My Big Safety Challenge

On this episode of My Big Safety Challenge, we are thrilled to welcome our first international guest—Becky Hickman. Becky serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)—one of the United Kingdom’s oldest charity organizations dedicated to safeguarding lives and preventing serious injuries both on and off the job.

With over 20 years of experience in occupational health and safety, Becky is a champion of the idea that good work is good for people. She’s passionate about shining light on the unsung heroes of the safety profession—those performing good work who don’t receive enough recognition. For Becky and RoSPA, bringing safety professionals together to celebrate their achievements isn’t just important—it’s a reinvigorating force that can propel safety professionals through tough stretches.

Tune in to discover how Becky and our safety friends across the pond approach safety and offer a fresh perspective on fostering meaningful work—reminding us that one of the worst parts of an accident is the realization that it could have been avoided.

On this episode of My Big Safety Challenge, we are thrilled to welcome our first international guest—Becky Hickman. Becky serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)—one of the United Kingdom’s oldest charity organizations dedicated to safeguarding lives and preventing serious injuries both on and off the job.

With over 20 years of experience in occupational health and safety, Becky is a champion of the idea that good work is good for people. She’s passionate about shining light on the unsung heroes of the safety profession—those performing good work who don’t receive enough recognition. For Becky and RoSPA, bringing safety professionals together to celebrate their achievements isn’t just important—it’s a reinvigorating force that can propel safety professionals through tough stretches.

Tune in to discover how Becky and our safety friends across the pond approach safety and offer a fresh perspective on fostering meaningful work—reminding us that one the worst parts of an accident is the realization that it could have been avoided.

Like many safety professionals, John Fischer, CSP, sort of fell into the field. When first approached about a safety role and asked about lockout/tagout (LOTO), he wondered what the lottery had to do with safety.

Now, 25 years later, John is the Director of Environmental Strategy and Corporate EHS at the Duke Energy Corporation. John has spent those 25 years between consulting and the energy sectors, gaining valuable experience and insights into the safety profession and the proper ways to get buy-in from the front-line to the C-suite.

In this episode, John explains the three components you must have in order to learn, how relationship-based acquisition is the secret sauce of safety, and why he says safety is as much sales as it is technical.

Like many safety professionals, John Fischer, CSP, sort of fell into the field. When first approached about a safety role and asked about lockout/tagout (LOTO), he wondered what the lottery had to do with safety.

Now, 25 years later, John is the Director of Environmental Strategy and Corporate EHS at the Duke Energy Corporation. John has spent those 25 years between consulting and the energy sectors, gaining valuable experience and insights into the safety profession and the proper ways to get buy-in from the front-line to the C-suite.

In this episode, John explains the three components you must have in order to learn, how relationship-based acquisition is the secret sauce of safety, and why he says safety is as much sales as it is technical.

Season 4 of My Big Safety Challenge is here! Joining host Merle Heckman this season is Jay Harf, Vice President of EHS&S at Xylem. Listen to the trailer and get a sneak peek of what to expect from season 4.

Join Merle Heckman, Master Trainer at Dale Carnegie, and all three guest hosts from seasons one, two, and three of the “My Big Safety Challenge” podcast. The team will talk through some of the inspiring guests and stories covered through the podcast. You'll walk away from this episode with valuable leadership and influence lessons that you can implement in your daily work.

Have you ever thought about how well you listen to others?

Keith Mercurio is back for the second part of episode eight of My Big Safety Challenge, where he reveals how something as simple as being a generous listener can have a profound effect on how we perceive and how we are perceived.

Keith illustrates this through his father, an English teacher of 35 years, detailing how in all those years, he never once complained about a student. His father saw what his students were capable of, saw them as big, saw the best in them, and by being a generous listener, he sent them home better than when he found them.

Sound familiar?

Join us for Part II of Keith’s episode where he explores how a day at work sends ripples through the rest of our day, and how by shifting how we listen, we can elevate conversations, honor the speaker, and create a profound impact.

Have you ever purchased a new car, only to suddenly notice the same make and model is everywhere on the road? There hasn’t been a sudden influx in the number of people driving the same car—it’s a natural cognitive response resulting from how we focus. In this episode of My Big Safety Challenge, Keith Mercurio, CEO & Founder of Ethical Influence Global, delves into the science behind how what we focus on grows bigger, and eventually, we become what we focus on.

Keith’s expertise spans speaking, coaching, training, and consulting, with a focus on helping leaders transform their identities to better influence their organization's culture and performance. He advocates for the power of asking open-ended, novel questions instead of relying on conventional phrases like "accountability" or repeatedly asking "why." By fostering original thought through new kinds of inquiry, Keith asserts that we unlock unique insights.

Join us for Part I of Keith Mercurio’s episode, where we explore the cognitive science behind why the safety profession should stop focusing on zero and how today’s groove can be tomorrow’s rut.

Perry Logan, Ph.D., seemed destined to be a leader in the safety industry. Growing up in the Florida Keys during the 1970s and 80s, Perry often accompanied his father, an underwater welder—a job known for its extreme danger—to work, seeing firsthand at a young age the dangers of the profession. He recalls his dad attending diving school in preparation for the job with 8 other divers, and within a decade, half of them had tragically lost their lives on the job.

Perry credits his father’s acute sense of hazards, often emphasizing when he really needed Perry’s focus while performing a dangerous task, with his affinity for the safety profession. Today, Perry is a Leader with the Health + Safety Leadership Partners, where he applies the science of health and safety to better protect people and our communities.

Tune into this episode of My Big Safety Challenge and listen to Perry discuss the critical role listening plays in the safety field, how safety professionals need to act as coaches, and how a team diverse in skills and personality is key to a strong safety culture.

As the Vice President of Health and Safety at Mortenson, a leading construction company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Marni Hogen has worked to create a safety culture that emphasizes personal connections, open communication, and employee empowerment. Marni believes that everyone in an organization, regardless of role or job title, has a responsibility for safety, and to truly create an effective safety culture, you must “make safety personal.”

In this episode of My Big Safety Challenge, Marni shares her journey into the safety field, highlighting the critical role of mental health within the construction industry. She discusses how building personal relationships with the workforce, engaging in meaningful conversations, putting people over metrics, and sharing stories that may be tough to tell contribute to a culture of inclusion that makes the workplace more fun. Plus, you’ll hear how she delivers tough news using the “sandwich technique,” and who doesn’t love a sandwich?