The Safety Guru

As we approach the end of another year, we’re celebrating the incredible journey we’ve shared, filled with powerful insights from inspiring global experts, transformative perspectives from thought leaders, and voices on a mission for change, all dedicated to making a difference. Take a moment to revisit these unforgettable stories and safety lessons with your host, Eric Michrowski, as he reflects on The Safety Guru’s most inspirational insights and top themes of 2025. From all of us at The Safety Guru, we wish you a bright and meaningful holiday season filled with happiness, hope, and safety. Thank you so much for listening, learning, and growing with us throughout the year!

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Join us for a deeply moving and powerful episode featuring Patrizia Cassaniti, a passionate safety advocate who transformed unimaginable tragedy into a mission for change. Patrizia recounts the heartbreaking loss of her son, Christopher, in a preventable construction incident caused by complacency and poor safety decisions. Through her story, she underscores the critical importance of putting workers’ safety first, fostering open communication, and creating a culture where workers feel empowered to speak up and know their safety concerns will be heard and respected. With passion and unwavering commitment, Patrizia challenges the production pressures so common in many workplaces and reminds us that every safety decision matters because everyone deserves to return home safely to their loved ones. Join us for this inspiring and heartfelt conversation about a mother’s mission to make workplaces safer and advocate for a safer tomorrow for all.

About the Guest:

Patrizia Cassaniti is an international award-winning work health and safety advocate whose lived experience has become a catalyst for cultural change across Australia’s workplaces. In 2019, her 18-year-old son, Christopher, was tragically killed when a scaffold collapsed—an incident that was entirely preventable. Since then, Patrizia has dedicated her life to confronting complacency and inspiring workers to speak up for safety without fear. Her presentations are raw, emotional, and unforgettable—reminding every worker why their family is the reason to work safely every day. Through her foundation, Touched by Christopher, Patrizia supports families who have lost a loved one at work, helping them grieve without the burden of financial stress.

For more Information: https://www.letstalkaboutsafety.com.au/

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What is safety voice, and why is it important? Don’t miss this exclusive conversation with our returning guest, Dr. Archana Tedone, Assistant Professor of Management in the Dolan School of Business at Fairfield University. Drawing on her latest research, Dr. Tedone shares expert insights on safety voice and the pivotal role leaders play in fostering open safety communication to create safer workplaces. She discusses the importance of building a culture where every team member feels comfortable voicing their safety concerns and speaking up about potential risks. Tune in as Archana encourages leaders to take every safety concern seriously and without bias, actively listen and involve teams in problem-solving, demonstrate genuine care and appreciation, and close the feedback loop to strengthen safety communication. Join us to discover the power of safety voice and learn practical ways to build a culture of speaking up and drive meaningful change.

About the Guest:

Archana M. Tedone, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Management in the Dolan School of Business at Fairfield University. Her research examines workplace communication, focusing on the factors that encourage or discourage communication about safety issues and concerns. Drawing from occupational health psychology and organizational behavior, she studies how leaders can create climates that promote open communication, trust, and proactive safety behaviors in high-stress environments such as healthcare and hybrid teams. Her research has been funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and published in leading academic journals. She serves on the editorial board of Occupational Health Science and the Executive Board of the Society for Occupational Health Psychology. In addition to her academic work, Dr. Tedone consults with organizations to strengthen safety culture, leadership effectiveness, and communication practices.

For more information: https://www.fairfield.edu/academics/majors-and-minors/management/faculty/

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“When we sleep, the brain produces tomorrow’s fuel.” Back for another compelling episode of The Safety Guru, sleep expert Dr Nicholas Mabbott returns to explore the fascinating sleep science for safer workplaces and its profound impact on our daily lives. Dr Nick breaks down the stages of sleep, emphasizing how quality sleep fuels our health, well-being, and overall safety. He reveals the dangers of sleep deficits, shares how fatigue impacts workplace performance, and provides practical strategies organizations can use to promote better sleep, reduce risk and absenteeism, and strengthen safety outcomes by proactively addressing fatigue risk. If you’re ready to wake up to the hidden risks fatigue brings and learn more about sleep science and its impact, this episode delivers powerful insights and practical tools to drive meaningful change. Tune in now to discover how better sleep can lead to safer, healthier, and more productive workplaces.

About the Guest:

Dr Nicholas Mabbott is a Fatigue Risk Management Specialist with over 28 years of experience in sleep and fatigue risk management. He has provided sleep and fatigue management training and education to over 34 thousand people from a wide range of industries. His recently published book, “The Wonder of Sleep: Beyond Midnight,” is a compilation of 27 years of learning about sleep and the benefits people get from appropriate sleep. The book challenges road safety professionals and sleep scientists to examine and test new theories on better managing sleep, workplace safety, and road safety. He also has a YouTube channel called “The Wonder of Sleep” with 23 videos.

For more information: www.beyondmidnight.org

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In this distinctive episode of The Safety Guru, renowned safety expert Dr Andrew Hopkins joins us to explore the critical lessons from the Boeing 737 MAX. Drawing from his latest book, Andrew unpacks a comprehensive analysis of its troubled history, uncovering flawed system design, organizational blind spots, and safety decisions that led to devastating consequences. He shares key learnings for boards and executives, emphasizing safety as a core responsibility and underscoring the importance of understanding and managing risk at the highest levels, while addressing how long-term safety performance is essential to sustainable business success. This information-rich episode delivers valuable takeaways on strengthening the role of safety governance, enhancing risk oversight, improving leadership accountability, and building safer systems for the future. Listen now!

About the Guest:

Andrew Hopkins is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the Australian National University, Canberra. He was a consultant to the U.S. Chemical Safety Board in its investigations of the 2005 BP Texas City Refinery disaster and the 2010 BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and served as an expert witness at the Royal Commission into the 1998 Exxon gas plant explosion near Melbourne. He has written books on these and other disasters, including in mining, and has consulted for major companies in the mining, petroleum, chemical, electrical, and defence industries. He speaks regularly to audiences around the world about the human and organisational causes of major accidents.

For more information: https://sociology.cass.anu.edu.au/people/professor-andrew-hopkins

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In recognition of World Mental Health Day, we present a powerful and timely conversation with our returning special guest, Beverly Beuermann-King, a seasoned expert in workplace mental health. Beverly shares her insights on two critical threats to workplace safety and well-being today: toxicity in the workplace and the importance of self-care for leaders. She explores real examples of toxic workplaces and offers actionable strategies to help leaders recognize warning signs, communicate effectively, and engage in difficult conversations to address issues head-on. Beverly also unpacks the deeper drivers behind workaholism, sharing how leaders can identify root causes, set healthy boundaries, and intentionally create space to rest, recharge, and reflect, prioritizing self-care to enhance both their own well-being and that of their teams. This episode highlights why mental health isn’t just a personal wellness matter; it’s a workplace safety issue that fosters a healthier, more resilient workplace culture. Tune in for expert insights to help leaders prevent burnout, navigate toxicity in the workplace, and build environments where people and organizations can truly thrive. 

About the Guest:

Beverly Beuermann-King has over 25 years of experience helping individuals and organizations master their responses to stress, build resilience, and thrive using her innovative S-O-S Principle™. Since founding WorkSmartLiveSmart.com in 1995, she has transformed teams across diverse business sectors. Her presentations, grounded in psychology, sociology, management, and adult education, offer practical strategies to enhance mental health and workplace well-being. She is also a prolific author, respected podcaster, and trusted media spokesperson, with over 500 television and radio appearances. Beverly currently serves as the National President of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers. Prepare to be captivated as she empowers you to conquer stress, cultivate resilience, and unlock the secrets to a healthier, more fulfilling life.

For more information: www.WorkSmartLiveSmart.com

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We welcome back Brandon Williams, former fighter pilot and seasoned expert in human factors and safety leadership, for another profound episode of The Safety Guru that you won’t want to miss! In this intriguing conversation, we explore The Debrief Culture, a powerful approach rooted in the debriefing method and mindset of elite fighter pilots that transforms organizational performance and builds a culture of continuous improvement. Drawing on his experience in high-stakes aviation environments, Brandon shares insights on creating a structured debrief culture that can be applied across industries to drive consistent accountability, clear communication, continuous learning, and sustainable growth. Tune in for a contemplative discussion on human factors leadership for accountability and learning, as Brandon unpacks actionable, practical strategies to help leaders build an effective debrief culture that fosters a high-growth mindset, combats complacency, and drives learning from both wins and missteps. Join us!

About the Guest:

Brandon Williams is a highly sought-after speaker, airline pilot, and human factors professor with over two decades of experience leading teams in some of the world’s most dynamic, complex, and high-risk environments. A former U.S. Air Force Fighter Pilot, Lieutenant Colonel, and Safety Officer, Brandon brings a unique blend of military precision, safety expertise, and real-world leadership to organizations striving for excellence in high-reliability industries. As a recognized expert in Human Factors and organizational safety, Brandon equips leaders with the strategies and tools to build High-Reliability Organizations (HROs) and High-Performance Teams across sectors, including transportation, healthcare, energy, construction, and manufacturing. His powerful keynotes and training sessions are grounded in military aviation principles and safety science, offering actionable insights into system-level thinking, human error mitigation, and decision-making under pressure.

For more information: https://brandonwilliamsspeaker.com/

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How do you energize your safety programs to be effective, engaging, and inspire action with lasting real impact? Join us for a dynamic conversation with Michael Melnik, owner and president of The Energized Approach®, as he shares how safety programs can be reimagined to be more sustainable, fun, and meaningful. With decades of experience helping organizations “energize” their workplaces, Michael introduces the 10 energy sources—the core drivers behind truly successful and sustainable programs. Michael emphasizes the importance of safety programs that resonate with workers, engage teams at every level, and drive lasting success through leadership commitment and communication. He also shares how to revitalize existing safety programs to build a strong safety culture. Don’t miss this episode as we dive into the energized approach for real impact, putting safety in motion across your organization.

About the Guest:

Michael Melnik is an occupational therapist with a master’s degree in exercise physiology. He is the owner and president of The Energized Approach, a company that helps organizations “Energize” their workplaces, their safety programs, and their people. For more than 30 years, he has presented his practical, high-energy, and humorous approach to more than 750,000 participants around the world. He is the author and talent in several award-winning injury prevention videos that are used by thousands of companies, and is the creator of the ReachOut365 Video Coaching Platform. Clients include Delta Airlines, The Home Depot, Coca Cola, Wells Fargo, PetSmart, Wal-Mart, Willis Towers Watson, Best Buy, Exxon Mobil, and many more.

For more information: www.energizedapproach.com

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Discover how to keep your workplace safer, stronger, and more in control—one smart move at a time. In this engaging and informative episode of The Safety Guru, we welcome Robert Pater, founder of MoveSMART®. Robert brings a unique perspective, blending martial arts principles with cutting-edge safety and ergonomics to explore how internalizing mental and physical safety practices can elevate your safety culture. Drawing on decades of expertise, he shares practical strategies to rethink ergonomics for safer workplaces, engage senior leaders in safety initiatives, make safety changes easy to boost compliance and effectiveness, and tap into “eureka moments” that enhance learning retention while driving deeper, lasting behavioral shifts. Don’t miss this conversation packed with actionable ways to reduce injuries, improve ergonomics, and empower workers to take control of their safety.

About the Guest:

Robert Pater is the Founder and Managing Director of the MoveSMART® system for significantly reducing soft-tissue injuries and slips/trips/falls while simultaneously elevating Safety culture and leadership. He has published over 370 articles (in Professional Safety, Occupational Health & Safety, and many others). He’s also the author of “Leading From Within”, in 5 languages. Globally, their client list has included: Airgas, Alcoa, American Airlines, BHP Billiton, BMW, BorgWarner, BP, Cummins, Cushman & Wakefield, DuPont, Frito-Lay, Hawaiian Airlines, Honda, Honda Canada, Kimberly-Clark, Kinross Gold, Kloeckner, Marathon Oil, Michelin, Nissan, Nutrien, ONE Gas, Pfizer, Prysmian, Solventum, United Airlines, U.S. Steel, and many others.

For more information: www.movesmart.com

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Join us for a deeply moving episode of The Safety Guru as we welcome Jacqueline Quinlivan, who courageously shares her story of unimaginable loss and the lasting ripple effects that followed. In 2018, Jacqueline’s husband, Lyndon, lost his life in a completely preventable workplace incident. Since that tragic day, Jacqueline has transformed her grief into a powerful mission—advocating for safer workplaces so that no one else has to endure the same devastating loss. In this heartfelt conversation, she recounts the heartbreak of that day and highlights the profound impact it had on her family, coworkers, and the broader community. Her story is a sobering and urgent reminder of what’s truly at stake when safety is compromised. Tune in as Jacqueline calls for a culture where safety is lived every day, where workers are empowered to speak up for safety, and leaders actively influence safety for their teams because everyone deserves to come home safe.

About the Guest:

In the aftermath of a heartbreaking loss, Jacci Quinlivan, a young widow with two children, embarked on a journey fuelled by a promise to her late husband. Her unwavering commitment to pursue justice, ensuring accountability, and championing transformation reforms is rooted in a personal vow to prevent others from enduring similar pain. Jacci’s moving story strikes a chord whilst reshaping perspectives on workplace safety. Through her poignant narrative, she aims to spark essential conversations with organisations and individuals alike. Her goal is to promote a proactive stance on safety whilst acknowledging the lasting repercussions of such tragedy on individuals and communities.

For more information: https://jacquelinequinlivan.com.au/

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