Leading And Learning Through Safety

This week on the "Leading and Learning through Safety" podcast, Dr. Mark French delves into the importance of safety in fostering effective communication within organizations. He emphasizes that a safe environment is crucial for encouraging empathy, innovation, and empowerment. Dr. French discusses a compelling journal article from the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, which explores the relationship between weekly fluctuations in mental health and workplace silence. The article reveals how anxiety and depression can lead to either withholding important information (silence) or speaking only about safe, non-controversial topics (voice), impacting overall communication and safety in the workplace.Dr. French stresses that safety is the foundation for meaningful interaction and organizational success. He shares insights from his own experiences and research, underscoring the need for leaders to create a space where employees feel heard and valued. Effective communication about safety issues is

This week's episode of the "Leading and Learning through Safety" podcast, hosted by Dr. Mark French, delves into the dynamics of silence and voice in the workplace, particularly their impact on safety and team motivation. Dr. French emphasizes the significance of creating a safe environment for employees, both physically and psychologically. He discusses a journal article from the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology titled "Too Depressed and Anxious to Speak Up," which explores how mental health fluctuations influence employees' willingness to communicate.Dr. French highlights the importance of safety as a foundational need in the workplace, referencing Maslow's hierarchy of needs. He stresses that without safety, both physical and psychological, employees cannot progress or feel part of a team. The podcast also covers the critical distinction between voice and silence, noting that they are not opposite ends of a spectrum but can coexist in complex ways. Dr. French sha

French, delves into the theme of safety in the media, focusing on its portrayal and the importance of accurate reporting. Dr. French shares his background in journalism and expresses his frustration with the media's handling of workplace safety incidents. He highlights a specific example of a misleading news headline about a fatal machinery accident, emphasizing that the term "mishap" downplays the severity of such incidents. Dr. French stresses the need for proper safety measures, like lockout/tagout procedures, to prevent accidents.In the second half of the podcast, Dr. French contrasts poor journalism with a well-researched article from the Wall Street Journal about a BP refinery explosion. He criticizes the handling of safety alarms at the refinery and the inadequate penalties imposed by OSHA, illustrating how companies prioritize profit over employee safety. He applauds managers who prioritize shutting down operations to address safety issues but laments that safety is still often compromi

This week's episode of the "Leading and Learning Through Safety" podcast, hosted by Dr. Mark French, delves into the significance of safety in workplaces, particularly focusing on forklift and powered industrial vehicle incidents. Dr. French emphasizes the importance of creating strong organizational values, providing learning opportunities, fostering teamwork, and ensuring safety to protect employees.The episode begins with a discussion on an occupational accident involving a forklift that resulted in a fatality. Dr. French reflects on the human impact of workplace accidents and the importance of addressing significant injuries and potential fatalities. He highlights the need for organizations to focus on safety, investing time and effort in training and preparing employees to handle heavy equipment and other high-risk tasks safely.Dr. French also discusses the broader issue of workplace safety culture, questioning why some organizations fail to prioritize safety despite the severe consequence

This episode of the "Leading and Learning Through Safety" podcast, hosted by Dr. Mark French, recaps the Tennessee Safety Conference in Nashville. Dr. French highlights the importance of both physical and psychological safety in the workplace, emphasizing that psychological safety is crucial for employees to feel comfortable reporting safety issues. He reflects on the conference's powerful session on state investigations of workplace fatalities, underscoring the heavy responsibility of safety professionals to prevent such tragedies.Dr. French also discusses the importance of continuous learning and professional development for safety professionals, drawing parallels to other professions that require ongoing education. He describes some key trends and new technologies showcased at the conference, such as advanced fall protection standards, innovative cooling vests, and new styles of hardhats with various accessories.The episode concludes with a reminder of the critical role of safety professiona

This episode of the "Leading and Learning Through Safety" podcast, hosted by Dr. Mark French, focuses on chemical safety and the importance of robust safety programs in workplaces dealing with high-heat chemical processes. Dr. French discusses a recent fatal fire in Chattanooga involving a chemical reaction used in a metal hardening process called nitriding. He highlights the critical role of safety systems and emergency response plans in preventing and managing such incidents.Dr. French expresses concern over the company's apparent lack of visible leadership and environmental safety commitments on their website, suggesting that these elements are crucial for effective safety culture. He also mentions his upcoming presentation at the Tennessee Safety Conference, where he will discuss the intersection of physical and psychological safety in workplaces, emphasizing the significant influence of leadership on organizational safety.Throughout the podcast, Dr. French underscores the importance of lea

The podcast episode delves into the intersection of core values, ethics, and legislation within organizations, particularly focusing on safety and leadership. It discusses the debate surrounding whether a company can truly embody ethics, arguing that while companies may have written value statements, it ultimately depends on the individuals within the organization to uphold those values. The host reflects on the distinction between written laws and their underlying intent, emphasizing the importance of both adherence to regulations and understanding their spirit. The episode underscores the role of influential leadership in fostering a culture of safety and ethical behavior within companies, criticizing instances where companies prioritize profit over safety despite stating safety as a top priority. 

On this episode of the "Leading and Learning through Safety" podcast, Dr. Mark French discusses the significance of ethics in relation to workplace safety and its impact on the workforce. He emphasizes the importance of core values in creating a safe and healthy work environment, highlighting how companies often struggle to align their actions with their stated values. Dr. French explores the consequences of deviating from ethical standards, particularly in the context of safety, where such deviations can lead to serious accidents or fatalities. He shares insights from leadership literature, including exercises to identify personal core values and assess their alignment with corporate values. Dr. French underscores the link between adherence to core values and employee retention, emphasizing the detrimental effects of forcing employees to compromise their values for survival. Through this discussion, he sets the stage for further exploration of ethics and core values in the workplace.

In this episode of the "Leading and Learning Through Safety" podcast, Dr. Mark French discusses the absence of science in decision-making and its impact. He reflects on a 1979 documentary titled "Song of the Canary: The DBCP Story," which explores a chemical plant's discovery of harmful effects due to the absence of data. Dr. French delves into how organizations sometimes turn a blind eye to critical information, citing examples of privately funded studies being shelved for years. He highlights the importance of transparency in scientific research and the need for collaboration to address safety concerns effectively. Dr. French concludes by emphasizing the significance of shared knowledge and collective effort in ensuring workplace safety.

In this episode of the "Leading and Learning Through Safety" podcast, Dr. Mark French focuses on communication. He emphasizes the importance of effective communication in leadership, particularly in the context of safety. Dr. French discusses the challenges of two-way communication, highlighting the need for understanding and acknowledgment. He explores tools like the Blanchard SLII system to assess motivation and knowledge levels, stressing the significance of knowing one's audience. Dr. French also touches on the pitfalls of ineffective communication, such as using it as a weapon or failing to ensure clarity. Overall, the episode underscores the role of communication in building a positive safety culture within organizations.

In this podcast episode, Dr. Mark French discusses workplace violence, emphasizing the importance of people-first leadership that prioritizes the safety and well-being of employees. He highlights recent incidents of workplace violence and acknowledges the challenges in predicting and preventing such incidents. Dr. French stresses the need for open communication channels within organizations to address early warning signs of potential violence.He delves into the issue of burnout in the workplace, attributing it to overwork and increased expectations during and after the pandemic. Dr. French discusses the importance of developing a comprehensive communication strategy that fosters openness and accountability.The podcast touches on the topic of security measures, such as controlling access through badges and monitoring individuals entering the premises. Dr. French emphasizes the significance of creating a proactive culture within organizations and being willing to address the intersection of personal and work li

In this episode, we talk about the control of hazardous energy.

In this podcast, we chat about workplace violence and the environment around workers. 

This week, the podcast is focused on what leads to a corporate culture of uncaring and apathy. Until, that is, something goes terribly wrong. 

This week we talk about cultures that erode good people practices

This week, we review the previous year and talk about accelerating leadership and safety for 2024.

This week, we take a brief look at what is on the horizon with OSHA for 2024

A study found that the number of injuries reported in January is higher than in December. We talk about this in this week's podcast

The Dunning-Kruger effect states that those with less knowledge may be more confident about that knowledge. How do we, as leaders, help guide those to learn more and challenge their understanding without belittling or sounding condescending?  All that and more in this podcast episode

This week, I talk about my own leadership journey and some of my own personal biases. There have been some key moments in my career and life that led to how I react. The good news is understanding leads to real change