Lessons from the Trenches
Nobody gets into safety because they want to fill out paperwork. They do it because they’ve seen the alternative.
The fall that didn’t need to happen. The drum of chemicals that nearly took out half a city block. The team member who never made it home.
But somewhere along the line, we buried that urgency in binders. We took a discipline built on adrenaline, risk, and responsibility — and we turned it into a desk job. We reduced it. To clipboards, to compliance checklists. To one-hour training videos that people forget before lunch. We made safety boring. Worse than that — we made it easy to ignore.
And if we don’t fix that, people are going to keep getting hurt.
Safety Isn’t a Department. It’s a Culture.
Walk onto most job sites, and you’ll hear the same thing: “Safety is everyone’s responsibility.”
Sounds great. Except that in a lot of companies, safety still lives in its own little silo. The safety person walks the floor, gives a thumbs-up, maybe rattles off a checklist. They go back to their office to update the system.
Meanwhile, the crew is out there making real decisions. In real time. With real consequences. They’re the ones balancing a ladder on uneven ground. They’re the ones guessing whether the insulation is live. They’re the ones dealing with surprise weather, faulty equipment, and the very real pressure to get things done fast.
Wes Rundle has had to make some of these decisions himself, and knows how important it is to keep safety simple.
He’s helped overhaul safety systems across many companies. From emergency planning in chemical plants to concrete coring crews mid-pandemic, he’s seen it all. And the lesson’s always the same: if your system adds friction, people will work around it.
You can’t layer complexity onto complexity and expect it to stick. You have to meet people where they are. Make it seamless. Make it make sense. The more forms you pile on, the less likely someone is to stop and think. The goal is not more paperwork. The goal is fewer injuries. Fewer close calls. And more people going home safe.
“Safety needs to be simple. Because the work is already complex.”
The Myth of the Competent Worker
Here’s a common scenario: a worker finishes their online course, gets the certificate, and their manager checks the box. They’re “trained.” Right?
Robin Postnikoff doesn’t buy it. He’s the founder of MI Safety, and he’s watched the industry pretend that theory equals ability. It doesn’t. “We’ve had this idea that a worker can take a generic course and walk out competent,” he says. “But you can’t learn to drive by reading about it. You’ve got to be behind the wheel.”
That’s why his company builds practical evaluations right into the system. Learn the theory online. Prove it in person. Simple. Because you’re not training someone for a pop quiz. You’re training them for the moment things go sideways. The equipment jams. The scaffold gives. The procedure fails. That’s when training matters.
And it’s not just about liability. It’s about dignity. If you put someone on a job they’re not prepared for, that’s not just a risk. That’s a betrayal.
So Where Do We Go From Here?
We’ve built systems that look good on paper—but paper doesn’t save lives. The truth is, most safety programs aren’t broken. They’re just built on the wrong foundation. Theory without practice. Compliance without clarity. Rules without ownership.
But it doesn’t have to stay that way.
Because when safety is done right, it’s not boring. It’s built into every decision, every habit, every conversation that happens before something goes wrong.
In Part 2, we’ll dive into what that really looks like—on the ground, in the moment. From psychological safety to VR training to culture that actually sticks.
The future of safety isn’t about perfection. It’s about trust, mindset, and showing up for each other—every single day.
Related Articles
- All Posts
- 360 Immersive
- 360immersive
- accident prevention
- Alberta safety courses
- Allan James Moore
- asking for help
- avoidable injuries
- awareness
- back strain
- BambooHR integration
- biometric sensors
- BIS Podcast
- BIS Safety Software
- black holes
- Brave Leadership
- burnout
- Canadian safety history
- carbon monoxide
- CCOHS
- chemical
- chemical vapors
- chronic injuries
- chronic pain
- Coming Soon
- community safety programs
- Compliance
- compliance courses
- compliance tools
- compliance vs protection
- Construction advocacy
- Construction education
- Construction industry
- construction safety training
- continuous safety improvement
- crane
- customized training
- daily trip inspection
- Danny Sellers
- data-driven safety
- digital forms
- Dr. Joanna Pagonis
- driver file management
- driver training
- early intervention
- EHS
- Einstein
- electrical safety
- emergency preparedness
- emergency response
- emergency supplies
- emotional training
- employee health
- employee safety
- employee training
- ergonomic risks
- ergonomics
- evidence collection
- exoskeletons
- fall protection
- field safety
- field safety services
- fire prevention
- first aid kit
- first week on the job
- first workplace injury
- fleet management
- frontline safety
- gravitational waves
- hand injuries
- hands-on training
- hazard communication
- hazard prevention
- hazard recognition
- Health & Safety Podcast
- hearing loss prevention
- heavy equipment safety
- hidden workplace hazards
- high voltage systems
- HR automation
- HR software
- human-centered safety
- humor in safety
- immersive learning
- Imposter Syndrome
- incident data
- incident investigation
- incident reporting
- industrial safety
- injury consequences
- injury prevention
- injury prevention tips
- injury recovery
- injury reporting
- injury response
- injury response plan
- internal audits
- invisible dangers
- Jennifer Lastra
- job site hazards
- job site risks
- job site safety
- Jody Young
- KBR Safety Training
- labor movement
- ladder safety
- Leadership
- leadership accountability
- leadership and empathy
- learning from incidents
- lifting techniques
- LIGO
- LMS
- lockout tagout
- lone workers
- mental health at work
- MI Safety
- minor injuries
- new workers
- no-blame investigations
- noise exposure
- Northern BC
- NRCA
- NSC Standard 13
- occupational fatigue
- occupational hazards
- occupational health
- occupational safety
- OHSA
- oil and gas safety
- onboarding safety
- Online safety training
- organizational safety
- OSHA compliance
- OSHA standards
- overhead crane courses
- pain awareness
- personal protective equipment
- physics careers
- pipeline safety
- podcast
- post-accident review
- post-incident protocol
- PPE
- PPE enforcement
- PPE improvement
- pre-trip inspection
- pretrip inspection
- proactive safety measures.
- Professional development
- psychological hazards
- psychological safety
- repetitive motion injuries
- respirator safety
- risk management
- risk reduction
- road safety
- Robin Postnikoff
- root cause analysis
- routine task risks
- safe work habits
- safety
- safety accountability
- safety advice
- safety article
- safety awareness
- safety best practices
- safety communication
- safety compliance
- Safety Conversations
- safety culture
- safety engagement
- safety follow-up
- safety gear
- safety habits
- safety innovation
- safety insights
- safety inspection
- Safety Leaders
- safety leadership
- safety legislation
- safety lessons
- safety management
- safety management system
- safety metrics
- safety motivation.
- safety myths
- safety podcast
- safety procedure updates
- safety review process
- safety shortcuts
- Safety Spotlight
- safety systems
- safety technology
- safety theater
- safety tips
- safety training
- safety transparency
- silent dangers
- silica dust
- Sinogap Solutions
- slow-building hazards
- smart helmets
- space science
- supervisor training
- team communication
- teamwork
- Total Recordable Injury Formula
- tough guy mentality
- toxic air
- training
- training courses
- training matrix
- training record management
- transportation
- Trust and Accountability
- unseen workplace threats
- vehicle safety
- veteran advice
- Virtual Reality
- VR safety training
- VR Technology
- wearable technology
- WHMIS
- witness statements
- women in leadership
- work-alone training
- work-related injuries
- worker accountability
- worker advocacy
- worker fatigue
- worker protection
- worker safety
- worker safety habits
- worker trust
- workers' rights
- workforce management
- workforce training
- workplace accidents
- workplace air quality
- workplace best practices
- workplace certification
- Workplace Culture
- workplace hazards
- workplace health
- workplace incident response
- workplace injuries
- workplace injury prevention
- workplace mindset
- workplace risk factors
- workplace risk management
- Workplace safety
- workplace safety culture
- workplace safety rules
- workplace safety tips
- workplace safety training
- workplace stress
- workplace tiredness
- workplace wellness
- WSPS
Too many workers risk injury by refusing help to appear tough. This article explains how asking for help and supporting...
Canada’s safety standards weren’t handed down—they were hard-won. This article explores the rise of workplace safety from the early industrial...
Workplace safety cultures fall into three categories: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Some organizations set the gold standard...
