Illusion of Safety

What can hidden injuries tell us about workplace safety? with Jenny Houlroyd

This one's for the hardcore safety nerds (we see you!) Jenny Houlroyd has done extensive research on the often overlooked impact of hidden injuries like silicosis, mainly due to her personal connection with people in the trades who have suffered from the long-term effects of silicosis and tuberculosis. She explains how it affects people in the trades and why early awareness matters. Josh, Allison, and Gabe explore both the personal responsibilities workers carry on the jobsite and the critical role organizations play in protecting their teams. Beyond individual cases, the gang unpacks the broader societal ripple effects of preventable injuries, and what it will take to create lasting change. If you're interested, check out the book "Everything is Tuberculosis: the History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection" by John Green, as it was what sparked this discussion with Jenny. Enjoy!

Re-visit: How do you rock women's workwear? with Alexis Armstrong

We loved the PPE Runway Show at the American Society of Safety Professionals professional development conference so much that it got us thinking about one of our favorite women's workwear founders: Alexis Armstrong! Alexis is the founder of Peggy Workwear, where her company combines fit, function, durability, and (gasp!) even style into technical workwear made by women, for women. With more women entering the trades, the availability of workwear and PPE for people of all shapes and sizes is more important than ever. This is a great chat from one of the coolest tradespeople we know, who's excited to bring functional and fun workwear for women everywhere!
Peggy Workwear: https://www.peggyworkwear.ca/
The Smoko Podcast, hosted by Alexis Armstrong. What's a Smoko? Check out the episode to find out! https://www.peggyworkwear.ca/pages/smoko
What's the ASSP Runway Show all about? Check out the recap video on LinkedIn! Click Here!

How does workplace safety work around the world? With Dr. Steve Thygerson

Now that Josh is a world traveler, we thought it would be a good time to explore how other countries approach workplace safety. And who better to help us understand it than Dr. Steve Thygerson, who is the 2025 Safety Professional of the Year from the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP)! Steve has done a lot of research in developing countries with regards to health and safety and chats with us about how workers view safety outside the United States, and what lessons we can continue to learn as safety professionals through collaboration with others around the world. No passport required for this episode!

How can Construction be a great career path for women? with Taylor Pedmo

We're chatting about construction safety on this episode! Unfortunately, we're not experts in this field, which is why we welcome the amazing Taylor Pedmo, CSP, CHST to the podcast to talk about her experience in the construction field and why it's such a great place to work! Taylor shares how construction has definitely progressed, especially as a place where more women are going to work. Taylor also shares with us the different ways that safety has been even more integrated in the construction process, especially in the planning stages at the beginning of a project. Interested in learning more about the construction field, or for resources to support women in construction? Check out the following that Taylor shared with us!
National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC): https://nawic.org/
Architecture/Construction/Engineering (ACE) Mentor Program: https://www.acementor.org/

How do you handle a job search safely? with Terra Carbert

Being in a job search can feel like a job in and of itself...and an especially stressful one at that! And the job hunt has gotten that much more complicated with new technology that can be helpful in some cases, and damaging in others. That's why we had Terra Carbert on this episode to help us navigate the wild and wacky world of job hunting and how to do it SAFELY! Terra is a recruiting manager and personal development coach who has some stories to tell and in many ways has lived through the challenges faced by many others who are going through the job search. Listen in for some fun, encouragement, and even some tips on how to best take care of yourself during the job search. And, in an Illusion of Safety Podcast first, our guest actually has something for our wonderful listeners! Take a look at Terra's "7 Days of Career Reflection" HERE and begin that journey of discovery about yourself, your work, and your career.
 
Also, we definitely appreciate a good Homestar Runner reference

What is a psychosocial hazard? With Dr. David Daniels

Imagine a workplace danger that you can’t see, hear, taste or touch but it can definitely hurt you. On top of that, it’s nebulous and some people will even ignore it exists. That’s what a psychosocial hazard is like and why Dr. David Daniels wrote his book “Psychosocial Hazards are Real”. He set out to clarify the definition of this hazard and used many of his own experiences to guide him as he explored this topic. This is definitely a much bigger topic than we can cover in an episode, but the important part is that we’re beginning the conversation. We hope you’ll join us in exploring it, too. If you want to learn more or pick up Dr. Daniels’ book for yourself, go to his website at https://id2-solutions.com/my-book/

What is this all about? with the Illusion of Safety Podcast

It's been a hot minute since we've checked in to say hey and have a gentle reminder for us as to why we do this (gestures at everything). And by "this" we mean the Illusion of Safety Podcast and the safety profession that we know and love! Our goal from the beginning is to create a global collective of professionals dedicated to bringing passion, community and fun to the safety industry.  If that sound like something you want to be part of, we'd love to have you! Join Allison, Josh, and Gabe on this fun ride as we explore themes related to the safety profession, both directly and tangentially, and have some fun along the way. Have a listen, follow us on LinkedIn (click here), visit our website at iosafetypodcast.com, or email us at iosafetypodcast@gmail.com!

Is there nothing new under the (safety) sun?

You think you’ve seen it all before when it comes to safety topics. Maybe you’ve even tried a few of them at your company. Then a “new” safety concept comes out reaching buzzword status but it’s just a rehash of something you’ve already heard a thousand times. How do you stay motivated and keep things fresh when it comes to safety? For the Illusion of Safety gang, turns out with a little bit of curiosity, humility, and openness you can find new angles even in safety topics that have been discussed on podcasts and conferences over and over.

How do you have conversations about mental health?

Since June is Men's Mental Health Awareness month, we're putting the "men" in "mental health" (see what we did there?) on this mini-episode! Josh and Gabe talk about the challenge of even starting a conversation about mental health when talking with other men, and how important it is to do so. Holding it all in doesn't work well, which is why it's so important to have honest, open conversations with others who are close to you. Whether it's a simple "you good?" check in, a listening ear, or even a hug, we all need others who care for us and we can be that caring person to others. Enjoy!

Is it ok to be a Safety Nerd? with Sam Goodman

Let's face it: we can be fans of the safety profession to the point of being absolute nerds about it. But is it possible to take it overboard? That's what we wanted to talk about with Sam Goodman, host of "The HOP Nerd" Podcast! We talk about terminology, safety debates (and beefs) and what's the best way to stay grounded to make sure safety is still applicable for everyone. Especially those who have a full time job other than safety!