest-leverage move any safety leader can make. From transforming workers' comp costs at a major airport to building inspection cultures where foremen get excited when the safety team shows up, Matt's approach is practical, human, and deeply effective.

“You're not going to be successful in spite of your disability. You’re going to be successful in many ways because of your Disability.” Diego Mariscal, CEO of 2Gether-International Most people still frame disability as a limitation. Diego Mariscal sees it as a training ground for entrepreneurship. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Diego, Founder and CEO of 2Gether-International, to unpack why the daily problem-solving required to navigate life with a disability mirrors the resilience required to build companies. We explore systemic funding barriers, the poverty trap created by benefits cliffs, and how designing for Disability unlocks innovation that benefits everyone.

"It's not me, it's the people that work around me. If you have a good, strong team and everyone's focused on the same goals, it makes everything a lot easier." Eric Yates, VP EHS at Balfour Beatty US Most organizations say they want to scale safety. Fewer are willing to scale accountability, trust, and the right expertise along with it. That’s where things break down. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Eric Yates, VP of Environmental Health & Safety at Balfour Beatty, to talk about what it really takes to build high-performing EHS teams across complex, multi-state operations. With 27 years in construction and heavy civil, Eric shares hard-earned lessons on navigating OSHA, state plans, MSHA, DOT, and FRA requirements, without losing sight of the people doing the work. We dig into why regional expertise beats one-size-fits-all staffing, how project-based safety professionals can scale with demand, and why chasing a “perfect” safety record may actually undermine reporting. If you’re serious about embedding a people-first safety culture at scale, this conversation will challenge you and equip you to lead differently.

"What we're trying to do is prevent (protect) the most precious cargo, the people. Right? And that's what the systems are designed for. That's why we're really proud to have some of those top safety ratings in the industry.”- Jennifer Morrison, Director, Vehicle Safety Strategy at Mazda Most of us don’t think about vehicle safety until something goes wrong. That’s a problem. Because the real work of safety happens long before impact. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Jennifer Morrison, Director of Vehicle Safety Strategies at Mazda North America, to talk about what it really takes to prevent crashes, not just investigate them. With two decades of experience at the NTSB and NHTSA, Jennifer brings a powerful perspective on why affordability should never mean compromising protection. We unpack how data is proving that technologies like automatic emergency braking prevent up to 60% of rear-end crashes, why making blind spot monitoring standard is a leadership decision, not a luxury one, and how regulators, manufacturers, and human drivers intersect at highway speeds. If you care about fleet safety, workplace risk, or the people riding in your car, this conversation is for you.

"There are five aspects to a safety program that if you align to these five elements and you connect them, the more connection points that you have between them, the better and stronger your safety program will be.” Steve Davis, VP of EHS at Forbes Brothers Companies Most organisations I work with are investing heavily in safety, but still not getting the results they expect. That’s exactly why this conversation with Steve Davis mattered so much to me. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I talk to Steve Davis, Vice President of EHS at Forbes Brothers Companies. Steve brings a rare mix of operational experience and practical clarity to a space that’s often cluttered with noise. We dig into why disconnected safety programs fail, even when they look great on paper. Steve walks through a five-element framework that helps leaders connect the dots between programs, processes, metrics, communication, and structure, turning activity into real protection. We also talk candidly about why “good catches” tell you far more about your culture than lagging indicators, why high-energy hazards require a different mindset, and how to turn data into lessons people actually remember.

"Brennan's really looking to take a different approach with employee safety. We're gonna start looking at bringing people on who have the personality for it and who are trainable." Victor Buhr, Director of Safety at J.F. Brennan Company OK everyone, this is one of those conversations that really reframes how we think about safety leadership. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Victor Buhr, Director of Safety at J.F. Brennan Company, a century-old marine construction and environmental remediation firm, operating in the US and Canada with over 600 employees. Together, they explore why the future of safety isn’t about being the “cop on site,” but about earning trust and genuinely caring whether people make it home. Victor breaks down why Brennan hires for personality and trainability before credentials, how they build safety training that actually sticks in a surge-demand, high-risk industry, and what it takes to manage compliance and skills verification at scale. At the heart of it all is a simple truth: safety isn’t paperwork, it’s people, their families, and the responsibility leaders carry every single day. This one’s for anyone ready to move safety from compliance to culture.

"One of my phrases is make it easy for people to follow the rules. And I understand that if we've got a trade going from one general contractor to another, you want it to be as consistent as possible.” Kathryn Prus, EHS Director at Skanska OK, everyone, this one hits at the heart of what actually makes safety work at scale. The secret sauce isn’t stricter rules, but making it easier for people to follow them. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Kathryn Prus, Environmental Health & Safety Director at Skanska, for a grounded and honest conversation about building safety cultures that people want to be part of. We dig into why consistency across trade partners matters more than adding another rule, how authentic leadership creates real psychological safety on job sites, and what it takes to engage crews beyond compliance checklists. Kathryn shares practical strategies, from standardising expectations across projects to using hands-on, gamified approaches that get workers actively spotting hazards instead of tuning out. We also talk openly about mental health in construction and why making space for those conversations isn’t optional anymore. This episode is about moving safety from paperwork to people, so everyone goes home safe at the end of the day.

"I've been and seen 400 page safety manuals. I'm like, dude, nobody reads these. If we can make it relatable, if we can make it consumable for the people so that if you don't have to think as hard, it makes sense.” Josh Brown, VP of OHS at B&S Site Development In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Josh Brown, VP of OHS at B&S Site Development, for a grounded, honest conversation about what real safety leadership actually looks like in the field. As organisations scale across regions and complexity grows, Josh makes a compelling case for why empathy, presence, and practicality matter more than bloated manuals and checkbox compliance. We talk about walking the job, listening to crews, and designing safety programmes that people will actually use, not just sign off on. Josh also shares how he scaled a safety function from a one-person role to a 30-person team in under two years, without losing trust or burning people out. This is a conversation about leading humans, not enforcing rules, about turning safety from an obligation into an advantage. If you’re building, scaling, or rethinking your safety approach, this one’s for you.

"If safety is number one, okay, all your employees are gonna stay home and wrap themselves in bubble wrap. And guess what? Bye bye, company." Dylan Laser, Director of Safety at Kinsley Construction. OK, everyone, this episode challenges one of the most familiar phrases in our industry, and honestly, it might change how you think about safety altogether. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Dylan Laser, Safety Director at Kinsley Construction, to unpack why saying “safety is number one,” often does more harm than good in real operations, and what actually works instead. Drawing from his experience overseeing safety across 2,500+ employees and multiple business divisions, Dylan shares why safety can’t live in isolation from productivity and efficiency. We talk about moving beyond checkbox compliance, building policies with field teams, and shifting from the role of safety police to trusted partner. Dylan also offers a candid look at where internal teams hit their limits, why smart outsourcing isn’t failure, and how connecting safety to business outcomes transforms culture, credibility, and results. If you’re serious about building safety that scales, and sticks, this one’s for you.

"My whole goal is to drive operational excellence, but operational excellence is part of EHS, or EHS is part of operational excellence, if you do it appropriately. It shouldn't be siloed and separate. It should be together." - David Payton, VP of EHS at TSC Construction OK, everyone, this episode goes straight at one of the most persistent failures in our industry: treating safety like a standalone function instead of what it really is; an operational responsibility. On this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with David Payton, VP of EHS at TSC Construction, to unpack why siloed safety programs don’t just fail audits, they fail people and margins. Drawing on two decades of experience across construction, maritime, telecommunications, and large-scale operations, David breaks down how integrating EHS directly into operations changes accountability, leadership buy-in, and business performance. We talk about tying safety to P&L, building scalable training systems across 23 markets, and why executive hiring interviews may be your most overlooked risk control. This conversation is about moving past compliance theatre and building safety systems that actually work, on the jobsite, in the field, and on the balance sheet.

"You don't just train everybody one time and say, okay. Everybody's good. You don't need any more training. You have to constantly be reminding people." - Brian Biancavilla, Director of EHS at Trelleborg Engineered Coated Fabrics OK, everyone, this one cuts straight to the heart of what actually separates real safety leadership from safety theatre. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Brian Biancavilla, EHS Director at Trelleborg Engineered Coated Fabrics, and a 35-year veteran of emergency response, hazmat remediation, and EHS leadership at scale. Brian challenges the idea that safety is something you can manage from a spreadsheet or a policy binder, and shows why your frontline teams are your most powerful early warning system, if you’re willing to truly listen and follow through. We get into building vendor partnerships that actually work, navigating corporate gatekeeping without stalling critical safety investments, and the thinking behind a $400K fire alarm system that became the most advanced in the county. This conversation is about paying attention to the subtleties, investing where it matters, and building people-driven safety cultures that hold up under real-world pressure.

"You don't wanna just walk in and say, okay, here's your new program, now implement it. You gotta figure out, does it work? Why is it working other places? Why isn't it working here?" - David Leff, VP and Board Member at Sustainable Ohio OK everyone, this one cuts right to the heart of what’s broken in how we approach safety, and how to fix it. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with David Leff, VP and Board Member at Sustainable Ohio, and a 25-year veteran in insurance and risk management. David challenges the idea that safety starts and ends with compliance and shares what he’s learned leading risk programmes across 77 international facilities, in 11 countries, for a 15,000 head count, and why the most effective safety systems are built on understanding why the rules exist, not just enforcing them. We dig into data-driven site assessments, high-risk roles like forklift operations, and how real ownership beats fear-based training every time. This conversation is about moving past compliance theatre and building safety programmes that protect people, perform at scale, and stand up to real-world pressure.

"Safety is relationship management. That's what it comes down to. It's being able to connect with people and understand their needs and what they wanna see and how they wanna see it and responding to them." - Tom Garske, President, Garske Consulting OK, everyone, this one’s for the builders, supers, and owner-operators who are running lean teams and still trying to do safety the right way. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Tom Garske to unpack what real safety leadership looks like when you don’t have mega-project resources. Tom breaks down why relationships and not rules drive safer crews, how day-one expectations create real behavioural change, and why multilingual communication can’t be an afterthought. We get candid about the high-risk areas that sink small contractors, the business case for investing in training, and the tough calls that save both lives and budgets. If you’re juggling margins and safety, this conversation is your blueprint.

"I don't care if the people are safe. I care if the people care to be safe. And that might be a play on words, but they've gotta get it. When they get it, your job's done." - Stew Murphy, Director of EHS at Mactac NA OK, everyone, this one’s for the leaders who know safety isn’t a scoreboard, it’s a mindset. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Stew Murphy to dig into what really drives a culture where people choose to work safely, not just follow the rulebook. Stew shares why chasing zero misses the point, how to uncover the blind spots hiding in your investigations, and the simple “Would you let your daughter do it this way?” question that cuts through resistance instantly. We get real about scaling culture across multiple sites, rebuilding trust after acquisitions, and why listening, truly listening, might be the most powerful safety tool you already have.

"If you're genuine about adhering to your code of ethics and applying that, you just try and find people of good character and good integrity." Kate McGee, Director of Health and Safety at Pennoni OK, everyone, this one’s for the leaders trying to scale safety across big, complex teams without adding layers of noise or bureaucracy. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Kate McGee, Director and Corporate Health and Safety Officer at Pennoni. We dig into what it really takes to keep a 1,400-person organisation aligned, aware, and engaged. Kate breaks down why cultural ownership will always outperform compliance checkboxes, how lean safety teams thrive when expectations are clear, and why smart engineers become your best problem-solvers when you give them the right context. If you’re growing fast, struggling with message dilution, or hiring for the next phase of your safety program, this conversation gives you the playbook.

"Our philosophy is behavior-based. We focus on the why and not the what, and we feel that having the human element really is where you can have an impact." Steve Catherman, VP of Safety at Tecta America Commercial Roofing OK, everyone, this one’s for the leaders who are growing fast and feeling that pressure to “keep the safety culture together,” while everything around you scales, shifts, and sometimes cracks. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Steve Catherman, VP of Safety at Tecta America Commercial Roofing, to break down why trust, not compliance, always wins when you’re spread across 107 offices. Steve shares how 30 years of coaching shaped his leadership style, why acquisitions demand a culture-first mindset, and how consistency in regional contact cadence builds the kind of relationships that make safety stick. If you’re tired of playing safety cop and ready to build a culture that actually saves lives, this conversation is your blueprint.

"The first thing that I wanted to do, I aligned our leadership and our organization to create a framework of trust where every year we build upon people telling us more and more near misses." Matt Barnes, Director of Environmental, Health, and Safety at MD&A OK, everyone, this one’s for the safety pros who know that real leadership doesn’t come from policies, it’s forged from building trust in the field. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Matt Barnes, Director of Environmental, Health, and Safety at MD&A, who’s built safety programs everywhere from North American manufacturing plants to the power stations of Antarctica. We unpack why trust beats bureaucracy, how near misses can become your biggest competitive advantage, and why hiring practitioners over paper credentials changes everything. Matt’s got the scars and the stories to prove that culture, not compliance, drives real results. If you’ve ever wondered what “doing safety right” really looks like, this conversation will show you.

"It actually costs more time and money to do it unsafe in the end, once you've had an incident, than to do safety directly." - David Doggette, Director of Safety at LPX Group Okay, safety leaders, this one’s for anyone trying to scale safety across multiple sites, teams, and regulations without losing focus on what really matters: your people. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with David Doggette, Senior Safety Professional at LPX Group, to unpack how a family-run heavy civil contractor is building a safety-first culture across 650+ employees. David shares lessons from his Army background, why mentorship beats micromanagement, and how drones and AI audits are reshaping safety intelligence in real time. If you’ve ever wondered how to turn compliance from a checkbox into a business advantage, this conversation will change how you think about ownership, leadership, and what “safe” really means on the job.

"Language is inextricably linked to life, and when we address it holistically, we actually find that you can drive safety and retain the talent." Monique Lewis, Founder and CEO of Next 2 Native Language Learning OK, everyone, this one’s for everyone leading diverse teams while tackling multilingual challenges on the job site. The right words in the right language and context go a long way towards saving lives. And that’s why in this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Monique Lewis, CEO of Next 2 Native Language Learning, to unpack how language barriers can make, or break, workplace safety. Monique shares why traditional translation just isn’t cutting it, how preliterate workers navigate safety materials, and what real inclusion looks like when every word matters. This conversation gets right to the heart of safety culture, because when people can’t understand the message, they can’t stay safe.

"Every one of our potential customers talks about safety with us. It's actually a part of our conversation, and it will just take one incident, and our license to operate goes away." Karim Ibrik, COO at Rondo Energy OK, everyone, this one’s packed with insight and real-world impact. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Karim Ibrik, COO of Rondo Energy, to discuss how his team balances rapid clean tech innovation with unwavering safety standards. Karim walks us through managing high-risk heat battery technology, building trust as a startup in traditional industrial spaces, and scaling safety programs across global operations. We talk strategy, leadership, and why embedding safety into every decision isn’t just compliance; it’s your license to operate.

"I always reference what I call the three e's - educate, empower, and enforce. The older and more mature I get, the more I realize that enforcement works better if you're more positive than negative." Colby Davis, Safety Director, Ervin Cable Construction OK, everyone, this one is packed with wisdom and heart. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Colby Davis, Director of Safety at Ervin Cable Construction, to unpack how his team brought their incident rate down from industry average to just 0.1 while scaling to 1,700 employees. Colby walks me through his “Three E’s Framework,” Educate, Empower, Enforce and how combining data analytics, hands-on driver training, and blended learning has completely reshaped their safety culture. We talk leadership, accountability, and the real power of empowering people to protect one another. If you care about safety that truly sticks, this one’s for you.

"We have to get to the point in safety in general across the construction industry, where the safe choice is always the easy choice. And, I mean, I hate to say it, we're not there yet." - Chris Daniels, Senior Safety Director at Mortenson. Safety excellence requires making the safe choice the easy choice, especially in a high-risk construction environment. On this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Chris Daniels, Senior Safety Director at Mortenson, to unpack what safety leadership truly looks like across high-risk projects, from wind farms to data centers. Chris brings 16 years of field-tested experience and a refreshing honesty about what works and what doesn’t. We dig into why making the safe choice the easy choice is the future of construction safety, how compliance-only thinking can hold teams back, and why real progress starts with empowering workers, not just tracking metrics. If you care about building safety cultures that last, this one’s for you.

"Safety should be about getting people home, and it should be about the people, not about meeting the bare minimum because the law says we have to." Ecudemio Gutierrez, Director of Safety at DC Water. OK, everyone, if you really care about the people who work for you and getting them home safe every day, this episode is for you. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Ecudemio Gutierrez, Director of Safety at DC Water, to explore how psychology and culture are reshaping our approach to safety. Ecudemio shares his journey from pipefitter to safety leader, why cultural fit matters as much as technical skills, and how new tools, such as QR-coded training videos, are breaking through language barriers. We also dig into the root causes of unsafe choices and their permanent fixes, leadership succession, and building inclusive safety programs.

"Creating an environment where people feel comfortable to report said near misses is critical." - Jo Pina Hello and welcome everyone. For a start, this one’s packed with rich insights you can use and apply right away at your workplace, and on a personal level, I’ve waited a long time and looked forward to meeting Jo Pina on this week's episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management. Jo is the Global Director of EHSS at Footprint and a 20-year safety veteran who’s worked across infrastructure, utilities, and construction. Together, we dive into how near-miss reporting signals the maturity of your safety culture, why psychological safety matters more than policies, and how diverse voices drive stronger outcomes. Jo shares how to align KPIs with business goals, build programs even with limited resources, and break barriers for women in safety leadership.

"Safety doesn't start on the ground. It doesn't start on the roof. It starts right here, and to me, safety starts with mental health.” Jeanne Boyd Curtis OK, everyone, this one is packed with wisdom and heart. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Jeanne Boyd Curtis, COO of Boyd Bone Dry, to explore what it really takes to build a safety-first culture in construction. Jeanne shares how her multi-generational roofing company balances growth with unwavering safety standards, from daily training videos to prioritising mental health on the job site. We dig into subcontractor accountability, workers’ comp, and why safety isn’t just compliance, it’s family. If you lead people, this episode will challenge and inspire you.