The Unashamed Safety Podcast

The Right Fix — Using the Hierarchy of Controls After the 5 Whys

Last episode we used the 5 Whys to drill past the surface of a workplace incident and find the real root cause. Today we talk about what to do once you find it — because not all corrective actions are created equal. In this episode we break down the Hierarchy of Hazard Controls — a framework recognized by OSHA and NIOSH that ranks workplace safety controls from most effective to least. Most organizations get this completely backwards, defaulting to signs, procedures, and PPE while leaving the actual hazard untouched. We explain why that happens, why it's a problem, and what a real corrective action plan looks like. We also address something important: finding a system failure doesn't mean the injured worker had no personal responsibility. We talk about how to hold both the individual and the organization accountable at the same time — because real safety culture requires both. We pick up the fictional warehouse dock scenario from last episode and run it all the way through the hierarchy — showing exactly what elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and PPE look like applied to a real root cause. In this episode: * What the Hierarchy of Hazard Controls is and why it matters * Why most organizations live at the bottom of the hierarchy — and why that's a choice that gets people hurt * How personal accountability and organizational accountability work together — not against each other * How to apply every level of the hierarchy to a real incident scenario * How to make the case to leadership when the right fix costs money * What a complete, layered corrective action plan actually looks like If you're a safety professional, operations manager, or frontline supervisor who's tired of seeing the same incidents repeat themselves after the same ineffective corrective actions — this episode is for you. Music: "City Lights" by Mark July Free for Creators via Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/city-lights License code: MJWO4MZV7ES54WYH

Stop Asking Who — Start Asking Why : Root Cause Investigation & The 5 Whys

EPISODE DESCRIPTION In this episode of the Unashamed Safety Podcast, we dig into one of the most overlooked failures in workplace safety: the incident report that goes nowhere. Most organizations treat accident investigation like a paperwork requirement. Something happens, a form gets filled out, and everyone moves on — until it happens again. We break down why surface-level investigations fail workers, how the 5 Whys method gives any leader a practical tool to find the real cause of an incident, and why operations leadership's failure to ask why is often the root cause itself. No degree required. Just the willingness to dig. If this hits home, share it with an operations leader or supervisor who needs to hear it. Please comment below or email Unashamedsafety@gmail.com Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/warm-adventure [https://track.pstmrk.it/3s/uppbeat.io%2Ft%2Fra%2Fwarm-adventure/vZub/1xfFAQ/AQ/dea85d61-5b51-4297-be9b-b8e97346a5ff/4/WRX99cQ-Qy] License code: 2WYQVUYBLMOZRQJN Music: "City Lights" by Mark July Free for Creators via Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/city-lights License code: MJWO4MZV7ES54WYH

The Pareto Principle: Focusing on the 20% That Drives 80% of Your Safety Results

Are you spending time on safety every day but not seeing real results? You might not have a safety problem — you might have a focus problem. In this episode of The Unashamed Safety Podcast, we dive into the Pareto Principle — the 80/20 rule — and how safety professionals, operations managers, and front-line supervisors can use it to stop spreading effort across everything and start focusing on the few behaviors that drive the majority of incidents. Building on our earlier episodes on Goodhart's Law and the Hierarchy of Hazard Controls, this episode gives you a practical, step-by-step data walkthrough so you can find your critical 20% and align your entire safety program around it. In this episode you'll learn: → What the Pareto Principle is and why it's one of the most powerful tools in safety leadership → A 5-step process for analyzing your incident data and identifying your top risk drivers → How to dig below incident categories to find the specific habits and behaviors causing harm → Why two or three incident types likely account for 80% of everything happening in your operation → How to connect your Pareto analysis to the Hierarchy of Controls for maximum impact → What focused safety leadership actually looks like in solid waste and transportation This episode is for you if you lead safety, operations, or people in the refuse, waste, or transportation industries — and you're ready to stop doing more and start doing what matters most. — Action Challenge — Pull your last 12 months of incident data. Categorize by type. Sort by frequency. Then ask yourself: are the behaviors driving my top incidents the focus of my daily safety efforts? If not — this episode will show you how to fix that. If this episode added value, follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of The Unashamed Safety Podcast. — Music: "City Lights" by Mark July Free for Creators via Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/city-lights License code: MJWO4MZV7ES54WYH

Goodhart's Law - The Dark Side of Metrics

When "Safety Metrics" Become the Enemy of Real Safety – Goodhart’s Law Exposed What happens when the numbers we use to measure safety start driving the wrong behaviors? In this eye-opening episode of the Unashamed Safety podcast, we dive deep into Goodhart’s Law: "When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure." You’ll discover how well-intentioned safety KPIs, incident rates, and compliance scores can actually make workplaces less safe. From construction sites to factories, hospitals to corporate offices — we uncover real-world examples where chasing metrics led to hidden risks, underreported incidents, and dangerous workarounds. If you’re tired of safety theater and want authentic, unashamed safety that protects people instead of just protecting statistics, this episode is for you. 🎧 Listen now and rethink how safety is measured in your organization. 👉 Drop your thoughts in the comments: Have you seen Goodhart’s Law play out in your workplace? Subscribe to Unashamed Safety for more conversations about real safety leadership. #SafetyLeadership #GoodhartsLaw #WorkplaceSafety #SafetyCulture #ConstructionSafety #IndustrialSafety

Hierarchy of Hazard Controls: The Safety Principle Most Workers Never Learn

In this first full episode of The Unashamed Safety Podcast, Mike Faulkner breaks down one of the most important concepts in workplace safety: the Hierarchy of Hazard Controls. With 25 years of experience in operations and safety in the waste and transportation industries, Mike explains why many companies focus too heavily on PPE while overlooking more effective ways to control hazards. Learn how elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment work together to prevent injuries and improve safety culture. Mike also shares real stories from the field and practical insights on how supervisors and frontline employees can identify hazards and address them before accidents happen. If you're a driver, supervisor, manager, or safety professional looking to build a stronger safety culture, this episode will give you practical tools to start thinking about hazards differently.