The future of the safety professional: how will the role look in 2035?
Release Date: 06/06/2025
Inside RoSPA's Fall Fighter Campaign, with Jules Robinson
Safety And Risk Success
Falls are often seen as “just accidents” or an inevitable part of ageing, but the reality is far more serious, costly, and preventable. I sat down with Jules Robinson, Occupational Safety and Health and Falls Manager at RoSPA, to dig into the truth behind falls, the misconceptions that hold us back, and the impact of their Fall Fighter campaign that’s helping communities, organisations, and individuals save lives. This conversation shines a light on why falls matter to all of us, whether at work, at home, or in our communities, and shares clear steps we can all take to make a...
info_outline
Welcome to Sliptember: stop slips, make the world safer, and win some prizes
Safety And Risk Success
Slips are the hidden danger we walk over every single day. They cause more major injuries than machinery accidents or falls from height, cost the UK over £1 billion annually, and devastate lives, yet most organisations still rely on yellow signs and luck. That changes with Sliptember: a movement to raise awareness, share proven science-backed methods, and help you take real action. This month, I’m giving you the tools, insights, and even prizes to stop slips, protect people, and build safer, stronger organisations. Highlights: Stanley May’s tragic story: why slips...
info_outline
The CEO Whisperer on Driving Lasting Cultural Change in Safety, With Jo Britton
Safety And Risk Success
How do you get people not just to nod along, but to genuinely change their behaviour? Neuroscience might hold the key. In this conversation with Jo Britton known as the CEO Whisperer, we uncover how our brains are wired, why change feels uncomfortable, and how leaders can tap into practical, brain-based tools to influence culture and safety performance for the long term. Highlights include: Why the brain seeks comfort: understanding resistance to change Fight, flight, freeze: how stress shows up in safety contexts The SCARF model: status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness, fairness...
info_outline
Why Trust is Crucial in Building Safety, with Clive Lloyd
Safety And Risk Success
Trust is the invisible thread that holds safety cultures together, without it, even the most well-meaning initiatives can crumble. In this conversation with Clive Lloyd, psychologist, consultant, and bestselling author of Next Generation Safety Leadership: From Compliance to Care, we dig into why trust is the true currency of leadership. From heartbreaking stories of miners coping with tragedy, to practical ways leaders can show they care, this episode uncovers what really drives safer, more resilient organisations. Highlights include: The moment Clive realised safety was about people, not...
info_outline
The Art of Influence in Life-or-Death Situations, with Andy Brown
Safety And Risk Success
What can a hostage negotiator teach us about influence, decision-making, and staying composed when the stakes couldn’t be higher? Andy Brown’s career spans 30 years in policing, followed by leading complex, high-risk humanitarian operations in some of the world’s most dangerous places, from extracting colleagues under Taliban rule in Afghanistan to navigating volatile natural disasters and delicate cultural landscapes. In this conversation, Andy reveals gripping true stories and translates their lessons into practical tools for influencing others, managing risk, and keeping a...
info_outline
Intention Vs Impact, and Bringing Back the Good Name of Health & Safety, With Natalie Von Tersch
Safety And Risk Success
When did we forget that health and safety is about protecting people, not red tape? In this energising and refreshingly honest conversation, I’m joined by Natalie von Tersch, founder of Mint, to explore the real-world impact of safety done well... and what happens when it isn’t. From motorway fatalities to dishwasher debates, we dive into why safety culture needs a human-first reboot, and how to lead that change from the boardroom to the shop floor. 🔍 Highlights Where it all began: Natalie’s origin story, how a workplace fatality shaped her entire approach to safety....
info_outline
The End of Safety as We Know It?
Safety And Risk Success
Is safety being absorbed, rebranded, or slowly phased out? As the world around us evolves, so too must the safety profession. We dive headfirst into the real tensions, questions, and opportunities facing modern safety practitioners. From the rise of ESG and AI to the shift in workplace culture, this wide-ranging podcast unpacks whether the traditional model of safety is still fit for purpose, or whether we’re seeing the start of something entirely new. Highlights: Blurred boundaries: Safety’s now showing up in HR, ESG, ops and finance, but who’s really in charge? Perception problem:...
info_outline
Thick Data, Complexity And Navigating Change, With Gary Wong
Safety And Risk Success
What if resistance to change wasn’t a hurdle, but valuable feedback? Gary Wong brings a refreshing take on how to navigate complexity and shift safety culture using insights from sensemaking, storytelling and system thinking. We covered how narrative data, landscape maps and frameworks like Cynefin can help make change more attractive and easier, not just for frontline teams, but for senior leaders too. It’s all about thinking differently, acting intentionally, and using real stories to shape safer outcomes. 🔍 Highlights Sensemaking in practice: Anthropology, neuroscience and...
info_outline
A blueprint for better risk decisions, with Alex Dali
Safety And Risk Success
Ever felt that risk management is too focused on boxes, forms, and fear? It doesn’t have to be that way. In this powerful conversation with internationally respected risk expert Alex Dali, we unpack a smarter, more dynamic approach, rooted in ISO 31000, that ties risk directly to your objectives. Whether you're in safety, operations, or leadership, if you're making decisions under uncertainty (and who isn’t?), this episode gives you a clear, actionable framework to create and protect value. With over 25 years in global risk leadership and founder of the G31000 Risk Institute,...
info_outline
How to Speak the Language of Value in Risk and Safety, With Ben Cooney
Safety And Risk Success
When you’re trying to influence at board level, it’s not enough to talk risk in your language, you’ve got to speak theirs. Ben Cooney joins me to unpack how risk professionals and safety leaders can get real traction by shifting their approach from technical to strategic, from problems to value. We get into the realities of insurance, bust some common myths, and explore how safety, risk, and finance can better collaborate to reduce harm and boost performance. Whether you’re new to risk or have been in the trenches for years, this conversation is full of useful perspective, insight,...
info_outlineWhat does the safety profession look like ten years from now? Picture a world of automation, AI-driven decision making, and rapidly shifting expectations, then place yourself right in the middle of it. That’s where we’re heading, and this podcast was a chance to look ahead, spark debate, and challenge ourselves to be ready.
We explored the changing demands on the safety professional, what we’ll need to let go of, what skills will come to the fore, and how our ability to connect, influence and adapt will matter more than ever. From mental health and ESG, to data storytelling and the impact of AI, we didn’t hold back in imagining what 2035 might bring.
💬 Topics covered in this episode:
- The Evolving Role of the Safety Professional: From compliance focus to ESG integration and strategic influence
- AI, Automation & the Safety Tech Revolution: How routine tasks will shift and why digital confidence is vital
- Mental Health as a Core Safety Pillar: Why wellbeing needs to move from the sidelines to the centre
- Data Storytelling & Predictive Insight: Using data to drive proactive decisions and win investment
- Collaboration Across Disciplines: Working in sync with HR, tech and leadership teams to deliver real results
- Skills for 2035: New priorities like systems thinking, emotional intelligence, and tech fluency
- Letting Go of Old Habits: Paper forms, one-size-fits-all training, and blame culture—what needs to go
- Bold Predictions for the Future: From AI-enabled teams to the idea of safety teams without safety professionals
Actions:
- 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/