The Balance of Power in Safety

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Jessie Singer, a journalist, keynote speaker, and author of a highly acclaimed book exploring ‘accidents’ including the tragic loss of her best friend.

Jessie actually argues that there are no such things as accidents, and applies her considered reasoning specifically to workplace safety in this compassionate conversation.

Why do safety investigations focus on individual actions and human error? Jessie considers this to be a fundamental oversight that is restricting learning and preventing harm prevention.

Workers have the least power over workplace conditions - so the profession needs to explore the other end of the line. Jessie presents a compelling case for why safety managers must keep asking questions to uncover the real control over systems that enabled the outcome.

Jessie’s ideas give EHS professionals a new perspective on keeping workers safe, revealing where power - and therefore harm prevention - really resides in workplace safety.