In this episode, my conversation with Christopher Diaz, Balfour Beatty Vice President of Safety, Health, and Environment for the Southeast, focused on safety leadership and the Zero Harm philosophy at Balfour Beatty. Chris shared how his deep roots in the construction industry shaped his approach to workplace safety and risk management. We discussed the reality of managing safety for a global contractor across diverse and high stakes environments. I loved hearing his perspective on why the industry has plateaued and why we need to embrace the "Fatal Five" to include live traffic.


Chris argued that safety is a human business and a universal language that connects us all. We also touched on the importance of overcoming language barriers through initiatives like Spanish safety committees. I left our talk feeling inspired by his vision for a safety culture that protects workers, the public, and the environment. This episode is full of practical wisdom for anyone responsible for operational excellence in complex industries.


What You’ll Learn

• How the Zero Harm philosophy integrates people, the public, and the environment.
• The reason why live traffic is now considered the fifth fatal risk in construction.
• Methods for managing workplace safety across diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
• Why safety acts as a universal language in international development projects.
• The benefits of a multi-generational perspective on safety innovation and industry change.
  
  

About the Guest


Christopher Diaz serves as the Vice President of Safety, Health, and Environment for the Southeast at Balfour Beatty. He leads safety efforts for a global contractor with a focus on high-stakes environments like high-rise construction and hospitality. Before his current leadership role, Chris spent forty years in the construction industry, starting from the ground up as a builder and superintendent. His extensive experience informs his commitment to the Zero Harm philosophy and his drive to address emerging risks like live traffic in the construction sector.



The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Safety leadership and construction safety programs become critical business functions when your team manages massive demolition projects globally. My guest today is Robert Poole, the Corporate Director of Safety and Risk Management at D. H. Griffin Companies. Robert shares how his background as a helicopter pilot and safety professional informs his approach to high-stakes risk management. 


He even tells the incredible story of a twelve day demolition at Cape Canaveral. This episode is packed with technical insights on how to handle massive exposures through expertise and a human-first approach to safety training programs.


What You’ll Learn:

• How technical precision allows for the demolition of massive structures with minimal explosives.
• The impact of being self-insured on an organization's risk management strategy.
• Why specialized heavy equipment requires internal maintenance and expert inspections.
• The process of coordinating with local and federal authorities for high-risk demolitions.
• How microlearning and electronic media can scale safety training programs across global locations.
• The importance of understanding logistics when working in remote regions like Mongolia.
  
  

About the Guest: 


Robert Poole serves as the Corporate Director of Safety and Risk Management at D. H. Griffin Companies, which is one of the largest demolition firms in the world. He brings a wealth of cross-disciplinary expertise to the table, having spent much of his career in insurance, risk control, and aviation as a helicopter pilot. Robert is currently completing his PhD and oversees the safety of a massive fleet of specialized equipment and a workforce that operates across the United States and internationally.


Episode Resources: 

• Robert Poole on LinkedIn 
• Michael Zalle on LinkedIn
• Yellow Bird Website
• The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management on Apple Podcasts 
• The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management on Spotify
• The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management on YouTube

The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

A true safety champion mindset starts with the realization that culture is what you tolerate. My guest Jim Wathen has spent thirty years perfecting construction safety programs and he shows us that safety leadership is a daily commitment to taking care of your people. 


When lives are on the line, on-site training for fall protection and scaffolding beats digital modules any day. We also discuss why distributing safety responsibility across your entire leadership team is the only way to scale elite performance. This conversation is for anyone who wants to move past simple OSHA compliance and build a legacy of genuine care and risk management that actually sticks on the job site.


What You’ll Learn:

• Why your safety culture is defined by what you allow to happen.
• The strategy for making every project manager a safety champion.
• Why hands on training for high risk hazards beats online learning.
• How to use observation data to stop incidents before they happen.
• The importance of praising field teams to build long term loyalty.
• Ways to prioritize safety resources based on project schedules.

Episode Resources:

• Jim Wathen on LinkedIn
• Michael Zalle on LinkedIn
• Yellow Bird Website
• The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management on Apple Podcasts 
• The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management on Spotify
• The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management on YouTube
  
  

The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Nathan Haynes, who standardized a safety culture across forty infrastructure projects joins me in this episode. Nathan shares anecdotes from his career that led him from Alaska to the highway patrol and how it shaped his views on risk management. Workplace safety and construction safety management thrive on incident prevention and risk management strategies. I listen as Nathan describes his transformation of an operation that previously carried a five plus OSHA rate by eliminating the "wild west" of fragmented project sites. 


Nathan explains the necessity of finding the true cause of an accident while avoiding the common mistake of only replacing equipment and moving on to the next task. I also learn why he believes life maturity and personal longevity contribute to the judgment required for high stakes leadership. 


What You’ll Learn

• Why hiring for character and life experience creates a more resilient safety culture than hiring for degrees alone
• How to build standardized safety protocols across forty projects spanning multiple states and jurisdictions
• The reason online safety training fails to change behavior for workers on high risk roadways
• How to implement root cause analysis that leads to actual learning rather than just replacing equipment
• The way diverse career backgrounds like law enforcement and diving enhance a leader's ability to manage risk

The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

I talk about food safety management and workplace safety leadership with Laura McCready, who manages risk mitigation for Reser's Fine Foods. We examine how regulatory compliance with the FDA and USDA requires a holistic view of the human body, protecting it inside and out. Laura explains why a machine guard meant to prevent an injury might create a hidden biofilm that risks consumer health. 


I find her stories about the agricultural roots of food science and the intricate journey of our meals to be a vital lesson for every leader. This episode illustrates that safety is an integrated mission that requires constant communication between departments to avoid unintended consequences on the production floor.


What You’ll Learn:

• How machine guards can create hidden bacterial traps known as biofilms.
• Why food safety professionals rely on lockout tagout procedures during deep cleaning.
• The staggering complexity of a supply chain for a simple bag of lettuce.
• How to build a culture where employees understand the reason behind every rule.
• The overlap between agencies like the FDA, USDA, and OSHA in food manufacturing.
  
  

About the Guest 


Laura McCready is the Director of Food Safety and Policy at Reser's Fine Foods, a leader in refrigerated deli salads and prepared foods. With over two decades of experience, she has worked for major brands like Foster Farms, ConAgra, and Nestlé. Laura uses her background in food science to navigate the complex world of federal regulations and consumer protection. She is a passionate advocate for food safety culture, drawing on her agricultural upbringing to ensure that every meal reaches the table safely.


Episode Resources:

• Laura McCready on LinkedIn
• Michael Zalle on LinkedIn
• Yellow Bird Website
• The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management on Apple Podcasts 
• The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management on Spotify
• The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management on YouTube

The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

My conversation with James Ferrell in this episode focused on Human and Organizational Performance and Workplace Safety at Perdue Farms. James shared how his background as a military pilot shaped his approach to complex systems and Risk Management. We discussed the reality of managing safety across a massive vertically integrated company with diverse locations. I loved hearing his perspective on why leaders should look at Root Cause Analysis instead of using band-aid programs. 


James argued that you cannot have a safe plant without also having efficient and high quality processes. We also touched on the power of Self-Insurance Safety to motivate better decisions. I left our talk feeling inspired by his vision for a Safety Culture that empowers the frontline. This episode is full of practical wisdom for anyone responsible for keeping people safe while running a complex business.


What You’ll Learn

• How military Aviation Safety principles apply to manufacturing environments.
• The reason traditional safety posters rarely prevent serious injuries.
• Methods for building flexible Workplace Safety standards across different facilities.
• Why quality and efficiency are naturally tied to safety performance.
• The benefits of using a Systems Thinking approach for Root Cause Analysis.
  
  

About the Guest


James Ferrell serves as the Senior Director of Security and Safety at Perdue Farms. He leads safety efforts for an organization with a hundred year history and over twenty thousand associates. Before joining the food industry, James spent over twenty years in the United States Air Force as a pilot. He was one of the first individuals to fly the V-22 Osprey and served in over eighty countries. His extensive experience in high-stakes environments informs his current focus on Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) and systemic safety design.



The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

I am joined by Lori Elam to discuss workplace safety culture and EHS leadership within the world of pharmaceutical manufacturing. In our conversation, I learn how Lori manages safety for a global firm while staying rooted in her local community. We dive into her Failure Friday initiative and how it builds psychological safety among contractors and staff. 


I appreciate her perspective why consistent presence builds a marble jar of trust that audits simply cannot replicate. We also explore the pebble in the pond philosophy and how sustainability by design affects the entire supply chain. This episode is a masterclass in human-centered safety leadership. 


What You’ll Learn:

• How to use public vulnerability to break down barriers with third party contractors.
• The reason consistent presence in the field builds more trust than occasional audits.
• How to design safety incentive programs that celebrate wins and honest feedback.
• The way sustainability by design principles create accountability across the entire supply chain.
• How to transition from a compliance focused mindset to a vocation based leadership style.
  
  

About the Guest: 


Lori Elam is an Environmental Health and Safety leader at Takeda Pharmaceuticals with over twenty-five years of experience in biotechnology and regulated manufacturing. Based in Thousand Oaks, she oversees EHS compliance and operational excellence for a facility dedicated to rare disease treatments. Lori is a strong advocate for human-centered leadership and uses her background in quality control to build repeatable safety processes. She is known for her commitment to community and her belief that safety is a vocation rooted in genuine care for people.

The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

I welcome Todd Thams to discuss how a workers compensation insurance experience mod score and EMR rating serve as the most critical numbers in your risk management strategy. We look at the financial mechanics of insurance premium negotiation and why a high mod score can literally put you out of business in the construction industry. 


Todd shares his transition from a family broker to a tech founder and provides a deep dive into workers comp claims management to show how injury prevention ROI is calculated. We also talk about the dangers of hiring uninsured subcontractors and why protecting your personal assets starts with proper documentation.


What You’ll Learn:

• Why your experience mod score is the credit score of your business safety performance.
• The specific threshold that prevents construction companies from bidding on major contracts.
• How to translate safety data into an ROI that your financial team actually understands.
• The massive legal risks of paying workers under the table and ignoring workers comp laws.
  
  

About the Guest


Todd Thams is the founder of ModAdvisor and a twenty year veteran of the commercial insurance and workers compensation industry. He started his career in a family brokerage in rural Iowa where he focused on building scale and deep relationships before launching a software platform to help the entire industry manage mod rates and claims visibility. Todd is an entrepreneur who balances his passion for business growth with a commitment to his family and his role as a girl dad and grandfather.


Episode Resources:

• Todd Thams on LinkedIn
• Michael Zalle on LinkedIn
• Yellow Bird Website
• The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management on Apple Podcasts 
• The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management on Spotify
• The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management on YouTube
  
  

The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

I sit down with Derek Cox to explore workplace safety and construction safety management while we look into how risk management and safety culture thrive. We discuss the transition from being a union plumber to a safety director and the lessons learned along that winding path. You will hear why safety leadership requires a shift toward modern tactics that resonate with today's crews. We dive into the specific ways proactive safety and hazard management can be scaled even in high pressure environments like data center builds. This conversation is a deep dive into worker protection and why occupational health depends on the support you give your frontline leaders.


What You’ll Learn:

• How safety leadership changes when you use appreciation and coaching for your teams.
• The reason safety culture improves when you focus on what people do right every day.
• Why risk management in data centers requires specialized technical knowledge about liquid cooling.
• The way safety training and worker protection scale through a unique champion program.
• How proactive safety prevents injuries in dangerous concrete pumping operations during early hours.
  
  

About the Guest: 


Derek Cox is the safety director at Mann Mechanical Company Inc. and brings over twenty years of experience in construction safety management. He started his career as a union journeyman plumber before moving into safety leadership roles where he now manages worker protection for hundreds of employees. Derek has a unique background that includes an aviation degree and a pilot's license which gives him a different perspective on risk management and standard procedures. He is a strong believer in building a human first safety culture and focuses on empowering foremen to own site safety on their own job sites.



The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

I am joined by William LePage, the VP of Health and Safety at Posillico Civil, to unpack how a risk management strategy functions at scale. We dive into his journey of safety program development and why leading safety initiatives requires ditching the 500-pound paperweight manuals. 


During our talk, I realized that safety compliance often feels like theater when we use one-size-fits-all templates. Bill explains how he uses employee safety ownership to protect crews across massive projects like Manhattan parks and Texas highways. I loved hearing about his weekly safety huddles with company owners because it shows true executive commitment. We also explore why he personally interviews every consultant to ensure they fit the culture.


What You’ll Learn:

• How to replace generic checklists with energy-based safety to focus on fatal risks.
• The reason project-specific safety programs are more effective than standard manuals.
• How to build a culture of executive accountability through weekly safety huddles.
• Why observing work at the "sharp end" is critical before judging performance.
• The process for vetting consultants to ensure they match your organizational values.
  
  

About the Guest: 


William LePage is the Vice President and Director of Health and Safety at Posillico Civil Inc., a heavy civil contractor with over 1,200 employees. He has spent nearly three decades in the industry, including eighteen years of direct fieldwork that informs his practical approach to safety. Currently, he oversees complex projects ranging from multi-million dollar infrastructure to large-scale park developments across the Northeast and Southern United States. Bill is a dedicated advocate for the Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) model and focuses his leadership on protecting people through meaningful engagement rather than administrative bloat.



The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so