The Safety Geek Podcast: Geeking Out About Workplace Safety

Hosted by Safety Brye

Business Education

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Episodes

146

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Oct 2026

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About the show

The Safety Geek coaches and trains workplace safety managers, who struggle with support and commitment, effective strategies to change their company’s culture and to become safety leaders. I am dedicated to helping the industrial safety manager improve their health and safety program. Whether you are an experienced EHS professional or you are new to the safety field, I am here to guide you to implement the best workplace safety program. Every week I will answer questions that have come in through the website or dive deep into a safety topic; I will cover issues such as management commitment, safety culture, behavior-based safety, safety awareness, employee involvement, the psychology of safety and so much more.

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60 recent

October 5, 2026Episode 14631 min

How to Build Your Safety Program in the Right Order

Ever feel like you know exactly what's wrong with your safety program... and still have no idea where to start? You're buried in work that was never really yours. Leadership nods along, and nothing changes. And your to-do list is a mile long, with every item on it feeling urgent. In this final episode of the series, I put the whole Safety Leadership Roadmap in one place. You'll see how every piece connects, the order to build your safety program in so it quietly changes how management sees safety...and why hiring more safety staff is the wrong move. When safety staff take on the work, management never has to...so their beliefs about safety never change. Plus, you'll hear what happened when I asked my boss to hire me an assistant and got told no. And how long building all of this really takes...90 days at a time. Full show notes: https://thesafetygeek.com/146 Links Mentioned: Check out the Safety Leadership Academy Book a free Safety Leadership Roadmap Session Episode 140: The Safety Leadership Roadmap Episode 141: Why Everything You Were Taught Keeps You Stuck Episode 142: Stop Being a Department of One Episode 143: How to Get Leadership to Actually Listen Episode 144: How to Sell Safety Like a Marketer Episode 145: How to Build the Confidence to Step Up in Safety Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you liked it, be sure to share it with your best safety friend. It's a goal of The Safety Geek to elevate the role of the safety manager, and that is why I share tips and resources on how you can manage your safety program more effectively. Visit the website at https://TheSafetyGeek.com Subscribe to the YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/safetygeek Sign up for the Safety Leadership Newsletter, where I share exclusive tips, content, forms, and templates at https://TheSafetyGeek.com/Newsletter Follow me @ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSafetyGeek LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brye-sargent/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safety_brye/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thesafetygeek/

September 28, 2026Episode 14540 min

How to Build the Confidence to Step Up in Safety

You were really good at your job, somebody noticed, and you got promoted into safety. You learned as you went and got good at it... but somewhere along the way, you built a bubble around yourself. When the only way you know how to do safety is the way it's done in your building, it's really hard to see what's possible for you. Maybe the pay is low. Maybe the job stopped challenging you. Or maybe you already know it's time to move on, and you just don't have the confidence to take that next step. That confidence doesn't show up while you're inside the bubble. In this episode I walk you through the 4 C's of Confidence (and why "fake it till you make it" actually stalls you), how to build a braggable track record of results, how to get outside your bubble, and how to set your own bar. Plus how Rhett and Wesley stepped outside theirs and landed $35,000 and $50,000 raises. Full show notes: https://thesafetygeek.com/145 Links Mentioned: Free Safety Career Journey Quiz Safety Leadership Roadmap Session Episode 144: How to Sell Safety Like a Marketer Episode 143: How to Get Leadership to Actually Listen Episode 142: Stop Being a Department of One Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you liked it, be sure to share it with your best safety friend. It's a goal of The Safety Geek to elevate the role of the safety manager, and that is why I share tips and resources on how you can manage your safety program more effectively. Visit the website at https://TheSafetyGeek.com Subscribe to the YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/safetygeek Sign up for the Safety Leadership Newsletter, where I share exclusive tips, content, forms, and templates at https://TheSafetyGeek.com/Newsletter Follow me @ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSafetyGeek LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brye-sargent/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safety_brye/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thesafetygeek/

September 21, 2026Episode 14440 min

How to Sell Safety Like a Marketer

You had the regulation AND the data. You explained it clearly... and a manager still looked at you and said, "We're not going to do that right now." So you explained it again. A little louder, with a few more citations. And nothing changed. It took me years to figure out that people act on what they believe, and a citation rarely changes a belief. So whether you signed up for it or not, you're selling safety... to employees, supervisors, and your leadership team. In this episode I break down 3 strategies marketers use to shift a belief, including the 7-11-4 rule. And I'll show you how to use the 5 minutes you get in the management meeting to finally get the buy-in you've been asking for. Full show notes: https://thesafetygeek.com/144 Links Mentioned: Free SMIS Guide Safety Leadership Roadmap Session Episode 143: How to Get Leadership to Actually Listen Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you liked it, be sure to share it with your best safety friend. It's a goal of The Safety Geek to elevate the role of the safety manager, and that is why I share tips and resources on how you can manage your safety program more effectively. Visit the website at https://TheSafetyGeek.com Subscribe to the YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/safetygeek Sign up for the Safety Leadership Newsletter, where I share exclusive tips, content, forms, and templates at https://TheSafetyGeek.com/Newsletter Follow me @ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSafetyGeek LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brye-sargent/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safety_brye/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thesafetygeek/

September 14, 2026Episode 14349 min

How to Get Leadership to Actually Listen

You walk into a management meeting with something that actually matters. A hazard, a training gap, a piece of equipment that's going to hurt somebody. And you watch their eyes glaze over. You get a nod, maybe a "we'll look at it," and then nothing happens. They do care about people getting hurt. They just don't believe it's going to happen this quarter, and the risk they can put a number on wins every time. In this episode I break down why leadership tunes safety out, and the 3 moves that get you heard in that room. Full show notes: https://thesafetygeek.com/143 LINKS MENTIONED Free SMIS Guide Safety Leadership Roadmap Session Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you liked it, be sure to share it with your best safety friend. It's a goal of The Safety Geek to elevate the role of the safety manager, and that is why I share tips and resources on how you can manage your safety program more effectively. Visit the website at https://TheSafetyGeek.com Subscribe to the YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/safetygeek Sign up for the Safety Leadership Newsletter, where I share exclusive tips, content, forms, and templates at https://TheSafetyGeek.com/Newsletter Follow me @ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSafetyGeek LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brye-sargent/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safety_brye/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thesafetygeek/

September 7, 2026Episode 14233 min

Stop Being a Department of One

Every inspection, every policy, every training, every near-miss follow-up routes back to you, and the to-do list never ends. You're the department of one. Being overwhelmed in safety isn't a time management problem. It's a design problem. In this episode I break down how you became the department of one, and the three moves that get you out. Full show notes: https://thesafetygeek.com/142 LINKS MENTIONED Free SMIS Guide Safety Leadership Roadmap Session Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you liked it, be sure to share it with your best safety friend. It's a goal of The Safety Geek to elevate the role of the safety manager, and that is why I share tips and resources on how you can manage your safety program more effectively. Visit the website at https://TheSafetyGeek.com Subscribe to the YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/safetygeek Sign up for the Safety Leadership Newsletter, where I share exclusive tips, content, forms, and templates at https://TheSafetyGeek.com/Newsletter Follow me @ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSafetyGeek LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brye-sargent/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safety_brye/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thesafetygeek/

August 31, 2026Episode 14136 min

Why Everything You Were Taught Keeps You Stuck

You were taught to know the regulations cold, enforce the rules, and catch what people are doing wrong — and that training is exactly what is capping your career. In this episode Brye names the safety cop trap, shows why compliance only ever buys you surface behavior instead of real buy-in, and tells the story of the wall she hit when her own team started hiding things from her. This is the belief shift the rest of the series is built on. Read the full show notes at: https://thesafetygeek.com/141 Links Mentioned: Download the free SMIS Guide Book a Safety Leadership Roadmap Session Episode 140: The Rockstar Safety Executive Roadmap Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you liked it, be sure to share it with your best safety friend. It's a goal of The Safety Geek to elevate the role of the safety manager, and that is why I share tips and resources on how you can manage your safety program more effectively. Visit the website at https://TheSafetyGeek.com Subscribe to the YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/safetygeek Sign up for the Safety Leadership Newsletter, where I share exclusive tips, content, forms, and templates at https://TheSafetyGeek.com/Newsletter Follow me @ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSafetyGeek LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brye-sargent/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safety_brye/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thesafetygeek/

August 24, 2026Episode 14044 min

The Safety Leadership Roadmap

This episode lays out the complete roadmap from safety manager to safety executive, starting with why safety gets handed all the responsibility and none of the authority. It breaks down the three things every safety lead actually wants (money, status and job security), the three things standing in the way (overwhelm, being ignored and a lack of confidence), and the Safety Management Cycle and Safety Influencer System that close the gap. Listeners will learn why compliance-based safety can never reach zero, and why influence rather than enforcement is what builds a safety career. Read the full show notes at: https://thesafetygeek.com/140 Links Mentioned: Download the free SMIS Guide Safety Leadership Academy The Artificial Authority Trap Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you liked it, be sure to share it with your best safety friend. It's a goal of The Safety Geek to elevate the role of the safety manager, and that is why I share tips and resources on how you can manage your safety program more effectively. Visit the website at https://TheSafetyGeek.com Subscribe to the YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/safetygeek Sign up for the Safety Leadership Newsletter, where I share exclusive tips, content, forms, and templates at https://TheSafetyGeek.com/Newsletter Follow me @ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSafetyGeek LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brye-sargent/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safety_brye/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thesafetygeek/

February 23, 2026Episode 13946 min

Women's PPE Safety: Why Fit Matters in Trades

This episode explores the critical importance of women's PPE safety and how properly fitting gear transforms workplace safety for women in the trades. It covers the risks of ill-fitting PPE, the true costs to organizations, and practical strategies to select and implement tailored safety solutions. Listeners will learn how to foster a safety culture that supports women and the future trends shaping women's workwear safety. Read the full shownotes at: https://thesafetygeek.com/139 Links Mentioned: Red Wing Shoes Time Stamps 00:00 Why Women’s PPE Fit Is a Safety Issue (Not Style) 01:48 Meet Tito Warren & Why This Topic Matters 03:06 Tito’s Global Safety Journey: Building Standards from the Ground Up 04:36 Women Entering the Trades Worldwide: What Tito Sees Internationally 07:32 The ‘Shrink It and Pink It’ Era—and Why It Had to End 08:43 Designing PPE ‘For Her’: How Red Wing Builds Fit the Right Way 10:19 Real-World Risks of Ill-Fitting PPE: Boots, Gloves, and Snag Hazards 14:56 The Business Case: Cost, Comfort, Productivity, and Compliance 20:46 Safety Culture Wins: Companies That Invest in the Best Gear 22:47 Getting Leadership Buy-In: Red Wing as a Partner, Not Just a Vendor 24:05 Leverage Suppliers as Safety Partners (Standards, Labs & Credibility) 26:06 Building a Safety Culture in Any Industry (Oil & Gas Lessons) 27:45 Align PPE to Hazard Assessments: Fit, Form, Function 28:55 The Future of PPE: Everyday Wear, More Comfort, More Compliance 33:11 Stop Buying Cheap PPE: Value, Risk, and Making Educated Choices 36:24 Fit Matters: Get Properly Fitted & Test PPE Before the Jobsite 39:31 Footwear as a Foundation: Long-Term Body Health & Injury Prevention 41:34 Respect & Inclusion: Why Women’s PPE Matters for Morale and Safety 42:45 Final Wrap-Up: How to Connect with Red Wing & Partner Up Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you liked it, be sure to share it with your best safety friend. It's a goal of The Safety Geek to elevate the role of the safety manager, and that is why I share tips and resources on how you can manage your safety program more effectively. Visit the website at https://TheSafetyGeek.com Subscribe to the YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/safetygeek Sign up for the Safety Leadership Newsletter, where I share exclusive tips, content, forms, and templates at https://TheSafetyGeek.com/Newsletter Follow me @ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSafetyGeek LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brye-sargent/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safety_brye/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thesafetygeek/

January 5, 2026Episode 13829 min

Safety Goal Setting Strategies That Drive Real Results

This podcast explores the challenges with traditional safety goal setting and presents ethical strategies that focus on controllable actions. Learn how reframing safety goals with a data-driven, action-oriented approach can improve safety culture and reduce workplace injuries. Gain insights into best practices for setting measurable safety goals and fostering accountability at all organizational levels. Links Mentioned: Safety Leadership Academy Atomic Habits by James Clear Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Safety Goals 01:11 Reflecting on the Past Year 02:55 The Problem with Traditional Safety Goals 04:53 Ethical and Control Issues in Safety Goals 11:31 Actionable Steps for Effective Safety Goals 16:51 Setting Personal and Organizational Goals 25:40 Conclusion and Looking Forward Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you liked it, be sure to share it with your best safety friend. It's a goal of The Safety Geek to elevate the role of the safety manager, and that is why I share tips and resources on how you can manage your safety program more effectively. Visit the website at https://TheSafetyGeek.com Subscribe to the YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/safetygeek Sign up for the Safety Leadership Newsletter, where I share exclusive tips, content, forms, and templates at https://TheSafetyGeek.com/Newsletter Follow me @ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSafetyGeek LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brye-sargent/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safety_brye/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thesafetygeek/

December 15, 2025Episode 13719 min

Safety Program Structure to Boost Engagement & Influence

This episode explores how traditional safety program structures limit engagement and offers a step-by-step guide to redesign roles and processes. Discover strategies to redistribute responsibilities, strengthen supervisor safety capabilities, and create meaningful employee participation. Learn why building influence over authority leads to sustainable safety improvements and how to measure continuous progress. Read the full show notes at https://thesafetygeek.com/137 Links Mentioned: Artificial Authority Trap Solving the Leadership Accountability Problem Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction: The Importance of Supervisor Involvement in Safety 00:57 Greeting and Personal Anecdote 01:23 Defining the Role of Frontline Supervisors in Safety 03:06 Challenges Faced by Supervisors 03:52 Tip 1: Integrate Safety into Daily Tasks 06:14 Tip 2: Combine Safety with Quality and Operations 08:32 Tip 3: Shadow Supervisors Regularly 09:51 Tip 4: Empower Employees 13:25 Tip 5: Conduct Regular Supervisor Meetings 17:27 Conclusion and Call to Action Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you liked it, be sure to share it with your best safety friend. It's a goal of The Safety Geek to elevate the role of the safety manager, and that is why I share tips and resources on how you can manage your safety program more effectively. Visit the website at https://TheSafetyGeek.com Subscribe to the YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/safetygeek Sign up for the Safety Leadership Newsletter, where I share exclusive tips, content, forms, and templates at https://TheSafetyGeek.com/Newsletter Follow me @ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSafetyGeek LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brye-sargent/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safety_brye/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thesafetygeek/

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