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Worker safety and worker well-being are intimately intertwined. If this fact was not apparent to organizations before the COVID-19 pandemic, it is now. Just think how critical it was (and still is) to understand the activities and health of employees outside of the workplace and their impact within the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the evolving nature of safety practices, emphasizing the importance of embracing new ideas and advancements in occupational safety and health (OSH). It discusses the historical context of OSH trends, highlighting the significance of concepts like Total Worker Health, advancements in technology, and emerging areas of focus such as diversity, equity, and inclusion in shaping the future of OSH practices.

The article focuses on the importance of experience in a safety professional's career and how it complements education and certifications, emphasizing the value of experiential knowledge and skills in responding to safety situations. It author discusses the significance of hands-on practice, the development of experiential intelligence, and the essential skills gained through practical experience.

The article discusses the burnout susceptibility of safety professionals in their career. It acknowledges the emotional and stressful nature of the profession, including dealing with incidents and facing skepticism. The article emphasizes the need to recognize and address burnout symptoms, such as exhaustion and behavioral changes. Factors contributing to burnout are identified, and suggestions are provided for managing stress and seeking support.

The article analyzes issues associated with enhancing industrial safety and preventing workplace injuries. It is noted that recordable injuries are a reality in the safety and health field but mean little to the workforce. Culturally, there would be more value in discussing the severity of an incident or injury than putting energy toward the type of medical treatment given.

Safety professionals have many ways to share their ideas today; social media has seen to that. Many original ideas and opinions are available to us, most through informal knowledge practices and technology (Jarrahi & Sawyer, 2013). This is progression in thought communication, and, from an accessibility perspective, it is great for inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on reversing the negativity bias as a safety professional. He talks about the consequence if safety professionals are being focused on negative outcomes by leadership and those they serve, the actions from the positive psychology world to help redirect negativity bias, and his conversation with former American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) Region I Vice President James Boretti about the association of positivity and health practice.

The article focuses on importance of communication for safety professional. Topics discussed include John McBride's session on safety in Safety 2022 event; Trusting relationships are developed by communication and create an environment of psychological safety; and transparent communication can help grow trust, build relationships and create psychological safety.

The article discusses mentorship as a safety professional which is a formal relationship with a tenured or senior-level professional contained with. It mentions that to ensure that each party's needs are met in a mentoring relationship, there must be an implicit social (or psychological) contracting your organization.