In this episode, Apolonia is joined by Felix Nater, president and owner of Nater Associates. Felix and his security management consulting firm work with clients to implement workplace security strategy with an emphasis on workplace violence prevention. Today’s topics include: * Workplace safety and violence prevention. * Felix’s approach to safety training, which emphasizes empathy and emotional intelligence. * The importance of practical and common-sense approaches to OSHA compliance, rather than a sledgehammer approach that doesn't invite dialogue or communication. * Frustration with ine ..read more

In this episode, Apolonia is joined by Andrew Boyd, a former cybersecurity consultant who ditched his desk job, strapped on a helmet and a harness, and found a more fulfilling career in the trees. What can safety professionals learn from a man who prunes trees, chops down trees, removes deadwood and trees, and grinds tree stumps? A lot, apparently! Listen to this episode to find out! Today’s topics include: * Andrew started in software engineering but found the desk job isolating, leading him to explore tree climbing as a way to combine problem-solving and physical activity. *Andrew’s trans ..read more

In this episode, Apolonia is joined by Tyler Traweek, the Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Manager at Conco Services LLC. Tyler is passionate about the mental and psychological side of safety and creating a safety culture that protects workers' bodies and minds. He wants to eliminate the blame of human error and encourage safety professionals to look at their systems and how they can account for the inevitable mistakes humans make. Today’s topics include:  * How standards for safety culture have changed over time * Why human error isn’t the root cause of accidents * Fixing the system ..read more

In this episode, Apolonia is joined by Daniel Yates, who owns his own video production and media company dedicated to blue-collar workers- especially in construction. He is passionate about highlighting the experience of the blue-collar worker, and making them feel seen, valued, and heard. Today’s topics include: * Making sure safety professionals truly understand who they’re serving * The brotherhood and connection between blue-collar workers * What an outsider can learn from being on a job site * The biggest pain points of career paths in construction * Not just building, but developing * Ho ..read more

In this episode, Apolonia is joined by Russ Kane, the fire chief of True Safety’s local Galeton Fire Protection District who also happens to have a background in safety management. Russ is passionate about advocating for employees and working with them to build up trust and create a successful safety culture. Today’s topics include: * How Russ sees safety is his day-to-day life * Learning about safety from past generations of workers * Having a practical perspective on safety * Understanding how to keep employees safe by working in their shoes * Why respect goes a long way when enforcing tough ..read more

In this first episode under the new name, Dangerous Jobs, Apolonia is joined by Rory Mele, a field safety professional and the Director of Environmental Health and Safety at BHI who is especially passionate about suicide prevention and mental health in the workplace. Today’s topics include: * How the holiday season can bring a sense of sadness and bring down mental health for some * Why working in health and safety is very personal * Creating healthy and safe company cultures and supporting the total health of workers * Building a resilient workforce in the face of high suicide rates * Program ..read more

In this episode, Apolonia is once again joined by Chris Cameron, the Director of the Occupational Health Program at Makovicka Physical Therapy, to continue their conversation on preventative safety measures. Today’s topics include: * Recent stories of workplace incidents and what went wrong * How employers can be more proactive with preventative safety measures * The effectiveness of a pre-shift stretch program * How pre-screening your employees can identify possible injuries before they happen * Why listening to your employees and giving them validation helps with the recovery process Thanks ..read more

In this episode, Apolonia is joined by Chris Cameron, the Director of the Occupational Health Program at Makovicka Physical Therapy, for a conversation on: * The tragedy and collateral damage that comes with workplace accidents * How companies can be proactive about preventing injuries * Makovicka’s screening process in evaluating injury trends and creating early injury intervention plans * Listening to employee’s concerns and getting them better prepared before an injury even happens * Staying with companies and their employees every step of the way to ensure the best safety outcomes each yea ..read more

In this week’s episode, we’re switching things up to bring you a recent interview that Apolonia did with fellow safety podcaster, Dr. Jay Allen on Safety FM. Listen in for a new perspective on Apolonia’s journey into the safety industry, and get more insight into the state of the industry today. Check out Jay Allen and Safety FM: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjayallen/ Website: https://safetyfm.com/ The Jay Allen Show: https://jayallenshow.com/episodes Apolonia Rockwell is the Founder and CEO of True Safety Services and True Safety University. Learn more about “The True Safety Podcas ..read more

In this week’s episode, Apolonia is joined by Paul Henczel, a TEDx speaker and author of Crushed Alive, where he tells the tragic story of a horrific workplace accident that he barely escaped with his life. Paul didn’t let this accident stop him, and instead took his story to the world to inspire and motivate others to change the way they think about and practice safety. You’ll get to hear a little bit of Paul’s story today as well as a great conversation on how to recover from a workplace accident and how safety professionals need to pay attention to and learn from these stories to create a b ..read more