Safety Perspectives with Libby Pritchard
NSSGA Podcast
Emily welcomes a familiar voice back to the podcast, Libby Pritchard, who is now the Senior Director of Sales and Business Development with Specialty Granules. Libby, formerly in a safety and health role with NSSGA, discusses her transition into a sales and business development position and how her perspective on being a safety leader has evolved. She shares powerful insights on how every employee, regardless of their title, can and should be a safety champion. Libby shares her initial feeling of leaving a piece of herself behind when "safety" was no longer in her job title. However, a pivotal...
info_outline
Water Safety featuring Madalynn Habron
NSSGA Podcast
Emily welcomes NSSGA's Senior Manager of Communications, Madalynn Habron to the podcast today for a discussion regarding critical water safety. Madalynn, a former lifeguard and swim instructor, shares insights on drowning prevention, the importance of swim lessons, recognizing distress signs, and how safety training principles extend from recreational activities to the aggregate industry workplace. Madalynn shares a personal near-drowning story, underscoring the need for constant vigilance around water. The discussion includes CDC child drowning statistics, the often quiet nature of drowning,...
info_outline
CPR and AED Awareness with Brian Goepfert
NSSGA Podcast
With June being National Safety Month, a time dedicated to focusing on safety as a core value, and the first week holding special significance as National CPR and AED Awareness Week, Emily is joined today by Brian Goepfert, a former MSHA Administrator for Enforcement and volunteer firefighter. Together, they discuss just how vital CPR and AED training can be in saving a life, and Brian shares a very personal CPR safety story that truly brings home why these skills are so important. Brian paints a clear picture of what happens during a cardiac event and how immediate action, with CPR and...
info_outline
The Evolution of Safety Training with Shea Davis
NSSGA Podcast
In this episode of Safety Shorts, host Emily Hargrove, NSSGA's Director of Occupational Safety and Health, welcomes Shea Davis, Regional Operations Manager for CDE USA, to discuss the evolution of safety training in the aggregates industry, particularly over NSSGA’s 25-year history. Together, they explore the shift from passive, compliance-focused methods to today's interactive, real-world learning essential for engaging younger generations like Millennials and Gen Z. Shea also shares a personal injury story highlighting the critical need for proactive hazard identification and risk...
info_outline
Spring Restart Safety with Troy Austin
NSSGA Podcast
Welcome back to Safety Shorts, your quick dose of safety wisdom! I'm your new host, Emily Hargrove, and I'm thrilled to welcome Troy Austin, Value Safety Manager at Luck Companies, back to the podcast today. As the days get longer and temperatures rise, many in the mining and aggregates industry are gearing up to restart seasonal operationshis, and this episode is all about ensuring a safe and efficient return to work, focusing on proactive strategies to mitigate risks associated with post-winter start-ups. Troy shares his expert insights on three critical areas to address, offers practical...
info_outline
My Cancer Stupidity with Robert “Cujo” Teschner
NSSGA Podcast
Robert “Cujo” Teschner, former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, husband, father, author, and advocate for lifelong learning, returns to the podcast today to share a deeply personal and cautionary tale about his “cancer stupidity”—ignoring early warning signs of illness due to pride, fear, and a misplaced sense of invincibility. Reflecting on how this experience reshaped his life and perspective, Cujo underscores the importance of listening to our bodies and overcoming the cultural and personal barriers that prevent many from seeking medical help. His journey offers invaluable...
info_outline
A Near Miss with Robert “Cujo” Teschner
NSSGA Podcast
Safety Shorts welcomes Robert “Cujo” Teschner to the podcast today to recount a harrowing “near miss” over the Atlantic that reshaped his view on risk and responsibility. A former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, Cujo offers powerful insights into the dangers of prioritizing performance over safety, underscoring the importance of keeping safety as the ultimate measure of success in any high-stakes environment. Reflecting on how competitive instincts nearly led to disaster, he highlights the need for clear priorities, a message that resonates across industries. Remember - true success...
info_outline
A Routine Scan with Rob Lanham
NSSGA Podcast
This week, Libby Pritchard welcomes industry veteran Rob Lanham back to the podcast to share his personal health journey following over 42 years in Virginia's transportation construction sector. Rob recounts how a routine medical check-up uncovered a life-threatening condition, highlighting the importance of early detection and regular screenings. After recovering from a heart attack in 2021, a prostate issue led to the discovery of a massive tumor, underscoring the unpredictability of health challenges. Rob reflects on his emotional journey through a cancer diagnosis and recovery, emphasizing...
info_outline
“How You Do Everything” with Ronn Lehmann
NSSGA Podcast
In this episode of Safety Shorts, host Libby Pritchard welcomes back safety consultant Ronn Lehmann, who delves into the critical relationship between safety and quality. Through a personal story about tree trimming near power lines, Ron illustrates the importance of maintaining rigorous safety standards in all aspects of life, not just the workplace. He emphasizes that consumer decisions play a significant role in safety outcomes and that professional conduct is essential in ensuring both safety and quality. The discussion highlights how mindset and habits are foundational to a robust safety...
info_outline
Three Points of Contact with Jay Collup
NSSGA Podcast
Libby is excited to welcome Jay Collup, the founder of Collup Enterprises, to the show for this important episode. Boasting an extensive career in the industry and a passion for training, particularly in mobile equipment operator safety, Jay proves an invaluable guest. In this episode, he shares a compelling story that underscores the importance of maintaining three points of contact—a critical safety practice in the industry. Delving into the details of a severe accident he witnessed, our guest highlights the catastrophic consequences of not following proper safety protocols. He goes on to...
info_outlineJustin Ganschow, Business Development Manager for Caterpillar Safety Services joins Libby for today’s episode. Justin has been in the industry for almost 20 years, and, as a result, has a wealth of stories and presentations to offer. In this episode, he shares a story about the human side of safety and about being an intentional safety leader.
Episode Highlights:
- Several years ago, Justin was working with a company that, after suffering a pretty traumatic injury involving six of their employees, embarked on a safety culture improvement journey with him
- Part of the journey was developing cross functional teams to build meaningful safety activities that govern how everybody worked in the field, shop, and office
- Many of the field workers were not excited about taking part in these
- RJ was one field worker who had grown up in the industry, and who began sharing his ideas about safety, gaining the attention and support of his colleagues and leaders alike.
- Eventually, RJ decided to go back to school and get a degree in safety because he was now in a culture that supported him and his peers, and really empowered them to make the changes needed to take ownership of safety
- RJ’s best friend and longtime colleague, Josh, didn’t really support RJ’s decision to do this
- Years later, though, Justin was pleasantly surprised to see that Josh paid his own way to support RJ as he presented at an executive safety leadership summit in a different city - Josh now saw RJ as his ally and advocate within the company
- The lesson that Justin feels can be learned from this is that, while safety is often viewed as something that needs to be enforced by ‘safety cops’, it doesn't have to be that way. It can be a lot more effective when we have courageous safety leaders.
- RJ cared so deeply that he changed his life to have the backs of the men and women that worked around him - a lesson that we can all take to heart
Toolbox Talk Discussion Questions:
- In this episode Justin shares about RJ who was initially reluctant to participate in the meetings, but later became really involved in safety trainings. How can we reach those who are initially resistant to participate?
- How can this story encourage us to engage in cross-department safety discussions?
- Does anyone have a story about how their safety mindset has changed over their career?
Quotes:
“I've had the distinct privilege of working with a lot of companies and different industries over the years to improve safety, culture and leadership abilities.”
“After suffering a pretty traumatic injury that injured six of their employees, this organization embarked on a safety culture improvement journey with us.”
“RJ… had seen safety programs come and go in the past, but he decided he would try it. And throughout the week, he kept leaning in and leaning in and speaking up, giving us his ideas about how to develop this new safety process for safety training.”
“I saw him come alive and realize that his voice mattered. And his ideas were then adopted by his peers. They were cheered on by leadership.”
“It was about a year later that I got a phone call from RJ. And he shared with me that he decided he was going to go back to school and get a degree in safety.”
“That was amazing to me that someone who had spent their whole career in the trades, was going to, midlife, go back to school to support the people that they work with every day.”
“So many times safety is viewed as something that needs to be enforced… it can be a lot more effective when we have courageous safety leaders.”
“This is somebody he now saw as his ally, as his advocate, within the company.”
“I hope that's a lesson that all of us can take to heart when we show up on the job site. Are you there for policies and procedures? Are you there for your people?”
“At the end of the day, safety is about people, it's about the 24/7. Are we living it? Are we really owning it?”
“Safety leadership is about doing, it's about being proactive, and it's about people. It's about caring.”
Links:
National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association website