The Safety Geek Podcast: Geeking Out About Workplace Safety

By Safety BryeBusiness Education How To Careers Management

The Safety Geek Podcast: Geeking Out About Workplace Safety episodes

October 05How to Build Your Safety Program in the Right Order
Ever feel like you know exactly what's wrong with your safety program... and still have no idea where to start?
You're buried in work that was never really yours. Leadership nods along, and nothing changes. And your to-do list is a mile long, with every item on it feeling urgent.
In this final episode of the series, I put the whole Safety Leadership Roadmap in one place. You'll see how every piece connects, the order to build your safety program in so it quietly changes how management sees safety...and why hiring more safety staff is the wrong move. When safety staff take on the work, management never has to...so their beliefs about safety never change.
Plus, you'll hear what happened when I asked my boss to hire me an assistant and got told no. And how long building all of this really takes...90 days at a time.

Full show notes: https://thesafetygeek.com/146

Links Mentioned:

Check out the Safety Leadership Academy
Book a free Safety Leadership Roadmap Session
Episode 140: The Safety Leadership Roadmap
Episode 141: Why Everything You Were Taught Keeps You Stuck
Episode 142: Stop Being a Department of One
Episode 143: How to Get Leadership to Actually Listen
Episode 144: How to Sell Safety Like a Marketer
Episode 145: How to Build the Confidence to Step Up in Safety

Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you liked it, be sure to share it with your best safety friend. It's a goal of The Safety Geek to elevate the role of the safety manager, and that is why I share tips and resources on how you can manage your safety program more effectively.
Visit the website at https://TheSafetyGeek.com
Subscribe to the YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/safetygeek
Sign up for the Safety Leadership Newsletter, where I share exclusive tips, content, forms, and templates at https://TheSafetyGeek.com/Newsletter
Follow me @
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSafetyGeek
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brye-sargent/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safety_brye/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thesafetygeek/
32 min
September 28How to Build the Confidence to Step Up in Safety
You were really good at your job, somebody noticed, and you got promoted into safety. You learned as you went and got good at it... but somewhere along the way, you built a bubble around yourself. When the only way you know how to do safety is the way it's done in your building, it's really hard to see what's possible for you.
Maybe the pay is low. Maybe the job stopped challenging you. Or maybe you already know it's time to move on, and you just don't have the confidence to take that next step.
That confidence doesn't show up while you're inside the bubble. In this episode I walk you through the 4 C's of Confidence (and why "fake it till you make it" actually stalls you), how to build a braggable track record of results, how to get outside your bubble, and how to set your own bar. Plus how Rhett and Wesley stepped outside theirs and landed $35,000 and $50,000 raises.

Full show notes: https://thesafetygeek.com/145

Links Mentioned:
Free Safety Career Journey Quiz
Safety Leadership Roadmap Session
Episode 144: How to Sell Safety Like a Marketer
Episode 143: How to Get Leadership to Actually Listen
Episode 142: Stop Being a Department of One

Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you liked it, be sure to share it with your best safety friend. It's a goal of The Safety Geek to elevate the role of the safety manager, and that is why I share tips and resources on how you can manage your safety program more effectively.
Visit the website at https://TheSafetyGeek.com
Subscribe to the YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/safetygeek
Sign up for the Safety Leadership Newsletter, where I share exclusive tips, content, forms, and templates at https://TheSafetyGeek.com/Newsletter
Follow me @
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSafetyGeek
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brye-sargent/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safety_brye/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thesafetygeek/
41 min
September 21How to Sell Safety Like a Marketer
You had the regulation AND the data. You explained it clearly... and a manager still looked at you and said, "We're not going to do that right now." So you explained it again. A little louder, with a few more citations. And nothing changed.

It took me years to figure out that people act on what they believe, and a citation rarely changes a belief. So whether you signed up for it or not, you're selling safety... to employees, supervisors, and your leadership team. In this episode I break down 3 strategies marketers use to shift a belief, including the 7-11-4 rule. And I'll show you how to use the 5 minutes you get in the management meeting to finally get the buy-in you've been asking for.

Full show notes: https://thesafetygeek.com/144

Links Mentioned:

Free SMIS Guide
Safety Leadership Roadmap Session
Episode 143: How to Get Leadership to Actually Listen

Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you liked it, be sure to share it with your best safety friend. It's a goal of The Safety Geek to elevate the role of the safety manager, and that is why I share tips and resources on how you can manage your safety program more effectively.
Visit the website at https://TheSafetyGeek.com
Subscribe to the YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/safetygeek
Sign up for the Safety Leadership Newsletter, where I share exclusive tips, content, forms, and templates at https://TheSafetyGeek.com/Newsletter
Follow me @
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSafetyGeek
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brye-sargent/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safety_brye/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thesafetygeek/
41 min
September 14How to Get Leadership to Actually Listen
You walk into a management meeting with something that actually matters. A hazard, a training gap, a piece of equipment that's going to hurt somebody. And you watch their eyes glaze over. You get a nod, maybe a "we'll look at it," and then nothing happens.

They do care about people getting hurt. They just don't believe it's going to happen this quarter, and the risk they can put a number on wins every time. In this episode I break down why leadership tunes safety out, and the 3 moves that get you heard in that room.

Full show notes: https://thesafetygeek.com/143

LINKS MENTIONED
Free SMIS Guide
Safety Leadership Roadmap Session

Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you liked it, be sure to share it with your best safety friend. It's a goal of The Safety Geek to elevate the role of the safety manager, and that is why I share tips and resources on how you can manage your safety program more effectively.
Visit the website at https://TheSafetyGeek.com
Subscribe to the YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/safetygeek
Sign up for the Safety Leadership Newsletter, where I share exclusive tips, content, forms, and templates at https://TheSafetyGeek.com/Newsletter
Follow me @
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSafetyGeek
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brye-sargent/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safety_brye/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thesafetygeek/
50 min
September 07Stop Being a Department of One
Every inspection, every policy, every training, every near-miss follow-up routes back to you, and the to-do list never ends. You're the department of one.

Being overwhelmed in safety isn't a time management problem. It's a design problem. In this episode I break down how you became the department of one, and the three moves that get you out.

Full show notes: https://thesafetygeek.com/142

LINKS MENTIONED
Free SMIS Guide
Safety Leadership Roadmap Session

Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you liked it, be sure to share it with your best safety friend. It's a goal of The Safety Geek to elevate the role of the safety manager, and that is why I share tips and resources on how you can manage your safety program more effectively.
Visit the website at https://TheSafetyGeek.com
Subscribe to the YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/safetygeek
Sign up for the Safety Leadership Newsletter, where I share exclusive tips, content, forms, and templates at https://TheSafetyGeek.com/Newsletter
Follow me @
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSafetyGeek
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brye-sargent/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safety_brye/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thesafetygeek/
34 min
August 31Why Everything You Were Taught Keeps You Stuck
You were taught to know the regulations cold, enforce the rules, and catch what people are doing wrong — and that training is exactly what is capping your career. In this episode Brye names the safety cop trap, shows why compliance only ever buys you surface behavior instead of real buy-in, and tells the story of the wall she hit when her own team started hiding things from her. This is the belief shift the rest of the series is built on.
Read the full show notes at: https://thesafetygeek.com/141
Links Mentioned:
Download the free SMIS Guide
Book a Safety Leadership Roadmap Session
Episode 140: The Rockstar Safety Executive Roadmap

Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you liked it, be sure to share it with your best safety friend. It's a goal of The Safety Geek to elevate the role of the safety manager, and that is why I share tips and resources on how you can manage your safety program more effectively.
Visit the website at https://TheSafetyGeek.com
Subscribe to the YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/safetygeek
Sign up for the Safety Leadership Newsletter, where I share exclusive tips, content, forms, and templates at https://TheSafetyGeek.com/Newsletter
Follow me @
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSafetyGeek
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brye-sargent/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safety_brye/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thesafetygeek/
37 min
August 24The Safety Leadership Roadmap
This episode lays out the complete roadmap from safety manager to safety executive, starting with why safety gets handed all the responsibility and none of the authority. It breaks down the three things every safety lead actually wants (money, status and job security), the three things standing in the way (overwhelm, being ignored and a lack of confidence), and the Safety Management Cycle and Safety Influencer System that close the gap. Listeners will learn why compliance-based safety can never reach zero, and why influence rather than enforcement is what builds a safety career.
Read the full show notes at: https://thesafetygeek.com/140

Links Mentioned:
Download the free SMIS Guide
Safety Leadership Academy
The Artificial Authority Trap

Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you liked it, be sure to share it with your best safety friend. It's a goal of The Safety Geek to elevate the role of the safety manager, and that is why I share tips and resources on how you can manage your safety program more effectively.
Visit the website at https://TheSafetyGeek.com
Subscribe to the YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/safetygeek
Sign up for the Safety Leadership Newsletter, where I share exclusive tips, content, forms, and templates at https://TheSafetyGeek.com/Newsletter
Follow me @
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSafetyGeek
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brye-sargent/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safety_brye/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thesafetygeek/
45 min
February 23Women's PPE Safety: Why Fit Matters in Trades
This episode explores the critical importance of women's PPE safety and how properly fitting gear transforms workplace safety for women in the trades. It covers the risks of ill-fitting PPE, the true costs to organizations, and practical strategies to select and implement tailored safety solutions. Listeners will learn how to foster a safety culture that supports women and the future trends shaping women's workwear safety.
Read the full shownotes at: https://thesafetygeek.com/139

Links Mentioned:
Red Wing Shoes

Time Stamps
00:00 Why Women’s PPE Fit Is a Safety Issue (Not Style)
01:48 Meet Tito Warren & Why This Topic Matters
03:06 Tito’s Global Safety Journey: Building Standards from the Ground Up
04:36 Women Entering the Trades Worldwide: What Tito Sees Internationally
07:32 The ‘Shrink It and Pink It’ Era—and Why It Had to End
08:43 Designing PPE ‘For Her’: How Red Wing Builds Fit the Right Way
10:19 Real-World Risks of Ill-Fitting PPE: Boots, Gloves, and Snag Hazards
14:56 The Business Case: Cost, Comfort, Productivity, and Compliance
20:46 Safety Culture Wins: Companies That Invest in the Best Gear
22:47 Getting Leadership Buy-In: Red Wing as a Partner, Not Just a Vendor
24:05 Leverage Suppliers as Safety Partners (Standards, Labs & Credibility)
26:06 Building a Safety Culture in Any Industry (Oil & Gas Lessons)
27:45 Align PPE to Hazard Assessments: Fit, Form, Function
28:55 The Future of PPE: Everyday Wear, More Comfort, More Compliance
33:11 Stop Buying Cheap PPE: Value, Risk, and Making Educated Choices
36:24 Fit Matters: Get Properly Fitted & Test PPE Before the Jobsite
39:31 Footwear as a Foundation: Long-Term Body Health & Injury Prevention
41:34 Respect & Inclusion: Why Women’s PPE Matters for Morale and Safety
42:45 Final Wrap-Up: How to Connect with Red Wing & Partner Up

Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you liked it, be sure to share it with your best safety friend. It's a goal of The Safety Geek to elevate the role of the safety manager, and that is why I share tips and resources on how you can manage your safety program more effectively.
Visit the website at https://TheSafetyGeek.com
Subscribe to the YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/safetygeek
Sign up for the Safety Leadership Newsletter, where I share exclusive tips, content, forms, and templates at https://TheSafetyGeek.com/Newsletter
Follow me @
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSafetyGeek
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brye-sargent/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safety_brye/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thesafetygeek/
47 min
January 05Safety Goal Setting Strategies That Drive Real Results
This podcast explores the challenges with traditional safety goal setting and presents ethical strategies that focus on controllable actions. Learn how reframing safety goals with a data-driven, action-oriented approach can improve safety culture and reduce workplace injuries. Gain insights into best practices for setting measurable safety goals and fostering accountability at all organizational levels.

Links Mentioned:
Safety Leadership Academy
Atomic Habits by James Clear

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to Safety Goals
01:11 Reflecting on the Past Year
02:55 The Problem with Traditional Safety Goals
04:53 Ethical and Control Issues in Safety Goals
11:31 Actionable Steps for Effective Safety Goals
16:51 Setting Personal and Organizational Goals
25:40 Conclusion and Looking Forward

Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you liked it, be sure to share it with your best safety friend. It's a goal of The Safety Geek to elevate the role of the safety manager, and that is why I share tips and resources on how you can manage your safety program more effectively.
Visit the website at https://TheSafetyGeek.com
Subscribe to the YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/safetygeek
Sign up for the Safety Leadership Newsletter, where I share exclusive tips, content, forms, and templates at https://TheSafetyGeek.com/Newsletter
Follow me @
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSafetyGeek
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brye-sargent/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safety_brye/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thesafetygeek/
30 min
December 15, 2025Safety Program Structure to Boost Engagement & Influence
This episode explores how traditional safety program structures limit engagement and offers a step-by-step guide to redesign roles and processes. Discover strategies to redistribute responsibilities, strengthen supervisor safety capabilities, and create meaningful employee participation. Learn why building influence over authority leads to sustainable safety improvements and how to measure continuous progress.

Read the full show notes at https://thesafetygeek.com/137

Links Mentioned:
Artificial Authority Trap
Solving the Leadership Accountability Problem

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction: The Importance of Supervisor Involvement in Safety
00:57 Greeting and Personal Anecdote
01:23 Defining the Role of Frontline Supervisors in Safety
03:06 Challenges Faced by Supervisors
03:52 Tip 1: Integrate Safety into Daily Tasks
06:14 Tip 2: Combine Safety with Quality and Operations
08:32 Tip 3: Shadow Supervisors Regularly
09:51 Tip 4: Empower Employees
13:25 Tip 5: Conduct Regular Supervisor Meetings
17:27 Conclusion and Call to Action
Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you liked it, be sure to share it with your best safety friend. It's a goal of The Safety Geek to elevate the role of the safety manager, and that is why I share tips and resources on how you can manage your safety program more effectively.
Visit the website at https://TheSafetyGeek.com
Subscribe to the YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/safetygeek
Sign up for the Safety Leadership Newsletter, where I share exclusive tips, content, forms, and templates at https://TheSafetyGeek.com/Newsletter
Follow me @
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSafetyGeek
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brye-sargent/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safety_brye/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thesafetygeek/
20 min

About The Safety Geek Podcast: Geeking Out About Workplace Safety

From the publisher's feed

The Safety Geek coaches and trains workplace safety managers, who struggle with support and commitment, effective strategies to change their company’s culture and to become safety leaders. I am…