Episodes

  • The Safety Experts: The Difference Between Good and Great in Safety Leadership
    Dec 18 2024

    Being great at something looks easy. The reality is much different.

    Great safety leaders have a hard task ahead of them—they must understand the risks and applicable regulations while building trust, respect, and influence within their team.

    In the newest episode of Season 2 of The Safety Experts podcast, your host, David Griffith, welcomes safety experts Jerome Spear and Jeremy Lancaster to discuss 3 basic principles of safety leadership: 1) understanding fundamentals, 2) getting out in the field, and 3) applying mentoring and coaching skills. Their conversation includes:

    • How to fill the gaps in knowledge as a younger workforce replaces experienced leaders
    • The importance of being where the work is and being out in the field
    • How to build effective relationships and trust as a leader
    • Examples of "great" leadership and what makes it different from "good" leadership

    Make sure to subscribe to tune in to all upcoming episodes, follow us on LinkedIn, and sign up for our newsletter.

    Theme music courtesy of The Acappella Company

    Listen to the full song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=eOM6eXMkkl8&feature=youtu.be.

    Brought to you by Spear & Lancaster, LLC

    Produced by FUSE Marketing

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    36 mins
  • Anticipating, Recognizing, Evaluating, and Controlling Confined Space Atmospheric Hazards
    Oct 28 2024

    Confined space projects present risks that other projects typically do not have. Improper management of these projects and their associated risks can lead to catastrophic events, including loss of life.

    In the newest episode of Season 2 of The Safety Experts podcast, your host, David Griffith, welcomes safety experts Jerome Spear and Arlen Siert to discuss anticipating and controlling confined space atmospheric hazards. Their conversation includes how to recognize confined space hazards, how to mitigate risks of incidents through effective training and planning, and checklists to review to ensure safety.

    Join us as we discuss how to improve safety while working in confined spaces to avoid loss of life.

    Make sure to subscribe to tune in to all upcoming episodes, follow us on LinkedIn, and sign up for our newsletter.

    Resources provided:

    Safety Audit Checklist

    Theme music courtesy of The Acappella Company

    Listen to the full song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=eOM6eXMkkl8&feature=youtu.be

    Brought to you by Spear & Lancaster, LLC

    Produced by FUSE Marketing

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    53 mins
  • Cabin Creek Confined Space Catastrophe
    Sep 5 2024

    Confined space projects present risks that other projects typically do not have. Improper management of these projects and their associated risks can lead to catastrophic events, including loss of life.

    In the first episode of our brand-new season of The Safety Experts podcast, your host, David Griffith, welcomes safety experts Jerome Spear and Bonnie Lockhart to discuss one of the worst confined space catastrophes in U.S. history. Together, they walk through the lessons learned and best practices to prevent future similar events. David, Jerome, and Bonnie set the scene, describe the main contributing factors behind the tragedy, and what can be done to better assess risks and plan work in confined spaces.

    Join us as we discuss how to improve safety while working in confined spaces to avoid loss of life.

    Make sure to subscribe to tune in to all upcoming episodes, follow us on LinkedIn, and sign up for our newsletter.

    Theme music courtesy of The Acappella Company

    Listen to the full song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=eOM6eXMkkl8&feature=youtu.be

    Brought to you by Spear & Lancaster, LLC

    Produced by ADV Marketing

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    45 mins
  • Improving Contractor Safety Performance, Part 2
    May 13 2024

    Incidents occur every day due to neglecting contractor safety principles. Managing work-in-progress assurances, considering both owner and general contractor perspectives, as well as performance evaluations and feedback, helps to avoid unsafe outcomes. Together, these principles achieve better performance and ultimately benefit the bottom line.

    In part two of this episode of The Safety Experts podcast, Jerome Spear, Jeremy Lancaster, and Dave Griffith sit down to discuss field safety oversight, understanding general contractor and owner expectations, and why feedback is so important.

    Join us as we discuss how to improve contractor safety. And just in case you missed it, be sure to check out Part 1 of Improving Contractor Safety, where we introduced the topic, prequalification and selection minimums, and EHS contract requirements.

    Make sure to subscribe to tune in to all upcoming episodes, follow us on LinkedIn, and sign up for our newsletter.

    Theme music courtesy of The Acappella Company

    Listen to the full song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=eOM6eXMkkl8&feature=youtu.be

    Brought to you by Spear & Lancaster, LLC

    Produced by ADV Marketing

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    27 mins
  • Improving Contractor Safety Performance, Part 1
    Apr 15 2024

    Preventable incidents happen across industries every day. Managing employees effectively and taking action to reduce risk and injury increases profits by managing costs, but most importantly, protects and saves lives.

    In the first part of this episode of The Safety Experts podcast, Jerome Spear, Jeremy Lancaster, and Dave Griffith sit down to discuss how to improve contractor safety performance. Jerome and Jeremy speak with Dave about the minimum criteria for pre-qualification and selection, as well as EHS contract requirements.

    Join us as we discuss why contractor safety oversight is important and learn how to achieve better performance. In the second part of this episode on contractor safety, be sure to join us as we discuss owner and general contractor perspectives as well as performance evaluation and feedback.

    Make sure to subscribe to tune in to all upcoming episodes, follow us on LinkedIn, and sign up for our newsletter.

    Theme music courtesy of The Acappella Company

    Listen to the full song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=eOM6eXMkkl8&feature=youtu.be

    Brought to you by Spear & Lancaster, LLC

    Produced by ADV Marketing

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    28 mins
  • Risk-Reduction Necessities, Even If Not Driven By a PSM Standard Update
    Jan 17 2024

    Complacency is a dangerous game when it comes to process safety. Regulatory standards are changing, and although the exact timeline is uncertain, it does not matter. There are many safety protocols you can implement now to ensure you are ahead of the safety game.

    In this episode of The Safety Experts by Spear & Lancaster, Jeremy sits down to discuss process safety and risk reduction, as they relate to the ever-changing Process Safety Regulatory Standard. Jeremy will walk through 5 key process safety areas to lower the risk of incidents.

    1. Highly hazardous and reactive chemicals
    2. Atmospheric storage tanks
    3. Oil and gas drilling/production facilities
    4. Safer technology and mechanical integrity
    5. Third-party auditing

    For those wanting to learn more, here are 5 chemical safety (CSB) videos related to each of the 5 areas. See below the links to access these videos.

    1. The Dangers of Popcorn Polymer
    2. Filling Blind
    3. Silent Killer: Hydrogen Sulfide Release in Odessa, Texas
    4. Inherently Safer
    5. Ignored Warnings: Explosion in St. Louis

    Make sure to subscribe to tune into all upcoming episodes, follow us on LinkedIn, and sign up for our newsletter.

    Resources:

    The Danger of Popcorn Polymer: Incident at the TPC Group Chemical Plant - Safety Videos - Multimedia | CSB

    Process Safety Management - Overview | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (osha.gov)

    Process Safety Management | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (osha.gov)

    Theme music courtesy of The Acappella Company

    Listen to the full song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=eOM6eXMkkl8&feature=youtu.be

    Brought to you by Spear & Lancaster, LLC

    Produced by ADV Marketing

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    13 mins
  • Digging In With Doug: Expert Consultation on Crane Incidents
    Nov 9 2023

    Crane accidents are usually highly visible, commonly tragic incidents. These incidents are preventable if the right measures and considerations are taken beforehand.

    In the third episode of The Safety Experts by Spear & Lancaster, Jeremy and Jerome are joined by Doug Smith, crane safety expert with a lifetime of experience with mobile cranes and riggings. Jerome and Jeremy pose crane-related questions, including asking Doug to analyze several crane accidents and what likely went wrong.

    Follow along with Jerome, Jeremy, and Doug using the resources below:

    Crane Accident #1:

    https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/2-injured-in-crane-collapse-at-amazon-construction-site-in-westchester-county/ - CBS New York

    https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/deadly-crane-collapse-york-city-36750975 - ABC New York

    https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/giant-red-crane-collapse-injures-2-at-ny-amazon-warehouse/4160416/ - NBC New York

    Crane Accident #2:

    https://abc7.com/crane-operator-dies-malibu-california-highway-patrol-investigation/13092471/ - ABC Los Angeles

    https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/crane-topples-over-in-malibu-operator-trapped-between-power-lines/3129985/ - NBC Los Angeles

    Crane Accident #3:

    NYC crane collapses on building and into street after catching on fire | CNN - CNN

    https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/new-york-city-crane-collapse-linked-company-operator-101746005 - ABC

    NYC crane collapse: 9 civilians, 3 firefighters injured; 10th Ave reopens to traffic - ABC7 New York (abc7ny.com) - ABC

    Theme music courtesy of The Acappella Company

    Listen to the full song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=eOM6eXMkkl8&feature=youtu.be

    Brought to you by Spear & Lancaster, LLC

    Produced by ADV Marketing

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    41 mins
  • A personal story about a tragic accident and the scarring consequences from losing a co-worker, friend, brother, and son
    Sep 13 2023

    On July 16th, 1987, a tragic onsite trenching incident occurred, personally affecting Jeremy’s family, special guest Barry, and many others in their hometown located in west Tennessee. Approximately 35 trenching fatalities occur each year in the U.S., with about two-thirds of those occurring in trenches less than ten feet.

    In this episode of The Safety Experts podcast, your hosts Jerome Spear and Jeremy Lancaster is joined by special guest Barry Glisson to share the events of that day to raise awareness on proper work safety precautions, the dangers of onsite trench work, and showcase the importance of employing safety competencies onsite. Jerome speaks with Jeremy and Barry about the importance of proper safety precautions, sharing a deeply personal story about the tragic consequences of working in an excavation or trench without proper protective systems in place.

    Make sure to subscribe to tune in to all upcoming episodes, follow us on LinkedIn, and sign up for our newsletter.

    Theme music courtesy of The Acappella Company

    Listen to the full song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=eOM6eXMkkl8&feature=youtu.be

    Brought to you by Spear & Lancaster, LLC

    Produced by ADV Marketing

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    33 mins