Safe Together

EP03 | Designing safety into the lab

In this episode, host Ellen visits Kiwa Technology in the Netherlands for a tour that proves one thing fast: safety starts before the test even begins. He’s joined by Nadia Luijsterburg-Vleugels, a PhD chemical engineer and elastomer engineer, who walks us through real lab setups and the safety decisions behind them. From redesigning a test setup so risks become visible, to dealing with unexpected chemical reactions, to managing an odorant test that triggered concerns outside the building, this is about thinking ahead and communicating clearly when stakes are high. You’ll hear: 1. How a design improvement made a test safer and easier to understand 2. What happens when a “safer” replacement chemical creates new risks 3. Why openness between labs can protect people across the industry 4. How communication can prevent panic and keep a site safe Extra context for a few terms mentioned in the episode: 1. Elastomers: rubber like materials that can stretch and recover, often used in sealing systems where leakage risk matters. 2. REACH list: EU regulation controlling hazardous chemicals, which can lead to substances being restricted or phased out. 3. Round robin test: multiple labs run the same test to compare results and improve reliability and safety practices. ---------------------------------------------------- Safe Together is a podcast by Kiwa [https://www.kiwa.com/] | Production by De Praeters [https://www.depraeters.be/].

EP02 | Safety leadership that people can actually feel

What does good safety leadership look like when no one is watching? Host Ellen talks with Matthew Courtney, Kiwa’s Chief Operating Officer for the Americas and Asia Pacific regions, about visible leadership, trust, and creating habits that keep people safe in real life. This episode is packed with practical leadership lessons, from how safety culture evolved over decades to why reporting small hazards matters more than most people think. Matthew also shares a concrete example of changing industry practice by redesigning equipment that kept injuring workers. You’ll hear: 1. How safety expectations changed over time and why that matters today 2. Why “lead by example” is not a slogan, it’s the job 3. How to build a reporting culture without blame 4. Why Power to Stop is good for people, clients, and business Extra context for a couple of terms mentioned in this episode: 1. Safe T Impact: Kiwa’s digital safety platform that supports hazard reporting, leadership safety walks, action tracking, trend analysis, and shared insights to make safety more proactive and collaborative. 2. Construction Science: based in Australia and part of Kiwa since 2022, specializing in advanced testing, inspection, and certification for construction materials and techniques. ---------------------------------------------------- Safe Together is a podcast by Kiwa [https://www.kiwa.com/] | Production by De Praeters [https://www.depraeters.be/].

EP01 | Industrial Non Destructive Testing and the Power to Stop

Industrial non destructive testing (NDT) is a bit like medicine for infrastructure. You inspect welds, pipelines and critical installations without damaging them, so the world can keep running safely. In this episode, host Ellen sits down with Olegs Poluhins (Latvia) and Max Marynissen (Belgium), two Level 3 experts who share what NDT really looks like on the ground. From supporting major shutdowns across Europe to handling ionizing radiation and incident response, this is a straight up conversation about competence, preparation, and the courage to stop work when something feels off. You’ll hear: 1. What NDT is and why clients rely on it 2. How international teams prepare for local rules and certifications 3. Real stories about radiation work and incident response 4. Why the Power to Stop only works when leaders and teams back it up Extra context for a few terms mentioned in the episode: 1. Radiation dose: 40 µSv is very small, about the same as a short flight or a dental X ray. 2. Incident team: a specially trained team that responds when there’s a technical issue with a radioactive source, ensuring everything is handled safely and by the book. 3. Crawler: an X ray device placed inside a pipeline that moves through it autonomously, so no one has to enter the pipe. ---------------------------------------------------- Safe Together is a podcast by Kiwa [https://www.kiwa.com/] | Production by De Praeters [https://www.depraeters.be/].