JAN 31

Speaking Truth at the Edge: Leadership Lessons from the Columbia Disaster

What really causes catastrophic failure? It’s rarely a lack of intelligence, data, or expertise. More often, it’s silence, filtered truths, and decisions made at the edge of uncertainty. In this episode of EDGE Talks, we speak with Rodney Rocha, former Chief Engineer at NASA and a central voice in uncovering the systemic failures behind the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. This is not a retrospective. It’s a conversation about leadership under pressure, risk at the edge, and why organizations repeatedly fail to hear what they most need to know. If you work in complex, high-risk systems—mining, energy, healthcare, aviation, infrastructure—this conversation is for you.

1h 5m

JAN 16

Building the Business Case: Integrating Safety, Sustainability, and Value Creation

In this episode, Kathy Seabrook shares a global perspective on how safety, sustainability, and business performance intersect. She explains why safety cannot sit on the sidelines of strategy and why leaders need to understand risk in the same way the rest of the business does. Kathy discusses the evolution of people sustainability, the economic forces reshaping the safety profession, and the importance of connecting culture, governance, and human performance to long term value creation. Her insights come from decades of experience across industries, continents, and boardrooms. If you want a fresh and strategic look at where safety is headed and how it can drive real business value, this conversation will challenge your thinking and expand your perspective.

55 min

JAN 2

Be the One: Transforming Safety Through Listening and Leadership

In this episode, Carole Smets shares a candid look at what it takes to transform safety inside a global organization. Drawing on her experience at Pernod Ricard, Carole explains why real safety performance begins with culture, not compliance, and why leaders must learn to listen, focus on risk, and create a space where people feel safe to speak up. Carole also highlights the importance of diversity in decision making, the role of authenticity in leadership, and why every improvement starts with someone who is willing to “be the one” who drives change. She reflects on learning from failure, building momentum across teams, and creating a culture where safety is felt, not forced. If you are interested in human performance, psychological safety, cultural transformation, or modern safety leadership, this episode offers practical wisdom and powerful perspective.

56 min

12/11/2025

Leading with Care: Redefining Safety at Scale

Most companies measure safety by the numbers. Kim Greene measures it by the people who go home at the end of the day. In this inspiring conversation, Kim shares the story behind Southern Company’s safety transformation, why TRIR went up even as the workforce became safer, and how creating psychological safety unlocked honest reporting and real learning. From hurricane recovery to frontline mentoring, Kim offers rare insight into what caring leadership sounds like and what it means to lead with purpose during times of crisis and change. A must watch for anyone who leads people in high risk environments.

45 min

10/30/2025

The Evolution of Ideas in Safety: Are Accidents Preventable?

Safety didn’t stop evolving in 1984. Jean-Christophe Le Coze explains what changed — and how leaders should adapt. Malcolm Staves, co-founder of Safety on the Edge and Global VP of H&S at L’Oréal, talks with Jean-Christophe “JC” Le Coze, safety scientist and Research Director at INERIS, about how the lessons of Charles Perrow’s Normal Accidents still guide us—and how they’re being re-imagined for a more connected and complex world. JC unpacks his books Safety Science Research: Evolution, Challenges and New Directions and Post Normal Accidents, showing how globalization, interconnectivity, control rooms, and rising cognitive workload reshape risk. He also makes the case for closing the gap between researchers and practitioners. ⬇️ Register for Safety on the Edge 2026 https://safetyontheedge.com Be sure to check out JC's Book 👇 https://www.amazon.com/Post-Normal-Accident-Revisiting-Perrows/dp/0367483998 You’ll learn: ✅ How Charles Perrow’s Normal Accidents laid the foundation for understanding complex systems—and how JC Le Coze extends that thinking to today’s interconnected world ✅ How Karl Weick’s concept of collective mindfulness continues to inspire safer decision-making in modern, digital control rooms ✅ Why James Reason’s classic models of human reliability remain central—and how they evolve in a global, data-driven environment ✅ How insights from Nick Pidgeon, Andrew Hopkins, and Diane Vaughan deepen our understanding of organizational culture and accountability ✅ What globalization, financialization, and interconnectivity mean for safety leadership and risk decisions across modern value chains ✅ How bridging researchers and practitioners helps translate decades of theory into practical tools for today’s safety professionals Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction and JC’s role at INERIS 10:06 – Safety Science Research: connecting new and pioneering generations 22:38 – Revisiting Charles Perrow’s Normal Accidents 29:37 – From “normal” to “postnormal”: evolving ideas for modern complexity 33:35 – Globalization, digitalization, and the new face of risk 36:46 – Cognitive workload and control rooms: the human side of system safety 48:13 – Bridging researchers and practitioners: where theory meets practice 55:20 – Metaphors and visuals in safety with James Pomeroy (preview of upcoming workshop) 58:30 – Reflections on collaboration, legacy, and the future of safety science

1h 1m

10/09/2025

Reimagining Safety: Lorraine Martin and the Shift from Counting Incidents to Preventing Harm

In this episode of Safety on the Edge Podcast ‘Edge Talks’, host Corrie Pitzer speaks with Lorraine Martin, President and CEO of the National Safety Council (NSC), about the evolution and future of safety leadership. A former U.S. Air Force officer and Lockheed Martin executive, Martin brings a service-oriented ethos - “I have your six”—to her work at the NSC, emphasizing collective responsibility for ensuring everyone goes home safe. Reflecting on the inaugural Safety on the Edge event at UC Berkeley, Martin praised the collaboration between researchers, practitioners, and industry leaders for pushing safety thinking beyond traditional boundaries. She highlighted discussions on language, culture, and the need to move from lagging to leading indicators—focusing on risks that cause serious injuries and fatalities rather than simply counting incidents. Martin emphasized that modern safety requires a multidisciplinary approach integrating engineering, psychology, human resources, and technology. With increasing automation and AI, safety must now account for complex interactions between people and machines. She also underscored the importance of psychological safety and inclusion—recognizing that people bring their full selves and life challenges to work. “You can’t be safe if you don’t feel safe,” she noted, linking safety culture to broader organizational culture. Looking ahead, Martin envisions the next major leap in safety as industry-led, risk-focused, and human-centered—identifying and controlling critical risks before harm occurs. She advocates for businesses and safety organizations to lead progress even before regulations catch up. The episode concludes with a look to the upcoming 2025 Safety on the Edge and NSC Safety Summit in Baltimore, where academic and industry leaders will join forces again. Martin’s closing advice to young professionals: stay curious, challenge existing norms, and seek out those shaping the next wave of change in safety.

46 min

09/09/2025

Ep3 - Diamond Award for Excellence: Southern Company

In this episode of Safety on the Edge, host Corrie Pitzer sits down with David Myers (Vice President of Safety & Training, Southern Company) and Chris Hutzler (Director of Safety & Health, Southern Company Services) Southern Company was recently honored with the Safety on the Edge Excellence Award for their pioneering approach to safety—an award voted on by peers across industries. David and Chris share what the recognition means to them, how their leadership team drives cultural change, and the bold steps they’ve taken to move beyond traditional compliance-based safety. Key themes in this conversation include: Why focusing only on injury rates misses the bigger pictureThe critical role of leadership in shaping culture and trustHow Southern Company stopped outdated practices and doubled down on frontline engagementLessons learned from serious injury and fatality (SIF) prevention effortsPreparing for the future: new technologies, a changing workforce, and the importance of continuous learning This episode is an inspiring look at how one of the largest utilities in the U.S. is rethinking safety, engaging its people, and setting a new standard for the industry.

43 min

08/15/2025

Ep2 - From Berkeley to Baltimore: The Future of Safety on the EDGE

In this episode of Safety on the EDGE TALKS, we look back at the incredible moments from Safety on the EDGE 2025 in Berkeley — from groundbreaking keynote speeches to emotional award presentations — and share a sneak peek at what’s coming in Baltimore for 2026. Malcolm and Corrie talk candidly about pushing boundaries in safety, the power of recognition, the importance of breaking silos, and the exciting lineup of speakers, workshops, and lifetime achievement award winners. If you’re passionate about safety leadership, innovation, and connecting with the best minds in the profession, this episode is for you.

40 min

08/15/2025

Ep1 - Safety on the EDGE TALKS: Challenging the Status Quo, Inspiring Safer Futures

Welcome to the first episode of Safety on the EDGE TALKS, hosted by Corrie Pitzer. This series is about challenging assumptions, breaking down “holy cows,” and sparking fresh thinking in the world of safety. In this episode, Corrie lays out the vision for Safety on the EDGE TALKS: Why the protection of life — people, business, and processes — is our core missionThe five themes that will guide every conversationWhy the series won’t be a platform for self-promotionHow pioneers, thought leaders, and innovators will shape future episodes We’re diving deep into what works, what doesn’t, and what’s next for safety. No theatrics. No sugar-coating. Just honest conversations that unite practitioners, executives, and academics to build safer, smarter workplaces. 📅 Upcoming: Safety on the EDGE Conference — May 5–6, Baltimore, co-staged with the NSC Spring Conference. 🎙 Stay tuned for future episodes featuring the world’s leading safety thinkers.

18 min

Safety On The EDGE TALKS

Episodes

Speaking Truth at the Edge: Leadership Lessons from the Columbia Disaster

Building the Business Case: Integrating Safety, Sustainability, and Value Creation

Be the One: Transforming Safety Through Listening and Leadership

Leading with Care: Redefining Safety at Scale

The Evolution of Ideas in Safety: Are Accidents Preventable?

Reimagining Safety: Lorraine Martin and the Shift from Counting Incidents to Preventing Harm

Ep3 - Diamond Award for Excellence: Southern Company

Ep2 - From Berkeley to Baltimore: The Future of Safety on the EDGE

Ep1 - Safety on the EDGE TALKS: Challenging the Status Quo, Inspiring Safer Futures

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