AlertMedia’s weekly podcast series, The Employee Safety Podcast, celebrates its first anniversary in October. With more than 50 episodes under its belt, the show has become a valuable resource for safety leaders and emergency managers across organizations of all sizes and industries.
The Employee Safety Podcast stimulates meaningful dialogue amongst professionals responsible for the safety and well-being of their employees. Each episode features an interview with a different leader or subject matter expert who shares advice on topics ranging from emergency preparedness and business continuity to severe weather and workplace safety policies.
Peter Steinfeld, Senior Vice President of Safety Solutions at AlertMedia, has been involved in the emergency communication industry for more than 20 years and is the host of the show. Since its inception, Peter has interviewed meteorologists, CEOs, authors, business continuity professionals, disaster recovery experts, and more.
Guests have included leaders from some of the country’s biggest brands like JetBlue and Charles Schwab, major sports teams such as the Houston Astros and the San Diego Padres, and even agencies like the National Safety Council (NSC) and National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST).
The Employee Safety Podcast has brought to light that safety leaders have taken on an even more important role over the past 18 months as organizations responded to remote work challenges, severe weather threats, and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Many of the show’s guests spoke about applying creative solutions to these and other complicated challenges, which identified some common themes throughout the episodes.
Operational Challenges at Scale
From managing multiple locations to responding to rapid growth, many organizations struggle with navigating operational challenges at scale. For safety leaders responsible for solving them, it can be an overwhelming task.
How Texas Roadhouse Enhances Operational Efficiency and Safety Through Automation
Matt McMahan, Senior Manager of Business Continuity and Records at Texas Roadhouse, shares how the company maintains food safety for its hundreds of locations by leveraging technology and automation.
How the Houston Astros Simplify Operations to Protect Employees and Fans
Chris Josefy, Director of Applications and Data for the Houston Astros, outlines how he and his team scaled up their safety systems to address an increase in their number of fans after a successful baseball season.
Organizational Buy-In
A company culture consists of shared practices and values that shape employee behavior and daily operations. Still, it can be difficult for companies to create a culture that promotes safety – especially in an era of remote and dispersed workforces.
Loss Prevention in Retail: Asset Protection at Warby Parker
Chris Hinger, Director of Loss Prevention, Corporate Security, Facilities, and Risk Management at Warby Parker, used the company’s heightened safety awareness around the COVID-19 pandemic to convince leadership to make safety a recognizable component of their brand.
Moss Construction on Building a Stronger Safety Culture
Scott Gerard, Vice President of Environmental Health and Safety at Moss Construction, discusses how he created a “Work Safely” program that was implemented into daily operations and incorporated employee feedback.
Organizational Resiliency
Organizations need crisis management and emergency response plans that address a multitude of risks and threats, regardless of industry and circumstances.
JetBlue’s Strategy for Effective Crisis Planning
Penny Neferis, Director of Business Continuity and Disaster Response at JetBlue, created an all-hazards preparedness plan with three teams at the helm: An Emergency Response Team, a Business Continuity Team, and a System Operation Safety team.
Solving for Safety Challenges in At-Risk Environments
Josh Anderson and Stacey Gavrell of Valley View Hospital discuss how they manage patient and employee safety at their location prone to mudslides, wildfires, and severe winter weather through all-hazards preparedness.
Communication Challenges
Communication is crucial when it comes to running a company. HR and business leaders must constantly be in touch with employees to keep them safe, engaged, and productive – a requirement that becomes even more challenging during an emergency.
Hurricane Preparedness: Coca-Cola UNITED on Post-Storm Recovery
Gianetta Jones, Vice President and Chief People Officer at Coca-Cola UNITED, talks about the importance of investing in a modern mass emergency communication solution with multichannel notifications, two-way messaging, and global threat intelligence to keep employees safe.
Incorporating External Communications Into Crisis Management
Larry Robert, Vice President of Business Continuity at Rockland Trust, advises that external communications are just as important as internal communications in a crisis and gives actionable advice on creating a comprehensive external communications plan.
Subscribe Now
For more advice and best practices from safety leaders, subscribe to The Employee Safety Podcast to make sure you never miss an episode.
Later this year, the show will feature guests from FEMA, Salesforce, Sally Beauty, L3Harris, and more.
