A lot of companies say “safety first.” Darren Varga, Director of EHS at Aecon Group Inc., argues that misses the point. If people do not trust the system, they stop talking, and that is when risk quietly stacks up.

In this episode of The Safety Spotlight, Darren shares how an ergonomics and biomechanics background, along with time as a Ministry of Labour inspector and global consultant, has shaped a practical approach to safety: quantify risk, design work that makes sense, and treat workers like the experts they are.

We also get into what “safety culture” actually means in real life. Darren’s answer is blunt: there is no magic KPI or slogan that fixes it. Trust is the lever, and trust is built through listening, giving workers a voice, and following up every single time, even on “small” issues.

We discuss:

• Why “layered skills” make safety pros more effective, and how Darren built that stack across industries and roles
• How to spot risk faster by walking the floor with workers and asking one question: “What’s the worst part of the job?”
• How ergonomic redesign becomes a business case when you quantify risk and tie it to efficiency gains
• Why change management gets easy when the tool is simple, useful, and worker-approved
• The one thing “safety culture” is really built on: trust, plus follow-through
• A practical voice-of-worker system: QR codes on hard hats feeding safety and the Joint Health and Safety Committee
• What happens when workers have no voice, and why complaints, conflict, and cost explode
• Leading on high-profile, first-of-a-kind projects: emergency readiness, clear communication, and relationships with real decision-makers
• Mental health in construction, the Ambassador Program approach, and why “tough-guy culture” is a liability
• Leadership that actually works: servant leadership, Maxwell’s five levels, and treating dignity as a daily practice

Looking for an all-in-one compliance platform? See all that BIS Safety Software has to offer at https://bissafety.ca/

Silica exposure is one of the oldest known occupational hazards in the world, yet it remains widely misunderstood, under-prioritized, and routinely mismanaged across modern industries.

In this episode of The Safety Spotlight, we sit down with Nayab Sultan, an occupational and environmental health specialist with decades of international experience, to unpack why silica continues to pose such a serious and often invisible risk to workers today.

Drawing on real-world cases from construction, mining, infrastructure, and global health settings, Nayab explains how respirable crystalline silica behaves in the body, why there is effectively no safe level of exposure, and how silicosis can develop silently over years or, in extreme cases, within weeks. He also explores why silicosis is frequently misdiagnosed as tuberculosis, the long-term consequences of that failure, and how gaps in professional training and risk anticipation continue to put people at risk.

The conversation goes beyond compliance checklists to address deeper system issues, including inconsistent education standards for safety professionals, the lack of long-term exposure tracking for transient workers, and the false sense of safety created by familiarity and routine. We also discuss how emerging AI tools are beginning to change early detection and diagnosis, particularly in resource-limited environments, and what lessons Canada still needs to learn from global silica hotspots.

This episode is a clear reminder that silicosis and silica-related diseases are entirely preventable, but only if risk is recognized early, controls are taken seriously, and uncomfortable conversations are not avoided.

What You’ll Learn

• Why silica exposure is fundamentally different from many other workplace hazards
• How silicosis develops, including simple, accelerated, and acute forms
• Why silica is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis and why that matters
• How low-level exposure over time can be just as dangerous as short-term high exposure
• Where current safety training and awareness fall short
• Why “getting the job done” culture quietly drives long-term health outcomes
• How AI is starting to improve diagnosis and what that could mean for worker health

"If I don't have room to improve, the system is broken." That is the philosophy that drives Rick Sikora, CEO of Cranemasters. In this episode of The Safety Spotlight, Rick shares why he questioned the validity of a 97% audit score - and why questioning what we do is the only way to fight complacency.Rick breaks down the critical difference between "common sense" and "common knowledge," especially for the new generation of workers entering the trades. He shares powerful stories from the field, including why he challenges his instructors to let students lead the conversation and why he believes "tickets" are just the beginning of the learning journey, not the end.Cranemasters Website: https://cranemasters.ca

In this episode of Safety Spotlight, we sit down with Tyler Foley, a former stuntman turned safety consultant and the founder of Total Buy-In HSE Consulting. Tyler shares his unique backstory, moving from performing six-story high falls into cardboard boxes to managing safety in high-risk industries, revealing how the principles of stunt work - like engineering controls and redundancy - directly translate to the job site. Throughout the conversation, Tyler challenges the traditional "zero incident" mindset, arguing instead for "failing safely" - designing systems where human error is anticipated but the consequences are minimized. He discusses the dangers of siloed safety departments and explains why a true safety culture is just "culture," where everyone from the C-suite to the frontline is aligned and empowered. We also explore Tyler's practical strategies for identifying hidden influencers (the "nodes") in a workforce, transforming toolbox talks from rote reading into engaging dialogues, and the importance of the "Mentor, Peer, Student" framework for professional growth. Tyler shares a powerful story about transforming a rapidly growing construction company by making leadership personal, visible, and deeply invested in the "family" aspect of the team. Whether you are a safety professional, a supervisor, or a business leader, Tyler's perspective on human factors, authentic communication, and the reality of risk offers a fresh, practical approach to protecting your team. Tyler's Website: https://totalbuyin.com/ Tyler's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seantylerfoley/

In this episode, we sit down with Sarah Rasoul, a Top Woman in Safety and safety leader at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada. Sarah shares how an unexpected career path led her into occupational health and safety, and why proactive,prevention-focused work became her mission. She breaks down the power of a strong communication culture, the importance of worker engagement, and how tools like near miss analysis and the PDCA cycle drive meaningful improvements on the floor.

We also explore her experience with psychological health and safety, Toyota’s approach to continuous improvement, the value of recognition programs, and how competency and confidence grow when workers are empowered to speak up. Sarah offers candid advice for new safety professionals and the role mentorship has played in her own development.

See Sarah Rasoul story and many more at https:bissafety.ca/safety-spotlight-podcasts/

Safety did not start as the headline for Jeff Mulligan, it became the mission. In this episode of Safety Spotlight, Jeff, COO of Astec Safety and an early catalyst behind Utility Safety Partners, explains how risk management evolved from a back-office function into a leadership priority. He also exposes the next big challenge facing safety leaders everywhere: aging, hidden infrastructure.

How does a finance and public policy veteran become a champion for prevention and safety leadership in Alberta? Jeff connects boardroom strategy with field realities, drawing on his experience in politics, banking, and early fiber optic deployments to show how business discipline and on-site insight can coexist.

Jeff’s message is clear: treating safety as compliance leaves value on the table, while treating it as strategy protects people, assets, and communities. The stakes are growing as experienced hands retire and institutional knowledge fades. If organizations fail to capture and share that expertise, preventable failures will follow.

He reflects on a catastrophic explosion in Sherwood Park that galvanized Alberta’s damage prevention movement, as well as Astec’s turnaround from deep losses to durable performance. His perspective is grounded yet optimistic: tough problems yield to clear ownership, good data, and consistent follow-through.

What You’ll Learn:

• Quiet risks in rural and legacy utilities where maps and markings lag the work

• Why safety leadership belongs at the executive table, not buried in HR or finance

• How AI and digital tools can amplify expert trainers rather than replace them

• The coming knowledge transfer crunch as veteran tradespeople and safety leaders retire

For organizations ready to move beyond audits and slogans, Jeff offers a blueprint: make safety personal, elevate it to strategy, and stop underestimating what is underground.

See Jeff’s story and many more at https://bissafety.ca/safety-spotlight-podcasts.

Linda Miller never set out to transform how people move and work. Her early goal as a rehabilitation specialist was to help them recover. But after seeing how preventable injuries could derail entire careers, she started asking a powerful question: why are we treating the damage instead of preventing it?

That question led her to ergonomics and a lifelong mission to design work that fits people, not the other way around. Her first major project—a series of repetitive strain injuries at a lumber facility—sparked a philosophy that has guided her work ever since.

“Instead of forcing people to adapt to their work, design work to fit the people who do it.”

From hospitals to construction sites, Linda’s company EWI Works has helped organizations rethink safety through a human-centered lens. Her approach goes beyond compliance to focus on well-being, concentration, and performance, proving that better design leads to healthier, more productive teams.

This episode is a must-listen for leaders who want to prevent injuries before they happen and build workplaces where people can truly thrive.

See Linda’s story and many more at https://bissafety.ca/safety-spotlight-podcasts.

In this powerful episode of Safety Spotlight, we sit down with Spencer Beach, a third-generation tradesman turned professional safety speaker, whose life was forever changed by a devastating workplace fire in 2003. What followed was more than a physical recovery. It was a complete transformation in how he understood safety, leadership, and purpose.

Spencer recounts the day everything changed, the chemical shortcut that led to a house explosion, and the production pressures that caused him to ignore his gut instinct. With raw emotion and clarity, he unpacks how culture, communication breakdowns, and misplaced priorities can lead to life-altering consequences.

You’ll hear:

• Why gut instinct is often our first and best safety tool

• How reframing “hazards” as “energy” can change how we see risk

• The emotional and cultural roots that separate average programs from effective ones

• Why near misses matter, and how to give workers “eyes in the back of their head”

• How to burst the “safety bubble” and create awareness that truly sticks

This episode is not just a cautionary tale. It is a call to rethink safety as a living part of leadership and culture. Spencer’s story is a reminder that safety isn’t paperwork or policy—it’s people, purpose, and the choices we make under pressure.

See Spencer’s story and many more at https://bissafety.ca/safety-spotlight-podcasts.

In this episode of Safety Spotlight, we sit down with Mike Schwarz, CEO of MyZone AI, for a candid look at the AI revolution already transforming how businesses operate. From his early dot-com ventures to leading large-scale automation projects, Mike shares real insights on how organizations can harness AI for massive ROI.

He reveals how automation can streamline up to 90% of operations, why his team only takes on projects that deliver 10x returns, and how AI is reshaping safety, education, and high-risk industries through predictive analytics and dynamic learning systems.

We cover:

• How to identify automation opportunities in any business

• What “human in the loop” really means and why it matters

• Practical AI applications in safety and frontline operations

• Why delaying adoption could cost companies their competitive edge

“Some companies are still riding horses while others are driving Teslas.”

Whether you are a safety leader, tech skeptic, or startup founder, this episode will change how you see AI’s role in the workplace and what it means for the future of human performance.

See Mike’s story and many more at https://bissafety.ca/safety-spotlight-podcasts.

In this episode of Safety Spotlight, we sit down with Jeff “Odie” Espenship, former A-10 Warthog pilot and founder of Target Leadership, for an unforgettable conversation about safety, culture, and the choices that define leadership.

Odie shares hard-earned lessons from 10,000 feet up and from rock bottom, revealing how the smallest decisions can change everything. His message is clear: safety isn’t about rules, it’s about character, empathy, and accountability when it matters most.

What You’ll Learn:

• From Cockpit to Culture: How Odie went from airshows to safety keynotes, and why culture eats checklists for breakfast

• The Shortcut That Changed Everything: The devastating true story of one small deviation and the origin of Jeff’s mission

• Normalization of Deviance: Why “just this once” is never just once

• Leadership Is Emotional: If you want people to care about safety, start with empathy, not enforcement

• What Real Leadership Looks Like: It’s not about titles, it’s about doing the right thing when no one is watching

See Odie’s story and many more at https://bissafety.ca/safety-spotlight-podcasts.