Ergonomics has quietly moved from being about chairs and screens to something far bigger and far more important. In this conversation, I'm joined by Guy Osmond, who has spent over three decades at the sharp end of workplace ergonomics and human factors. What starts with back pain quickly opens into culture, mental health, neurodiversity, hybrid work, presenteeism, and why so many people are struggling in silence. This is one of those discussions that challenges how we think about work, wellbeing, and performance, and why getting the basics right is no longer optional.

Highlights

• Ergonomics has evolved: From furniture to human factors and wellbeing
• Physical pain tells a story: Stress, anxiety, and work design collide
• Presenteeism explained: The hidden productivity drain organisations miss
• Hybrid work risks: Why home workers are quietly struggling
• Neurodiversity at work: One size never fits all
• Culture over compliance: Why good intentions often fall short
• Engaging the C suite: Turning discomfort into investment thinking
• The future of work: Designing work around humans, not averages

Resources and actions:

• Sign up for a future Safety Roundtable: https://safetyroundtable.co.uk/
• Connect with Guy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guyosmond/
• Connect with Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/

As we close out the year, the conversation around health and safety is becoming sharper, tougher and far less forgiving. Enforcement hasn't quietly evolved, it has decisively shifted. Prosecution is now the default, scrutiny on directors is intensifying, and the margin for weak systems is shrinking fast. In this timely roundtable, I'm joined by Keith Mathews, from HCR Law's Insurance, to cut through the noise and look at what really matters as we head into 2026. This is about defensibility, governance and avoiding the blind spots that still catch organisations out, often with devastating consequences.

Key highlights

• Enforcement mindset shift: prosecution over persuasion
• Risk assessments: task specific or vulnerable
• Directors in focus: personal accountability rising
• Training expectations: quality, supervision, proof
• Mental health risks: legal and operational exposure
• Occupational disease: long tail liability remains
• Governance priority: board level ownership essential

Resources and actions:

• Sign up for a future Safety Roundtable: https://safetyroundtable.co.uk/
• Connect with Keith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-mathews-228757bb/
• Connect with Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/

A huge amount gets said about culture, wellbeing, leadership and performance, but how often do we actually measure these things in a way that stands up to scrutiny? This conversation with Mark Wright lifts the lid on what thousands of workers across multiple continents are really telling us. The insights are sometimes uncomfortable, frequently surprising, and always actionable. If you want clarity on what's working, what isn't, and which levers truly shift performance, you'll get a lot from this one.

Highlights

• Origins of the Index: Created to fill the gap for reliable, scalable workforce feedback
• Integrated measurement: Leadership, wellbeing, engagement and systems all in one model
• Levers for action: Clear guidance on where to focus for the best improvement return
• The big three trends: Leadership perception gaps, shift-worker challenges, contractor dynamics
• Systems usability slump: Rising expectations but falling satisfaction with organisational systems
• Mental health insights: Growing comfort discussing mental health, but burnout and cognitive load worsening
• Commercial pressures: How time, productivity demands and resourcing shape behaviour
• Targeted strategy: Why demographic-specific insights outperform blanket organisational approaches

Resources and actions:

• Sign up for a future Safety Roundtable: https://safetyroundtable.co.uk/
• Connect with Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atmarkwright/
• Connect with Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/

Breaking into health and safety shouldn't feel like hitting a brick wall. Yet so many talented people, from career-changers to those looking for a fresh start, are being shut out by the age-old "no experience, no job" cycle. In this conversation, I sit down with Kev Robins and Ben Pollard to uncover the mission, the momentum and the movement behind The Safety Net Foundation: a new not-for-profit social enterprise designed to open doors, level the playing field and support the next generation of safety professionals.

We get into the story behind the foundation, the gaps it fills, and how each of us can actively support this much-needed step forward for our profession. If you care about the future of safety, this one is well worth a listen.

Highlights

• Why the Safety Net Foundation exists: creating structured pathways into safety for first-starts and fresh-starts
• What makes it unique: focus on soft-skills, confidence, communication and real-world experience
• How mentoring works: personalised pairings, relatable lived experience, safe-space support
• Helping charities: pro-bono safety support while giving mentees hands-on practical exposure
• How companies can get involved: partnerships, monthly supporters, volunteering, introductions
• Early impact: mentees already being supported, CV help, interview preparation and job placements
• Future vision: qualifications funding, wider industry reach, digital platform with CPD and community
• How to take part: become a mentor, a mentee, a volunteer, a partner or connect them with charities

Resources and actions:

Website & Registration

• Safety Net Foundation website: https://www.thesafetynetfoundation.co.uk

Charity / Partner Enquiries

• Charity partnerships contact page: https://www.thesafetynetfoundation.co.uk/contact
• Corporate Partner Information: https://www.thesafetynetfoundation.co.uk/partners

Social Media

• LinkedIn (main comms channel): https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-safety-net-foundation
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesafetynetfoundation

Connect

• Connect with Kev on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kev-robins/
• Connect with Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benpollard88/
• Sign up for a future Safety Roundtable: https://safetyroundtable.co.uk/
• Connect with Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/

The conversation with Marcus Long left a deep impression on me. His blend of professional expertise and personal experience cuts straight through the hesitation that often surrounds suicide in the workplace. This isn't a theoretical issue or a niche wellbeing topic; it's something every organisation can influence for the better. With the launch of BS 30480, Marcus and the wider standards community have created genuinely practical guidance that can prevent harm, support people, and give leaders the confidence to act with humanity and clarity.

Highlights

• Why BS 30480 was created: a powerful personal catalyst and a clear gap in workplace guidance
• Misunderstandings that hold organisations back: "it won't affect us" and fear of doing the wrong thing
• Stressors in the workplace: events and pressures that raise suicide risk
• Practical tools in the standard: HR toolkit, line manager toolkit, self-assessment, training guidance
• The importance of confidence: enabling people to speak, listen, and intervene constructively
• How standards shape culture: when organisations use them to truly improve, not to file away
• What's next in the standards landscape: major revisions to ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001
• First steps for any organisation: download BS 30480 and use the companion "first steps" resource

Resources and actions:

• To download the standard BS 30480 Suicide and the Workplace | BSI: https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/insights-and-media/insights/brochures/bs-30480-suicide-and-the-workplace/
• To download the first steps guide Suicide and the Workplace A Practical First Steps Guide | BSI: https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/insights-and-media/insights/brochures/suicide-and-the-workplace-a-practical-first-steps-guide/
• Connect with Marcus on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcuslong26/
• Sign up for a future Safety Roundtable: https://safetyroundtable.co.uk/
• Connect with Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/

Fatigue hides in plain sight. It silently chips away at judgement, coordination, reaction time and even emotional stability, long before someone reaches the point of nodding off. Yet many workplaces still treat tiredness as nothing more than part of the job. In this conversation with Dan Wakerley, founder of Pillar, we lift the lid on the true impact of fatigue, why it's entirely predictable, and how using real-time readiness data can transform safety, performance and well-being. If you want to prevent incidents rather than explain them, this is a must-listen.

Highlights

• Fatigue as impairment: how being awake 18 hours can mirror alcohol-level degradation: real risk
• Cultural barriers: the "hard man" mindset and why it holds organisations back: perspective shift
• Predictability of fatigue: roster design, circadian insights and readiness checks: practical tools
• Daily risk control: adjusting tasks, not just stopping work, based on real-time data: smarter decisions
• Tech that helps: what readiness actually measures and why sleep hours alone mislead: clearer insights
• Cross-functional ownership: why CEOs, safety, HR and operations must align: integrated approach
• Economic upside: error reduction, productivity gains and safer outcomes: business case
• Immediate actions: start measuring fatigue in a small pilot and build from there: first steps

Take action:

• Sign up for a future Safety Roundtable: https://safetyroundtable.co.uk/
• Connect with Dan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-wakerley-3386694/
• Connect with Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/

How do you get frontline teams not just to hear your safety messages, but to believe them, talk about them and act on them? Jonathan Hall, founder of SMARTbrief, has spent over two decades helping organisations bridge the gap between the boardroom and the people doing the work. We explore how tone, trust and technology come together to make communication truly land, from creative campaigns in the rail industry to tools that empower genuine two-way dialogue. This one's packed with practical ideas to turn policies into real-world engagement.

Highlights:

• From photographer to safety comms expert: Jonathan's unexpected journey into frontline engagement
• Breaking the communication circle: why repeating the same safety messages isn't enough
• Authenticity first: how tone and trust define whether messages resonate or get ignored
• Turning negative feedback into gold: why "that's rubbish" can be the start of real engagement
• Creative campaigns that stick: from Olympic-themed awareness drives to "Sheila the nag" in rail safety
• Using humour, video and storytelling to drive safety conversations that people actually remember
• Smart Brief: the two-way communication tool transforming how frontline teams receive and share information
• Jonathan's top advice: keep it simple, keep it human, and start creating your own authentic content using just your phone

Take action:

• Sign up for a future Safety Roundtable: https://safetyroundtable.co.uk/
• Connect with Jonathan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-hall-398b1811/
• Connect with Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/

Bonfire Night might light up the skies, but it's also the perfect spark to reignite our focus on fire safety. Joined by fire safety leaders John Field (Chair of the IOSH Fire Risk Management Group) and Bernie Higgins (former Principal Officer at London Fire Brigade and Board Member at the Fire Industry Association), we dive into what it truly takes to build resilient, fire-aware organisations, from lessons written in tragedy to leadership that keeps people, property and purpose safe. Expect stories from the frontline, sharp insights on emerging risks like lithium-ion batteries, and practical ways to create a culture where safety burns bright all year round.

Highlights

• Lessons from tragedy: how preventable fires shape lifelong commitment to saving lives
• Building culture, not silos: why fire safety must be everyone's responsibility
• Leadership from the top: board-level engagement that drives real safety improvement
• Beyond compliance: moving from tick-lists to resilience and continuous learning
• Emerging fire risks: what lithium-ion batteries, e-bikes and modern materials mean for safety today
• Resilient design: bridging innovation, sustainability and fire protection standards
• Staying proactive: practical steps for organisations, from tabletop exercises to strong fire strategies
• Igniting action: how small daily habits can transform fire safety awareness across any workplace

👉 Take action:

• Sign up for a future Safety Roundtable: https://safetyroundtable.co.uk/
• Connect with John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-field557/
• Connect with Bernie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/berniehigginshealthandsafety/
• Connect with Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/
• Get your free ticket for Risk Europe: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/grcworldforums/1502327/r/risk-europe-slip-safety

What if the key to improving safety wasn't more paperwork, but more genuine dialogue?

Stuart Farquharson, founder of RiskTalk, shares how listening to workers and replacing forms with real conversations has changed the way leading organisations manage risk, engage teams and strengthen safety culture. It's a story of innovation, courage and the power of simply talking things through, backed by technology that captures the human side of safety.

Highlights

• From forms to voices: How frustration on the ground led to a global shift in safety thinking
• The value of dialogue: Why open conversations achieve safer outcomes than written procedures
• AI with purpose: How RiskTalk's AI coach improves conversations without losing the human touch
• Results that matter: Real examples of reduced incident severity and stronger engagement
• Changing culture: Moving from compliance to connection, and why it drives performance
• Design that works: How user experience can make or break safety technology
• The road ahead: Voice tech, AI, and the next evolution of proactive risk management
• Keeping people at the centre: Building tools for workers first, not for management dashboards

👉 Take action:

• Sign up for a future Safety Roundtable: https://safetyroundtable.co.uk/
• Connect with Stuart on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuart-farquharson-21307530/
• Connect with Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/
• Get your free ticket for Risk Europe: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/grcworldforums/1502327/r/risk-europe-slip-safety

When tragedy strikes in the workplace, few moments are more sobering than standing in court to defend what went wrong. But what if you could experience those lessons without the pain of a real incident? In this powerful conversation, I sit down with regulatory lawyer and trainer Emma Bowens, who has spent two decades defending organisations in some of the most serious health and safety cases imaginable. Emma reveals the eye-opening realities of what happens after an incident, why legal insight can transform prevention strategies, and how the smallest decisions, made in the heat of crisis, can change everything from sentencing to culture.

With real stories, hard-earned lessons, and practical tools, this discussion bridges the gap between law, leadership and prevention, helping directors and safety professionals think differently about readiness, resilience and responsibility.

Highlights

• The courtroom perspective: How witnessing real cases changes leaders' mindsets on safety and accountability
• Turning lessons into prevention: Why Emma created immersive mock trials and crisis replay sessions to help organisations learn before disaster strikes
• The first few hours: Decisions made straight after an incident can shape reputation, defence and sentencing outcomes
• Near-misses and culture: What unreported or ignored near-misses reveal about leadership and psychological safety
• Evidence and credibility: Why "doing the right thing" matters more than the perfect paperwork—but why documentation still saves you in court
• Leadership behaviours: The danger of walking past poor practice and what "you get what you tolerate" really means
• Preparedness vs panic: How to build crisis plans that prevent chaos, confusion and poor decisions under pressure
• Upcoming training: Join Emma's free 45-minute Crisis Replay session on 9 December (12:00–12:45) for a taste of her full half-day course (£149 + VAT). Details and sign-up link: https://lnkd.in/ejYVvUv7

👉 Take action:

• Sign up for a future Safety Roundtable: https://safetyroundtable.co.uk/
• Connect with Emma on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebowens/
• Connect with Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/
• Get your free ticket for Risk Europe: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/grcworldforums/1502327/r/risk-europe-slip-safety