Safe, Efficient, Profitable: A Worker Safety Podcast

Joe and Jen Allen of Allen Safety LLC
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Joe and Jen Allen of Allen Safety LLC take their combined 40+ years of worker safety, OSHA, EPA, production, sanitation, and engineering experience in Manufacturing Plants including Harvest Plants/Packers,  Case Readies and Further Processing Plants, Food Production Plants,  Feed Mills, Grain Elevators, Bakeries, Farms, Feed Lots, and Petro-Chemical and bring you their top methods for identifying risk, preventing injuries, conquering the workload, auditing, managing emergencies and catastrophic events, and working through OSHA citations. They're breaking down real safety opportunities,  safety citations, and emergency situations from real locations, and discussing realistic solutions that can actually be implement based on their personal experiences spending 40+ weeks in the field every year since 2001.  Joe and Jen are using all of that experience to provide a fresh outlook on worker safety by providing honest, (no sponsors here!) and straight forward, easy to understand safety coaching with actionable guidance to move your safety program forward in a way that provides tangible results. 

  1. 4D AGO

    PSM & Refrigeration Trends Reshaping The Industry

    In this episode of Safe, Efficient, Profitable, we break down the top three Process Safety Management (PSM) trends we’re seeing across industrial ammonia refrigeration facilities — and why they matter. Episode details below! Allen Safety Amazon Store: https://www.amazon.com/stores/AllenSafety/page/65264DB0-B81B-4A23-BCB2-03D3DFFD28D0?lp_asin=B0FLWVCK1L&ref_=ast_bln Allen-Safety.com for more merch and for current safety and PSM services offered 🔹 Trend #1: Vetting PHA Facilitators As PSM requirements evolve and standards change, many facilities are outsourcing PHAs.  We discuss: How misunderstanding the intent of PHA questions undermines risk reduction Why hands-on experience matters  What to ask before hiring a PHA facilitator Key takeaway: Vet the person, not just the company. 🔹 Trend #2: Undefined PSM Coordinators.  We discuss: Many plants are hiring PSM coordinators quickly to keep up with compliance demands — but without clearly defining what decisions they’re qualified to make. The difference between managing documents and validating safety content Approval of technical procedures  When co-signing and oversight are necessary Key takeaway: Clear role definition protects both the coordinator and the facility. 🔹 Trend #3: The Changing Definition of “Operator” We discuss:  High turnover has changed what it means to be a trained operator  Why traditional multi-year training timelines are difficult  How partial experience from other facilities can create hidden gaps Key takeaway: Operator capability must be defined, verified, and  reassessed. 🔹 Bonus Discussion: Third-Party Contractors & Hidden Risk:  we discuss: With more plants relying on contractors for refrigeration operation and PSM tasks, we talk about: Third-party doesn’t automatically mean qualified Common red flags  How contractor labor shortages mirror in-house challenges Key takeaway: Contractors must be vetted with the same rigor as employees. Why This Matters Across all of these trends, one issue keeps surfacing: PSM is drifting toward paperwork compliance instead of true risk reduction. Remember to: Vet people as individuals, not just vendors and contractors Define competency Adapt training models to modern workforce realities How You Can Support the Podcast 👍 Like the video 📌 Subscribe to the channel 🔁 Share with someone responsible for PSM or safety Your support helps us continue providing real-world, experience-based insights the industry doesn’t always talk about. Need PSM Support? We offer: PHA facilitation and support Hazmat training (along with other safety training & audits) Mini compliance audits PSM coaching and advisory services 👉 Visit Allen-Safety.com  to learn more. SEO Tags / Keywords Process Safety Management, PSM trends, PHA best practices, IIAR 9, ammonia refrigeration safety, PSM coordinator responsibilities, operator training challenges, industrial safety compliance, contractor safety risks, ammonia PSM, refrigeration safety training, ammonia, NH3, OSHA, PSM, r717

    15 min

  2. JAN 5

    Sanitation's Top Danger Zones (And What To Do About Them)

    In this episode we dive into what we believe to be sanitation's top risks.  As always, these are one take, so they're raw with no scripts, and no idea what the other host will say.  We hope you enjoy, including the brief detour into Joe's fear of heights and Glacier National Park... If it helped you, please like and share, it truly does help!  Full episode description/summary below:  In this episode of Safe. Efficient. Profitable, the hosts dig into what sanitation safety really looks like when the plant shuts down, production leaves, and the “normal rules” quietly change. This isn’t a textbook discussion of OSHA buzzwords — it’s a hard-earned, experience-driven breakdown of the risks that actually hurt people during sanitation. Rather than rattling off every possible hazard, the conversation focuses on the top three sanitation safety risks the hosts see over and over again in real facilities — plus one bonus risk that often gets ignored entirely. 1. Elevated Work:  The number one risk? Elevated work during sanitation. Not the clean, planned kind with proper lifts and fall protection — but the improvised kind that happens when equipment was never designed to be cleaned. 2. Lockout/Tagout Isn’t Simple  Sanitation introduces multiple risks at the same time, and lockout procedures that work during the day don’t always hold up at night. The hosts stress the importance of evaluating how lockout is actually performed, not just whether a policy exists. 3. Training: The Control That Fails Quietly Why didn’t they pick confined space or ladder safety as a top risk? Because in their experience, training is the real control behind all of it. Training needs to address the job function, not just the task. Workers need to know what to do when things don't go as planned or the unexpected happens.  Bonus Risk: Sleep, Fatigue, and Real Life The hosts feel that fatigue has to be treated as a real safety variable, not an afterthought. Night-shift sanitation can’t be managed exactly like day-shift production — buffers and controls need to reflect human limits. The Bottom Line Sanitation is a different animal. Different risks. Different timing.  If you want safer outcomes, you have to evaluate sanitation on its own terms. As always, the hosts encourage listeners to take what’s helpful, leave the rest, and share the episode with anyone who might benefit — especially those who haven’t had these experiences yet. Key Takeaways Elevated work during sanitation is often improvised and underestimated Lockout/tagout becomes more complex at night with multiple energy sources Most sanitation incidents trace back to training gaps, not rule-breaking Training must cover job function, not just task steps Fatigue and sleep deprivation are real, measurable sanitation risks Sanitation cannot be managed like production — it requires its own lens This episode is intended for educational purposes.  Solutions offered are not designed to take the place of an attorney or medical professional, and should not be taken as legal or medical advice.  It is recommended that viewers consult a safety consultant, medical provider or an occupational safety legal team as applicable to help navigate their specific circumstances.

    16 min

  3. 10/06/2025

    Paper to Production: Why "Compliant" LOTO Fails In The Field

    This month we’re tackling one of the most cited OSHA topics out there — Lockout/Tagout (LOTO). If your company has a program that checks all of the audit boxes, but your employees are still having injuries, this episode explains why. ⚙️ Top 3 LOTO Problems We’re Seeing in the Field 1️⃣ Bad or outdated templates. If your LOTO template or format is wrong, every single lockout procedure built from it can have problems.  2️⃣ Verification is clear as mud “Verify” doesn’t mean much if no one knows how, where, or who does it. Joint verification? Remote lockout? Elevated disconnects? If your verification step creates more hazards, your program gaps. 3️⃣ Confusion about when LOTO actually applies. Some equipment can fall into gray zones where employees “sort of” lock out or skip steps altogether. That’s how culture gaps start. Its important to align  your training, your task steps, and your documentation, with a focus on risk reduction, not perceived "faster" ways. 💡 Bonus : Validate Procedures During Retraining Your annual lockout/tagout retraining is one of the best times to validate your procedures. Walk the floor with your maintenance team, observe how employees actually perform the work, and capture those missed hazards like residual pressure, gravity, or access height risks. 🧰 Why It Matters You can have a binder full of lockout procedures and still have injuries.  A strong LOTO program isn’t just compliance — it has to be customized for your facility.   🧤 Support the Channel We don’t have sponsors — this channel is 100% powered by the Allen Safety community.  ✔️ Like, Share, and Subscribe to help this content reach more safety professionals.  ✔️ Visit Allen-Safety.com for on-site training and consulting. ✔️ Shop Allen Safety Merch — from steampunk mugs to toddler onesies — at our Amazon store  or on the Merchandise tab at Allen-Safety.com. 📈 Keywords for SEO Lockout Tagout Safety, LOTO Training, OSHA Compliance, Machine Guarding, Energy Isolation, Verification Step, Safety Culture, Manufacturing Safety, Industrial Safety, Food Plant Safety, Safety Leadership, Maintenance Safety, Allen Safety, Safety Program Audit, Hazard Control, Employee Safety, Safety Podcast, Allen Safety Coaching, Confined Space Safety, OSHA 1910.147 🔖 Hashtags #LockoutTagout #LOTO #SafetyTraining #WorkplaceSafety #AllenSafety #SafetyCulture #OSHACompliance #IndustrialSafety #ManufacturingSafety #SafetyPodcast #EnergyIsolation #HazardControl This video is intended for educational purposes.  Solutions offered are not designed to take the place of an attorney or medical professional, and should not be taken as legal or medical advice.  It is recommended that viewers consult a safety consultant, medical provider or an occupational safety legal team as applicable to help navigate their specific circumstances.   For educational purposes, videos may show the inside of manufacturing facilities, including meat and poultry production facilities, commercial farming, feed milling, and petrochemical facilities.  Images shown may depict individual lines and show trained employees working in their daily jobs, however these visuals may not be suitable for all audiences.  Specific job tasks shown are being completed by trained professionals, and should not be attempted without proper training and equipment under the supervision of a professional.  Viewer discretion is advised.

    15 min

  4. 09/01/2025

    Feed Mill Safety: Check These On Your Next Safety Inspection

    A good part of our career has been spent in ag-business/agribusiness operations, with a huge part of them being at feed mills- for both day and night shifts.  This episode covers a few big ticket items that we routinely see.  This list can help raise a red flag that there may be some significant risk that can lead to an injury on the horizon.  We hope this helps!  Summary In this episode of Safe, Efficient, Profitable, Joe and Jen break down mill safety risks. Core themes and topics discussed: housekeeping & dust control, bin cleanouts and confined space, alone-worker protocols & site security, auger/elevator hazards, and lockout/tagout realities. They emphasize seasonality (winter/ice, summer humidity, harvest chaos), contractor scheduling, and how documentation (permits) exposes program gaps.  Action Checklist (use on your next mill walkthrough) Verify dust/housekeeping program- anything requiring contractors, coordinate to manage seasons & contractor/part lead times.  Spot-check bearings/heat and guard integrity at augers, hammer mills, headhouses etc Review the last 5 confined space permits —do training, equipment, and rescue plans line up?  If not, give us a call!  www.allen-safety.com Evaluate alone worker processes, check site security (fences, locks, access points near rail lines) and work in a plan to tighten things down where you're able. Walk equipment that routinely must be cleaned out, troubleshooting is required, jams, etc and validate LOTO is correct- where to apply the lock, how and who is checking for power.  Safety Training and Training-Style Floor-Based Safety Audits/Evals:  Allen-Safety.com  Online safety training: AllenSafetyCoaching.com Please Like & Share to support us putting out this free worker-safety content. SEO Keywords:  mill safety feed mill safety grain mill hazards confined space in mills auger safety lockout tagout LOTO housekeeping dust control Secondary (long-tail / intent-rich): mill housekeeping program for combustible dust bin cleanout confined space rescue plan rural mill security and lone-worker policy elevator leg maintenance and guarding checks MCC room lockout tagout without local disconnect receiving pit confined space classification seasonal mill safety winter ice and harvest bearing heat monitoring in mills dust program hammer mills  augers feed mill safety checklist  safety for small crews This video is intended for educational purposes.  Solutions offered are not designed to take the place of an attorney or medical professional, and should not be taken as legal or medical advice.  It is recommended that viewers consult a safety consultant, medical provider or an occupational safety legal team as applicable to help navigate their specific circumstances.   For educational purposes, videos may show the inside of manufacturing facilities, including meat and poultry production facilities, commercial farming, feed milling, and petrochemical facilities.  Images shown may depict individual lines and show trained employees working in their daily jobs, however these visuals may not be suitable for all audiences.  Specific job tasks shown are being completed by trained professionals, and should not be attempted without proper training and equipment under the supervision of a professional.  Viewer discretion is advised.

    14 min

  5. 08/04/2025

    These 5 Chemical Hazards Are Anything But Basic 🧪

    Chemical safety: sounds straightforward, right? You’ve got your SDS, PPE, and eyewash stations. But what happens when your team mixes, sprays, or supercharges those chemicals in ways the manufacturer never imagined?  With a CHMM on the mic, this is part coaching, part humor, and 100% actionable. Key Takeaways –  1. The SDS might not be helpful based on how youre using the chemical.  Reality check: Most Safety Data Sheets are written based on lab conditions and "intended use"—not how your sanitation team might be using them.  Pro Tip: Ask yourself, “Was this SDS written by someone who’s ever worn PPE, on a harvest room floor, at 2 AM?” Maybe not.2. Exposure Limits Are Great—If You Can Measure Them Common failure: SDS says “use respirator if above X ppm.” Great. Now… how are you measuring ppm in your facility?Real examples:No meter for that specific chemicalUsing outdated Dräger tubes that are non-specific3. “More Isn’t Better”  Scenario: You double the chemical strength during deep cleaning due to finding some "buggies."  Now your PPE, risk profile, engineering controls—all need to change. Did they?Surprise consequences:Equipment degradation because the stronger solution wasn’t considered $$$PPE may not be adequate for the levels used4. Training Misses the Human Factor You’ve trained on:Where the SDS isHow to handle and/or mixWhich PPE to wearBut you forgot to train on:What happens when the goggles fog upThat instinctive move to scratch your eye with a gloved handSpraying above your head and having chemical rain down your back5. Eyewash Stations: Functional on First Shift, ???? On Off Shifts Classic issue: “We check them every Monday at 9 AM.” But chemical use spikes on nights, weekends, and during deep cleansAlso overlooked:Eyewashes with scalding hot waterNo eyewash where non-routine chemical usage occursActionable Advice : Revisit every chemical on-site: How is it used, applied, stored, and disposed? Does that match the SDS?Evaluate your meters: Can you measure the chemical levels you're basing levels of PPE on?Update PPE assessments based on how chemicals are usedRetrain your teams with realistic, scenario-based walk-throughsAudit all eyewash stations across all shifts, all departments, and all rarely used rooms Final Words from Joe & Jen: We’re not saying you have these problems. We’re saying we’ve seen them—a lot.These gaps sneak in when paperwork replaces field observations.If you need help identifying these gaps, we do onsite audits, coaching, and training at AllenSafety.com and AllenSafetyCoaching.com.SEO Keywords: chemical safety podcast, SDS compliance issues, chemical exposure training, industrial PPE assessment, worker safety podcast, sanitation safety gaps, confined space chemical hazards, OSHA chemical safety, eyewash station audit, Allen Safety podcast, real-world safety training, fogged goggles chemical hazard, how to evaluate chemical PPE, manufacturing plant chemical safety, sanitation audit best practices, CHMM podcast

    11 min

  6. 07/07/2025

    The Battle Between Food & Worker Safety: Pathogens Vs. PPE

    Welcome to the cage match no one talks about—but everyone in food and meat production lives through.  This week, Joe and Jen are tackling the heavyweight showdown between two giants in every facility: Worker Safety vs. Food Safety. Who takes priority when things go sideways? Who gets to call the shots when it’s time to shut it all down? And most importantly—how do we keep from shutting down the whole operation when both teams are “just trying to do their job”? If you’ve ever sat in a Thursday morning sanitation meeting and realized you now need PPE, a tie-off plan, confined space permits, and a miracle—this episode is for you. Joe and Jen don’t sugarcoat the chaos that can erupt when worker safety and food safety don’t align. Instead, they break it down and offer real-world, practical solutions that facilities can use right now to reduce friction, protect workers, and still keep compliant with every letter of the USDA, FDA, OSHA, and whatever other acronym is looming over your clipboard. 🧠 What You’ll Learn: 🥊 The Source of the Conflict Why worker safety and food safety frequently butt heads, even though both are trying to “do the right thing” How different regulatory agencies (OSHA vs USDA/FDA) create a confusing tug-of-war in decision-making The emotional toll and operational cost of "shut it all down" moments when there's no clear prioritization 🔧 Tactical Takeaways (You Can Use Today) How to create a shared 5-point conflict matrix between food safety and worker safety—before things go wrong Identifying “hot zones” in your plant: Anywhere you have elevated work + sanitation + guarding + QA reps = Risk Flashlight = red flag. What this simple tool tells you about potential violations and future downtime Why Tuesday-Wednesday is when worker safety needs to be in the loop—not Friday morning at 7AM How to conduct a 15-minute “risk walk” to spot top hazards without spending your whole shift doing audits 🧠 SEO Keywords (Built for Search Engines AND Humans): Worker Safety vs Food Safety Conflicts in Food Processing Facilities Sanitation and Safety Alignment Safety Risk Assessments in Manufacturing Flashlight Confined Space Incidents Food Safety Chemicals and PPE Safety Planning for Food Plant Sanitation Cross-Functional Safety Planning FSQR and EHS Collaboration Elevated Work and Fall Protection in Food Plants Chemical Testing Safety Procedures Risk Walk Safety Audits How to Prioritize Safety in a Food Manufacturing Plant 🎁 Resources Mentioned: ✅ AllenSafety.com – For on-site coaching, plant assessments, and in-person training ✅ AllenSafetyCoaching.com – Free email coaching, 100+ exclusive commercial-free training videos, virtual courses, and support 🙏 Support the Podcast: If you’ve ever dodged a falling flashlight, begged for a last-minute scissor lift, or gotten blindsided by a 7AM Thursday meeting, this podcast was made for you. 👍 Like, subscribe, and share with your safety/QA teams 📨 Submit your questions or conflict scenarios 💸 We don’t make money on this—but your clicks help us push content to the folks who really need it This video is intended for educational purposes.  Solutions offered are not designed to take the place of an attorney or medical professional, and should not be taken as legal or medical advice.  It is recommended that viewers consult a safety consultant, medical provider or an occupational safety legal team as applicable to help navigate their specific circumstances.

    14 min

  7. 06/07/2025

    Preventing the Collapse of Safety & PSM Programs: What Domino Starts it All?

    Allen Safety takes a deep dive into SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) reviews, the blurry overlap of responsibility between teams, and why most documentation isn’t as airtight—or as collaborative—as it should be. The hosts challenge listeners to reconsider how procedures are developed, who reviews them, and how safety personnel can truly become competent stakeholders in the systems they’re expected to sign off on. This is more than just a compliance checkbox conversation—it’s a real-world, boots-on-the-ground look at the messy middle of safety documentation, with clear, tactical solutions for bridging the gaps. Your SOPs Might Be a Frankenstein of Mismatched Formats SOPs are often written by third parties, recycled from other plants, or poorly updated. Reviewers Don’t Always Know What They’re Looking For Reviewers are often engineers or refrigeration/maintenance techs, not safety experts. Emergency Procedures are Too Generic SOPs frequently assume “perfect world” conditions.  Safety Needs a Seat at the Table—Early SOPs, task procedures, PPE assessments, and LOTO protocols must all align—and often, they don’t. Task Procedures Without Collaboration = Injuries Waiting to Happen If safety writes procedures without consulting maintenance—or vice versa—hazards will be missed. The Fix: Cross-Discipline Collaboration + Job Shadowing Build SOPs and task procedures in multi-disciplinary teams—safety, engineering, maintenance in the same room.  History Matters: Use Veteran Operators as Historians New team? High turnover? Nobody remembers the last snowstorm or failure event? Don’t Forget Environmental Compliance (RMP) RMP (Risk Management Plans) are increasingly under scrutiny. Final Thoughts & Call to Action: If you’re managing safety, you’re not just pushing paper—you’re writing the playbook for survival. And that means getting out of the silo, out of the office, and into the field with your engineering and maintenance teams. Safety, SOPs, and real operations need to speak the same language—or someone gets hurt. Want help? Allen Safety offers: Onsite PSM audits & compliance coaching Safety-PSM joint training Online access to over 100 commercial-free training episodes Unlimited email coaching with the team Visit AllenSafety.com or AllenSafetyCoaching.com to learn more. Process Safety & Compliance Process Safety Management (PSM) OSHA PSM compliance EPA RMP (Risk Management Plan) Mechanical integrity PSM documentation review PSM audit best practices Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) Emergency shutdown procedures

    13 min

  8. 05/05/2025

    Most Facilities Underestimate This Key Safety Risk #safetytraining #safety

    Does your facility use this tool that creates over-looked safety risks?   Episode Summary: In this episode of Safe, Efficient, Profitable: A Worker Safety Podcast, Joe and Jen Allen put a spotlight om an overlooked source of workplace injuries: hose handling. While hoses are a staple tool across manufacturing, sanitation, and agricultural facilities, the hosts reveal practices and conditions that can lead to significant injuries.  Through real-world examples, the episode breaks down the top hose-handling opportunities, encouraging safety professionals and plant management to evaluate their cleaning processes to see if any of these risks are at their facility.   Ready to evaluate your facility’s hose risks? Allen Safety offers on-site and virtual coaching for sanitation safety evaluations. Visit AllenSafetyCoaching.com or Allen-Safety.com to connect with our team. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe so more teams can eliminate hose hazards before injuries happen. Key Topics Covered: ⚠️ One of the top underestimated injury sources 🪜 Hose handling at elevation 🔥 Hot water 💪 Ergonomics  🧼 Partial washdowns and product changeovers 🚫 Training 💡 Storage and transport risks 🧪 Chemical vs. water  🧤 Nozzle problems ☔ Spray angle  ✅ Practical solutions 🔍 Behavior-based audits SEO Keywords: hose handling safety, sanitation injuries, chemical hose risk, ergonomic hazards, workplace water pressure injury, cleaning injury prevention, hose safety training, sanitation safety audits, ladder hose hazard, scissor lift hose use, PPE hose spray, Allen Safety coaching, behavioral safety in sanitation, worker injury prevention, cleaning safety podcast This video is intended for educational purposes.  Solutions offered are not designed to take the place of an attorney , safety, or medical professional, and should not be taken as legal or medical advice.  It is recommended that viewers consult a safety consultant, medical provider or an occupational safety legal team as applicable to help navigate their specific circumstances.

    11 min
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About

Joe and Jen Allen of Allen Safety LLC take their combined 40+ years of worker safety, OSHA, EPA, production, sanitation, and engineering experience in Manufacturing Plants including Harvest Plants/Packers,  Case Readies and Further Processing Plants, Food Production Plants,  Feed Mills, Grain Elevators, Bakeries, Farms, Feed Lots, and Petro-Chemical and bring you their top methods for identifying risk, preventing injuries, conquering the workload, auditing, managing emergencies and catastrophic events, and working through OSHA citations. They're breaking down real safety opportunities,  safety citations, and emergency situations from real locations, and discussing realistic solutions that can actually be implement based on their personal experiences spending 40+ weeks in the field every year since 2001.  Joe and Jen are using all of that experience to provide a fresh outlook on worker safety by providing honest, (no sponsors here!) and straight forward, easy to understand safety coaching with actionable guidance to move your safety program forward in a way that provides tangible results. 

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