In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Dr. Fred Sherratt, a world-leading academic in the field of construction safety and the founder of Straight Talk Safety. Drawing on her decades of experience and research, Fred explains why safety in construction is never static, and why, at its heart, safety is a people’s game.

She describes the unique challenges of an industry where crews, work areas, and priorities constantly shift, positioning construction as a powerful case study for EHS professionals managing change. Fred discusses how production pressures, subcontracting, and evolving environments affect performance, and how leadership, respect and communication keep people safe when conditions are unpredictable.

Fred also explores why measuring “safety culture” misses the point, arguing that safety is continually recreated through human relationships and shared understanding. Her perspective and wisdom offer highly practical ways to make systems more adaptable, guide teams effectively, and build trust in complex workplaces.

Fred’s company: Straight Talk Safety

Fred’s book: Unpacking Construction Site Safety

Dr. Fred Sherratt on LinkedIn: Fred Sherratt | LinkedIn

Safety Labs is created by Safety Products Global, the world's leading manufacturer of safety knives. Through our trusted brands, Klever, Slice and PHC, we empower companies to prevent injuries by providing safer cutting tools for every material and application. Find us at www.safetyproducts.global

If you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@safetyproducts.global

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Dr. Matt Law — certified safety professional, researcher, strategist, author, and podcast host. Matt explores why safety research often fails to actually help EHS practitioners in the workplace.

He breaks down what makes research “bad,” the roles of qualitative and quantitative methods, and how statistical findings can be better translated for real-world use.

Dr. Law also discusses academic limitations, the communication barriers caused by paywalls and jargon, and how digital platforms — from podcasts to TikTok — are changing the way research reaches safety professionals.

This interview is packed with practical advice for practitioners to evaluate research critically, stay curious, and collaborate with researchers to measure what really works in practice.

Matt’s podcast: Prove It To Me - Real Research, Real Data, No BS | Dr. Matt Law

Learn more about Matt’s work: Dr. Matt Law | Explore Proven Environmental, Health, and Safety Strategies

Matt currently serves on the Board of Directors for the: Society for Total Worker Health

Dr. Matt Law on LinkedIn: Matt Law, DrPH, CSP, REHS | LinkedIn

Safety Labs is created by Safety Products Global, the world's leading manufacturer of safety knives. Through our trusted brands, Klever, Slice and PHC, we empower companies to prevent injuries by providing safer cutting tools for every material and application. Find us at www.safetyproducts.global

If you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@safetyproducts.global

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Ron Gantt, Vice President of EHS at Beal Infrastructure and a leading voice in safety management. Ron helps safety professionals navigate the challenges of working with contractors, where hidden coordination costs and fragile common ground often undermine safety.

He explains why contractors add complexity, how authority differentials distort information flow and risk, and why coordination needs to be treated as real work. Ron introduces practical approaches to build stronger relationships, from co-locating teams and aligning work hours to asking the unexpected question: “How do we want to argue together?”

Ron also shares his views on who should be responsible for overseeing coordination, and offers a more collaborative alternative to punitive contractual agreements.

Beyond contractors, he also shares valuable advice to help EHS professionals move away from regulations or best practices and thoughtful guidance on truly understanding how people work.

Packed with insights and real-world advice, this conversation shows how better collaboration and evidence-based practice can transform safety outcomes.

Recommended coordination research:

Dr Laura McGuire:
Dr Laura McGuire - Edge Hill University

Sarah Butt
Sarah BUTT | Research profile

Safety podcast co-hosted by Ron:
Punk Rock Safety

Ron Gantt on LinkedIn:

Ron Gantt | LinkedIn

Safety Labs is created by Safety Products Global, the world's leading manufacturer of safety knives. Through our trusted brands, Klever, Slice and PHC, we empower companies to prevent injuries by providing safer cutting tools for every material and application. Find us at www.safetyproducts.global

If you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@safetyproducts.global

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Greg Smith, an international award-winning author and qualified lawyer who has spent more than two decades specializing in Safety and Health management. Greg is also regarded as a leading provider of Safety training, particularly in the areas of management responsibilities and contractor safety management.

Describing himself as ‘Safety agnostic’, Greg doesn’t care how HSE professionals approach Workplace Safety - he just wants to help you be effective. However, he knows how challenging this can be and explains why Safety is a ‘wicked problem’ that is essentially unsolvable.

Gregs discusses the impact of legal frameworks on Safety Management and shares real-life examples of the unintended consequences of the criminalization of Safety.

Safety processes and measurement are the key themes of this fascinating conversation, as Greg highlights where the profession has become disconnected from its purpose and how this can be addressed.

Greg’s highly acclaimed book: Paper Safe

Greg recommends the following podcasts:

• Safety Labs by Slice
• The Safety of Work
• Speak
• Rebranding Safety

Also this subscription service: OHS Alert | Premium Workplace health and safety news

And Ben Hutchinson’s research: Ben Hutchinson | LinkedIn

Greg Smith on LinkedIn: Greg Smith | LinkedIn

Safety Labs is created by Slice, the only safety knife on the market with a finger-friendly® blade. Find out more: www.sliceproducts.com

If you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@sliceproducts.com

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Christian Harris, the founder of Slips Safety Services, who also hosts the Safety Roundtable and the Safety and Risk Success podcast. Christian, a social media communications expert, joins us today to offer EHS professionals practical guidance to strengthen your online presence.

Christian begins this insightful conversation by sharing his life-changing personal journey into Safety before explaining the concept of personal branding and why it’s so valuable for modern HSE professionals.

He provides a comprehensive guide to developing your personal brand and discusses the dos and don’ts of leveraging social media.

Packed with actionable advice such as being prolific rather than perfect, which channels to focus on, and the importance of developing a unique style, Christian also shares his fascinating views on the future of safety branding…

Find out more about Christian’s work:

Slip Safety Services

The Safety Roundtable:

Take part in the Safety Roundtable

The Safety and Risk Success Podcast:

The Safety and Risk Success Podcast on Apple Podcasts

Christian highly recommends this book:

Key Person of Influence Book - Daniel Priestley

Christian Harris on LinkedIn:

Christian Harris | LinkedIn

Christian Harris on Youtube:

Christian Harris - YouTube

Safety Labs is created by Slice, the only safety knife on the market with a finger-friendly® blade. Find out more: www.sliceproducts.com

If you have any questions, please email us at safetylabs@sliceproducts.com