Chris Brophy, Director of EHS at The Berg Corporation (Berg Demolition), brings his "A" game to The Safety Struggle with tales of his former life as an extreme sports business owner and professional paintball player. Chris talks with Dr. Martin about his winding road to his present position in the safety profession, beginning with several years in logistics in the United States Air Force, followed by his participation in the former "Battlefields to Oilfields" program, an oilfield skills and safety training program designed to help veterans obtain careers in the oil and gas industry. Chris talks about the skills that are necessary to be successful in bridging the gaps between safety and different departments in the organizational structure, and how to make the most impact with interpersonal skills in a field atmosphere. Lots of good stories in this episode (and a few swears too - sorry!) This episode is sponsored by Veriforce, the world's premier Supply Chain Risk Performance Network. Veriforce helps your organization stay ahead of risk (www.veriforce.com), and by Slice Products, Inc, maker of innovative cutting tools that reimagine every aspect of tool use from the perspective of safety, ergonomics, and efficiency (www.sliceproducts.com).

Josh Barkley, Safety Professional and Innovator, joins The Safety Struggle to talk about the barriers and pitfalls of an entry level safety professional working to get experience in the safety profession. Josh began his safety career while he was still in college at Murray State University through student internships at LynondellBasell (petrochemical industry) and Beltline (electrical contracting), and Fibonacci (hemp building materials). After graduating in December of 2019 (right before COVID), Josh worked briefly for a upstream oil and gas company, before being laid off during the pandemic. During this downtime, Josh came up with the ideas of www.SafeSourceMarketplace.com - created by a safety professional FOR safety interns, aspiring safety professionals, and hiring organizations to connect and grow together - organically. This episode is sponsored by Mariner-Gulf Consulting and Services. Check out Mariner-Gulf at www.marinergulf.com for all your safety management system, audit, and safety program development needs.

Tiffany Rice is an Assistant Professor with West Virginia University Safety and Health Extension Service serves as the Assistant Director of the National Resource Center OSHA Training Institute Education Center. On this episode of The Safety Struggle, Tiffany and Dr. Martin discuss a wide range of topics - the oil and gas industry, finding safety through family connections, organic farming, and much more. When Tiffany is not at WVU, you can find her at Pike Mountain Farm, a pasture raised livestock farm focusing on ethically and sustainably raised meat. Interestingly, organic farming is something that Dr. Martin and Tiffany have in common! This episode is sponsored by Veriforce, the world's premier Supply Chain Risk Performance Network. Veriforce helps your organization stay ahead of risk. Check them out at www.veriforce.com

Bill Walker, Sr. HSE Leader at Batallion Oil and Chair of the SafeLand Board of Directors, sits down with Dr. Martin for a chat about a wide range of topics. Bill and Linda discuss industrial hygiene, oil and gas, motorcycles, and SafeLand's mission during their chat on The Safety Struggle. Bill has a career that has spanned eight years in the National Guard, work in the hazardous chemical industry, shipyards, and oil and gas - both in the U.S. and abroad. Another great podcast with an exceptional EHS leader! The episode is sponsored by Mariner-Gulf Consulting and Services. Check out Mariner-Gulf at www.marinergulf.com for all your safety management system, audit, and safety program development needs.

In this episode of The Safety Struggle, Dr. Martin sits down with Justin DeFlumeri, the Owner of Optimal Safety providing safety, training, and development throughout the New England area. Linda and Justin met as Professor and Student, respectively, at Keene State College. Justin talks about what brought him to professional safety practice and the things that drive him forward in the profession. One of the things that Justin and Dr. Martin have in common are careers in consulting. They share the pros and cons of consulting (and a few stories) with The Safety Struggle listeners in this episode. This episode is sponsored by Veriforce, the world's premier Supply Chain Risk Performance Network. Veriforce helps your organization stay ahead of risk. Check them out at www.veriforce.com

On this episode of The Safety Struggle, Kelli Bettenhausen (Senior Consultant at JMJ Associates) sits down with Linda Martin to discuss a wide range of safety leadership topics INCLUDING how poetry relates to safety practice. Kelli coaches leaders to develop strategies and sustainable plans for organization and personal growth/development. She creates an environment for learning and skill development via workshops and teams to increase quality and productivity, while focusing on the safety and wellbeing of individuals. This episode is a REALLY good one and fits The Safety Struggle's reputation for "not your average safety podcast" - great discussion with a great leader! The episode is sponsored by Mariner-Gulf Consulting and Services. Check out Mariner-Gulf at www.marinergulf.com for all your safety management system, audit, and safety program development needs.

The Safety Struggle welcomes Bill Henderson to the show to talk about his journey into and through many industries while keeping an eye on safety. Aerospace, steel, oil and gas, teaching, loss control - you name it, Bill has been working his hardest to make a difference for workers on the front line. Bill and Linda tell a bunch of stories about their shared passion for making personal relationships and communication the foundation of changing workers' hearts and minds about safe work practices. This episode is sponsored by Veriforce, the world's premier Supply Chain Risk Performance Network. Veriforce helps your organization stay ahead of risk. Check them out at www.veriforce.com

This week on The Safety Struggle, Dr. Martin sits down with Ryan Green who currently works at NASA as a Safety, Quality and Mission Assurance Leader. How does someone like Ryan "luck out" to get a job like he has now? - let me give you a hint - it's not luck, it's GRIT. Ryan talks candidly about his path from a high school graduate to his current position and love for the safety profession. What is striking about Ryan's path is the many times that he questioned his direction and made adjustments to his "plan" with the help of his family to realize his dreams. The biggest take-away from this episode should be that you can do anything you set your mind to if you dig in with a little grit and reflection. The episode is sponsored by Mariner-Gulf Consulting and Services. Check out Mariner-Gulf at www.marinergulf.com

Mikel Bowman of Bowman Legacies returns to The Safety Struggle to talk about leading from the middle, including a wide-range of things including vulnerability, linking shields, and being "enough". When it comes to "building a legacy that far surpasses your legend", it takes a ton of self-reflection and breaking of barriers associated with how you see others and how you see yourself. It's always a treat to hear Mikel and Linda talk about putting emotional intelligence into your leadership and safety practice. This episode is sponsored by Veriforce, the world's premier Supply Chain Risk Performance Network. Veriforce helps your organization stay ahead of risk. Check them out at www.veriforce.com

This episode of The Safety Struggle features Yara Ramirez Carillo, the host of the up-and-coming Spanish language safety podcast "Seguridad en mente". Yara reached out The Safety Struggle's host, Dr. Martin, to inquire about starting a podcast of her own that focuses on providing occupational health and safety information in Spanish for the hispanic workforce. There wasn't a whole lot of coaching needed, as Yara has a finish AND a mission for "Seguridad en mente" that is both ambitious and noble. Yara and Linda not only talk about "Seguridad en mente", but expand their conversation to the issues that face all non-english speaking workers, Yara's background as a degreed chemical engineer, and what her plans are for her future in the safety profession. The episode is sponsored by Mariner-Gulf Consulting and Services. Check out Mariner-Gulf at www.marinergulf.com