Safety And Risk Success

Safety In A Rapidly-Changing World, with Richard Bate (IOSH President)

Safety is changing faster than many organisations can comfortably keep up with. But as technology evolves, workplace expectations shift, and new risks emerge, one question becomes impossible to ignore: is the safety profession evolving quickly enough to stay relevant and make a bigger impact? In this conversation, I sat down with Richard Bate, President of IOSH, for a frank and insightful discussion on leadership, continuous learning, AI, and why safety professionals must think broader than compliance. From adapting to generational change and digital transformation, to tackling some of the most overlooked risks in rural industries, Richard shares a deeply human perspective on what the future of safety should look like and why standing still is no longer an option. Highlights * Purpose-led safety: Moving beyond compliance towards wellbeing, dignity and wider business impact. * Learn or risk irrelevance: Continuous learning is essential as safety roles rapidly evolve. * AI and digital change: Technology should support better decisions, not replace human judgement. * Reverse mentoring: Younger professionals can help reshape leadership, communication and thinking. * Rural safety crisis: Farming remains one of the UK's highest-risk and overlooked sectors. * Mental health pressures: Isolation, financial stress and suicide in farming need greater focus. * Safety as influence: Professionals must improve leadership impact and speak the language of business. * Stay connected: Follow Richard Bate on LinkedIn and support wider conversations on rural safety. Resources and actions: * Sign up for a future Safety Roundtable: https://safetyroundtable.co.uk/ [https://safetyroundtable.co.uk/] * Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-bate-iosh-president-chair-of-council-4b547118/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-bate-iosh-president-chair-of-council-4b547118/] * Connect with Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/]

From the First App Store to the Future of Digital Trust, with Jesse Tayler

The internet was meant to make life easier. Instead, it's created a world where trust is constantly under pressure. That's why this conversation with Jesse Tayler stayed with me long after we finished recording. Jesse was there at the beginning of the digital revolution, creating the world's first digital app store long before platforms and online identities became part of everyday life. What followed was a fascinating exploration of digital trust, fraud, reputation, online safety, and why the future of risk management may depend on rethinking identity itself. From Steve Jobs stories to the unintended consequences of putting our lives online, this is one of those conversations that challenges how you see the modern internet. Highlights * The original vision behind the first digital app store: remove physical barriers to software access * Why identity could become the internet's final frontier: trust now underpins everything online * The hidden risk of digital IDs and verification systems: copied forever once exposed online * How fraudsters exploit onboarding systems today: stolen identities bought cheaply online * What iTunes taught the world about reducing fraud: convenience beats risky alternatives * Why trust and safety teams should rethink barriers: excessive friction harms genuine users * The powerful "safety rope" analogy for online identity: trusted anchors reduce exposure to fraud * Jesse's remarkable memories of Steve Jobs: seeing possibilities others dismissed completely Resources and actions: * Sign up for a future Safety Roundtable: https://safetyroundtable.co.uk/ [https://safetyroundtable.co.uk/] * Connect with Jesse on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtayler/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtayler/] * Connect with Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/]

You Don't Have a Safety Problem, You Have a Thinking Problem

What if the real risk in your workplace is not the process, the procedure, or the equipment… but the way people are thinking under pressure? This conversation with Helen Taylor Brinson completely shifted the way I think about safety leadership. We explored what actually happens in the brain when people are stressed, overwhelmed, distracted, exhausted, or emotionally overloaded, and why that can fundamentally change behaviour, judgement, attention, and decision making. One of the biggest takeaways for me was this: behaviour is communication. When someone is acting out of character, cutting corners, withdrawing, freezing, or reacting emotionally, there is usually something deeper going on beneath the surface. We also talked about psychological safety, presenteeism, recovery, sleep, curiosity, and why creating space for people to think A genuinely thought provoking conversation with practical ideas you can start applying immediately. Highlights * Stress response: Fight, flight, freeze affects decision making * Presenteeism: Often a bigger risk than absenteeism * Curiosity: Helps teams solve problems more effectively * Behaviour: Often communication, not carelessness * Breaks and recovery: Essential for focus and judgement * Sleep quality: Directly impacts resilience and performance * Psychological safety: Helps people think more clearly * Reflection habits: Improve wellbeing and mental resilience Resources and actions: * Sign up for a future Safety Roundtable: https://safetyroundtable.co.uk/ [https://safetyroundtable.co.uk/] * Connect with Helen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-taylor-brimson-b6222546/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-taylor-brimson-b6222546/] * BrainWorks Website: https://brainworkshypnotherapy.co.uk/ [https://brainworkshypnotherapy.co.uk/] * Connect with Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/]

Frontline Leadership: The Real Driver of Safety, With Kevin Burns

What if the biggest lever for improving safety isn't your systems, processes, or even your safety team but your supervisors? That's exactly where this conversation goes. Speaking with Kevin Burns really challenged some deeply held assumptions about how safety actually works in organisations. We often focus on frameworks, metrics, and compliance, yet overlook the single most influential relationship on any worksite, the one between supervisor and frontline worker. If that relationship is weak, no amount of process will fix it. If it's strong, everything else becomes easier. There's a lot here that made me stop and rethink, particularly around how we build buy-in, how we support new supervisors, and why safety culture can't sit in a silo. If you're serious about improving performance, not just talking about it, this is one to reflect on. Highlights: * Safety is a people issue: not a process problem * Supervisors drive culture: more than safety departments * Buy-in matters most: awareness alone changes nothing * Leadership gaps: new supervisors lack proper training * Relationships over rules: connection builds safer behaviour * Explain the why: not just the how * The supervisor tax: poor leadership costs organisations * Careful supervision: care for work, safety, and people Resources and actions: * Sign up for a future Safety Roundtable: https://safetyroundtable.co.uk/ [https://safetyroundtable.co.uk/] * Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevburns-peoplework/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevburns-peoplework/] * PeopleWork Website: https://peoplework.app/ [https://peoplework.app/] * Connect with Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/]

Why Your Safety System Might Be Making Things Worse, with Sidney Dekker

When safety systems become bloated, disconnected and more focused on paperwork than people, they can quietly create the very risks they were meant to prevent. That is exactly what I explored in this special Safety Roundtable with the brilliant Sidney Dekker. We challenged long-held beliefs about responsibility, compliance, human error and whether many systems are helping people succeed or simply getting in their way. If you want a fresh perspective on creating safer, smarter and more human-centred Organisations, this is one to hear. Join our next Safety Roundtable live to be part of conversations like this and bring your own questions to the table. Highlights: * Why systems fail: when process matters more than real work. * Safety ownership: everyone who touches work shares responsibility. * Rules versus reality: people often adapt to get work done. * Human motivation: purpose drives better decisions than fear. * Variability at work: not all variation is dangerous. * Hearts and minds: telling people rarely guarantees action. * Documentation limits: records matter, but learning matters more. * Better systems: make work easier, clearer and safer Resources and actions: * Sign up for a future Safety Roundtable: https://safetyroundtable.co.uk/ [https://safetyroundtable.co.uk/] * Connect with Sidney on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sidneydekker-com/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/sidneydekker-com/] * Connect with Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/]