Regina McMichael is the president of The Learning Factory and founder of Peace, Love & Safety, a leadership and training catalyst elevating organizations’ SH&E programs.

After losing her husband to a work accident in 1986, Regina felt the need to prevent as many future accidents as possible. Now, her humanistic approach to safety is also being used in HR and other departments across a wide range of industries.

In this episode of No Accident, Regina explains why her approach to safety is unique: she recognizes everyone is human. There will be days when employees won’t follow the rules. But if you take the time to understand why they’re breaking protocol (e.g., they’re behind schedule, they’re picking up the slack for someone homesick) and what might motivate them to follow it (e.g., explaining all the potential hazards of using shortcuts), you can help employees find their own motivation to remain compliant.

“If I acknowledge that there might be external factors that help you make a decision [that’s] opposite of what I would want, what can I give you to help you make the best possible decision as frequently as possible?” Regina says.