The Risk Matrix

Veriforce
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Management
  • Updated Weekly

The Risk Matrix brings weekly safety conversations that cut through the noise. Hosted by Dr. L.F. Martin (32-year veteran, Board of Global EHS Credentialing Impact Award winner) and James Junkin (ASSP's 2024 Safety Professional of the Year), they tackle OSHA rollbacks, legal trends, and the topics keeping safety managers up at night. Featuring guests from regulators to frontline leaders. New episodes every Tuesday. Powered by Veriforce. www.veriforce.com

  1. Oct 20

    OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2026: Audit Yourself Before OSHA Does

    “Audit yourself before somebody else does, because some of these are really easy to fix.” This week Dr. Logan F. Martin and James Junkin break down OSHA’s Top 10 most frequently cited violations for 2026 and discuss how safety professionals can use the list to prepare for inspections, identify compliance gaps, and reduce serious injury and fatality risks. From fall protection and hazard communication to machine guarding, ladder safety, and lockout/tagout, they examine why the same violations keep appearing year after year and how organizations can use OSHA’s citation data to strengthen their safety management systems. The bigger question: If we already know where the risks are, why do we keep getting cited for the same violations? ABOUT THE RISK MATRIX PODCAST Buckle up, safety pros! The Risk Matrix brings you a weekly podcast masterclass in risk management, hosted by two industry titans: ⁠⁠Dr. L.F. Martin⁠⁠: 32-year veteran, Board of Global EHS Credentialing Impact Award winner⁠⁠James Junkin⁠⁠: Trainer of 40,000+ safety pros, ASSP's 2024 Safety Professional of the Year They're tackling the topics that keep safety managers up at night featuring guests from regulatory bodies to safety directors and everything in between. Every Tuesday: The tough conversations safety managers need to have. Critical insights from safety experts. Real-world strategies. Actionable solutions. The Risk Matrix Podcast is powered by Veriforce: Bringing workers home safe from high-hazard jobs.

    OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2026: Audit Yourself Before OSHA Does

  2. Oct 13

    Your Safety Records Are Evidence: Data Mapping and E-Discovery with Tom O’Connor

    “It’s better to disclose it than to get caught not disclosing it and it’s far even worse to manufacture evidence.” This week Dr. Logan F. Martin and James Junkin welcome back Tom O’Connor, Director of the Gulf Coast Legal Technology Center, to discuss data mapping, electronic discovery, and what happens when safety records become evidence in litigation. Data mapping helps organizations identify what records exist, where they’re stored, and who can access them. Missing photographs and altered documents can raise questions about credibility. And company records stored on employees’ personal devices can create challenges long after those employees leave. ABOUT OUR GUEST Tom O’Connor is Director of the Gulf Coast Legal Technology Center and co-founder of the Legal Technology Education Conference. A legal technology consultant with over four decades of experience in litigation support and e-discovery, Tom is the author of “E-Discovery for the Rest of Us” and “AI for the Rest of Us.” RESOURCES Tom O’Connor, Gulf Coast Legal Technology Center: https://gulfltc.org E-Discovery Checklist Manifesto (free PDF): https://aceds.org/e-discovery-checklist-manifesto/ ABOUT THE RISK MATRIX PODCAST Buckle up, safety pros! The Risk Matrix brings you a weekly podcast masterclass in risk management, hosted by two industry titans: Dr. L.F. Martin: 32-year veteran, Board of Global EHS Credentialing Impact Award winner James Junkin: Trainer of 40,000+ safety pros, ASSP’s 2024 Safety Professional of the Year They’re tackling the topics that keep safety managers up at night featuring guests from regulatory bodies to safety directors and everything in between. Every Tuesday: The tough conversations safety managers need to have. Critical insights from safety experts. Real-world strategies. Actionable solutions. The Risk Matrix Podcast is powered by Veriforce: Bringing workers home safe from high-hazard jobs.

    Your Safety Records Are Evidence: Data Mapping and E-Discovery with Tom O’Connor

  3. Oct 6

    When Cost-Cutting Becomes a Safety Risk: Lessons from Boeing

    “Every shortcut they had became an engineering assumption.” This week Dr. Logan F. Martin and James Junkin use the Boeing documentaries Downfall and Free Fall as a jumping-off point to examine what happens when cost-cutting and production pressure begin creating safety risks. They discuss how decisions around training, outsourcing, contractor management, workforce experience, and quality control can compound over time, and why listening to the people raising concerns can be one of an organization’s most important early-warning systems. The bigger question: When does a business decision become a safety decision? ABOUT THE RISK MATRIX PODCAST Buckle up, safety pros! The Risk Matrix brings you a weekly podcast masterclass in risk management, hosted by two industry titans: ⁠Dr. L.F. Martin⁠: 32-year veteran, Board of Global EHS Credentialing Impact Award winner⁠James Junkin⁠: Trainer of 40,000+ safety pros, ASSP's 2024 Safety Professional of the Year They're tackling the topics that keep safety managers up at night featuring guests from regulatory bodies to safety directors and everything in between. Every Tuesday: The tough conversations safety managers need to have. Critical insights from safety experts. Real-world strategies. Actionable solutions. The Risk Matrix Podcast is powered by Veriforce: Bringing workers home safe from high-hazard jobs.

    When Cost-Cutting Becomes a Safety Risk: Lessons from Boeing

  4. Sep 29

    Delete Is a Myth: ESI, Data Preservation, and Attorney Client Privilege with Tom O'Connor

    "The duty to preserve arises when you have a reasonable likelihood of litigation. A lot of people think it only arises when I'm sued. Not true. The onus is on the people who own the data to preserve it when they think there's a reasonable likelihood they might get sued." This week Dr. Logan F. Martin and James Junkin welcome Tom O'Connor, Director of the Gulf Coast Legal Technology Center, to discuss what safety professionals need to know about electronically stored information, data preservation, and attorney client privilege after a workplace incident. Deleted data eight times out of ten is not really deleted. Your duty to preserve arises before anyone sues you. And CC'ing an attorney on an email does not make it privileged. ABOUT OUR GUEST Tom O'Connor is Director of the Gulf Coast Legal Technology Center and co-founder of the Legal Technology Education Conference. A legal technology consultant with over four decades of experience in litigation support and e-discovery, Tom is the author of "E-Discovery for the Rest of Us" and "AI for the Rest of Us." RESOURCESTom O'Connor, Gulf Coast Legal Technology Center: https://gulfltc.orgE-Discovery Checklist Manifesto (free PDF): https://aceds.org/e-discovery-checklist-manifesto/ ABOUT THE RISK MATRIX PODCAST Buckle up, safety pros! The Risk Matrix brings you a weekly podcast masterclass in risk management, hosted by two industry titans: Dr. L.F. Martin: 32-year veteran, Board of Global EHS Credentialing Impact Award winner James Junkin: Trainer of 40,000+ safety pros, ASSP's 2024 Safety Professional of the Year They're tackling the topics that keep safety managers up at night featuring guests from regulatory bodies to safety directors and everything in between. Every Tuesday: The tough conversations safety managers need to have. Critical insights from safety experts. Real-world strategies. Actionable solutions. The Risk Matrix Podcast is powered by Veriforce: Bringing workers home safe from high-hazard jobs.

    Delete Is a Myth: ESI, Data Preservation, and Attorney Client Privilege with Tom O'Connor

  5. Sep 22

    One in Three Coal Miners Has Black Lung. Compliance Isn't Enough.

    "We got a standard, we may be quote unquote compliant with the standard, but does that mean that risk stays controlled?" This week Dr. Logan F. Martin and James Junkin discuss a NIOSH study published in August 2026 showing black lung disease among Appalachian coal miners has returned to levels not seen since the 1970s. One in three underground coal miners with 25 or more years of experience have the disease. The hazard was known. The controls were known. The question is whether compliance was ever enough. RESOURCES Black Lung Rates in Appalachia Are Highest in Nearly 50 YearsOSHA Silica Standard Federal Black Lung Trust Fund ABOUT THE RISK MATRIX PODCAST Buckle up, safety pros! The Risk Matrix brings you a weekly podcast masterclass in risk management, hosted by two industry titans: Dr. L.F. Martin: 32-year veteran, Board of Global EHS Credentialing Impact Award winnerJames Junkin: Trainer of 40,000+ safety pros, ASSP's 2024 Safety Professional of the Year They're tackling the topics that keep safety managers up at night featuring guests from regulatory bodies to safety directors and everything in between. Every Tuesday: The tough conversations safety managers need to have. Critical insights from safety experts. Real-world strategies. Actionable solutions. The Risk Matrix Podcast is powered by Veriforce: Bringing workers home safe from high-hazard jobs.

    One in Three Coal Miners Has Black Lung. Compliance Isn't Enough.

  6. Sep 15

    Suicide Prevention in Construction: What Safety Professionals Can Actually Do

    “Check your ladder, check the scaffold, check on your people.” This week Dr. Logan F. Martin and James Junkin discuss suicide prevention in construction and what safety professionals can actually do when they recognize that a worker may be struggling. From chronic overload and understaffing to physical demands and personal stress, workers can carry pressures that compound over time. Dr. Martin and James discuss warning signs safety professionals should recognize and why their role is not to diagnose or counsel, but to ask, listen, connect workers with qualified resources, and follow up. This episode covers workplace stressors, Mental Health First Aid, EAPs, leadership vulnerability, and practical steps employers and safety professionals can take to better support workers and help break the silence around suicide in construction. RESOURCES 988 Suicide & Crisis LifelineConstruction Suicide Prevention Week OSHA Preventing Suicides ABOUT THE RISK MATRIX PODCAST Buckle up, safety pros! The Risk Matrix brings you a weekly podcast masterclass in risk management, hosted by two industry titans: ⁠⁠⁠Dr. L.F. Martin⁠⁠⁠: 32-year veteran, Board of Global EHS Credentialing Impact Award winner ⁠⁠⁠James Junkin⁠⁠⁠: Trainer of 40,000+ safety pros, ASSP's 2024 Safety Professional of the Year They're tackling the topics that keep safety managers up at night featuring guests from regulatory bodies to safety directors and everything in between. Every Tuesday: The tough conversations safety managers need to have. Critical insights from safety experts. Real-world strategies. Actionable solutions. The Risk Matrix Podcast is powered by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Veriforce⁠⁠⁠⁠: Bringing workers home safe from high-hazard jobs.

  7. Sep 1

    The Heart and Soul of Safety: Leading from the Heart with Paul Espenan

    "Titles have nothing to do with safety. Titles mean nothing. I'm just a guy trying to help people get home safe." This week Dr. Logan F. Martin and James Junkin welcome Paul Espenan, SVP of Environmental Health Safety and Regulatory at Diversified Energy and author of "The Heart and Soul of Safety: Leading Safety Performance from the Heart," for a conversation about what safety leadership looks like when it comes from the heart. Paul has been delivering weekly safety leadership stories on operations calls at Diversified Energy for six years. No reruns. His book collects 55 of them. ABOUT OUR GUEST Paul Espenan is Senior Vice President of Environmental, Health, Safety and Regulatory at Diversified Energy Company, where he has led a greater than 56% reduction in methane emissions and attained OGMP Gold Compliance status. A Certified Safety Professional with nearly four decades of experience, Paul is a two-time author and storyteller whose first book "The Heart and Soul of Safety: Leading Safety Performance from the Heart" contains 55 safety leadership moments. His second book "Owning the Heart and Soul of Safety: Leading Safety Culture From the Inside Out" releases this October. RESOURCES The Heart and Soul of Safety by Paul Espenan ABOUT THE RISK MATRIX PODCAST Buckle up, safety pros! The Risk Matrix brings you a weekly podcast masterclass in risk management, hosted by two industry titans: ⁠⁠⁠Dr. L.F. Martin⁠⁠⁠: 32-year veteran, Board of Global EHS Credentialing Impact Award winner ⁠⁠⁠James Junkin⁠⁠⁠: Trainer of 40,000+ safety pros, ASSP's 2024 Safety Professional of the Year They're tackling the topics that keep safety managers up at night featuring guests from regulatory bodies to safety directors and everything in between. Every Tuesday: The tough conversations safety managers need to have. Critical insights from safety experts. Real-world strategies. Actionable solutions. The Risk Matrix Podcast is powered by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Veriforce⁠⁠⁠⁠: Bringing workers home safe from high-hazard jobs.

    The Heart and Soul of Safety: Leading from the Heart with Paul Espenan

  8. Aug 25

    What the Watson Grinding Explosion Teaches Us About Process Safety

    "This is not an incident primarily about a hose being left on at night. It's bigger than that." This week Dr. Logan F. Martin and James Junkin walk through the Watson Grinding explosion in Houston, Texas, the Chemical Safety Board investigation, and the Harris County jury verdict that awarded $61.5 million against the defendants. When a propylene hose disconnected overnight in January 2020, employees arrived the next morning, smelled gas, communicated their concerns to management, and were never evacuated. The building exploded. This episode covers what the verdict means for process safety management, contractor liability, and what every safety professional needs to understand about civil litigation beyond OSHA. RESOURCES Watson Grinding Explosion, CSB Final Report$61.5 Million Verdict Coverage ABOUT THE RISK MATRIX PODCAST Buckle up, safety pros! The Risk Matrix brings you a weekly podcast masterclass in risk management, hosted by two industry titans: ⁠⁠Dr. L.F. Martin⁠⁠: 32-year veteran, Board of Global EHS Credentialing Impact Award winner ⁠⁠James Junkin⁠⁠: Trainer of 40,000+ safety pros, ASSP's 2024 Safety Professional of the Year They're tackling the topics that keep safety managers up at night featuring guests from regulatory bodies to safety directors and everything in between. Every Tuesday: The tough conversations safety managers need to have. Critical insights from safety experts. Real-world strategies. Actionable solutions. The Risk Matrix Podcast is powered by ⁠⁠⁠Veriforce⁠⁠⁠: Bringing workers home safe from high-hazard jobs.

    What the Watson Grinding Explosion Teaches Us About Process Safety
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

The Risk Matrix brings weekly safety conversations that cut through the noise. Hosted by Dr. L.F. Martin (32-year veteran, Board of Global EHS Credentialing Impact Award winner) and James Junkin (ASSP's 2024 Safety Professional of the Year), they tackle OSHA rollbacks, legal trends, and the topics keeping safety managers up at night. Featuring guests from regulators to frontline leaders. New episodes every Tuesday. Powered by Veriforce. www.veriforce.com

Information

  • Creator
    Veriforce
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    159
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Veriforce
  • Show Website
    The Risk Matrix

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