Safety Perspectives with Libby Pritchard

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 conversation with her company's head of safety revealed a new perspective: a "non-safety person" advocating for safety has a unique and powerful influence. This episode explores how to embody safety in any role, the importance of personal stories, and practical strategies for building a robust safety culture where everyone is an active participant. Libby provides tangible examples, from making safety a part of performance goals to the impact of a sales team member actively engaging in refresher training, proving you don't need to be the conductor to lead the orchestra in safety.

Main Themes:

• The transition from a formal safety role to a non-safety position.

• Embracing the principle that “everyone is a safety person.”

• How professionals in non-safety roles can powerfully influence an organization's safety culture.

• The power of personal stories and safety shares in making safety relatable and memorable.

• Practical strategies for integrating safety leadership into any job function.

• Building a culture where everyone feels empowered to contribute to safety.

• The concept of leading safety "from any seat in the orchestra."

Toolbox Talk Discussion Questions:

• In this episode, Libby talks about her transition from a safety role to a sales and business development role. She was reassured that her new perspective carried weight, and she could still make a difference in the organization’s safety culture. Why do you think it’s important to include everyone’s perspectives when it comes to safety? 

• Libby shares about the way that industry professionals who aren’t in traditional safety roles can engage with safety on a daily basis. Which of the examples that she shared was your favorite and why? 

• Does anyone have a story they would like to share about how a “non-safety person’s” perspective made them think differently about safety?

Key Takeaways:

"Everyone has a safety story. It's about learning and growing from experiences."

 

"Safety is everyone's job. We can all make an impact, regardless of our role."

 

"Being a 'non-safety' person gives you a unique influence on safety culture."

 

"Safety stories teach better than regulations. Share real-life examples."

 

"Challenge your team to have a safety goal. It builds a strong safety culture."

 

"Talk about safety with customers. You never know where a great idea will come from."

 

"Engaging in training as a non-safety person shows commitment and brings fresh energy."

 

"You don't need to be a safety pro to lead in safety. Lead from any seat in the orchestra."

 

"Safety can be part of any job. We can all make an impact, regardless of our job title."

Links:

National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association website

Take Control: Prevent Serious Injuries and Fatalities: https://www.nssga.org/industry-priorities/health-safety/take-control-prevent-serious-injuries-and-fatalities