PreAccident Investigation Podcast

In this episode, Todd explores the evolution of safety thinking—from blaming human error to creating systems that support reliable work. He discusses the normalization of deviance versus a deliberate shift toward a normalization of excellence, learning teams, and practical examples of redesigning work to prevent repeats of incidents.

Through conversations about AI-created interviews, Southwest Airlines' practices, and Case studies, Todd emphasizes treating error as normal, asking better questions, and designing systems that make work safer and more effective.

This episode explores the promises and pitfalls of AI in safety work, centered on the book The AI Paradox in Safety by Brent Sutton and Brent Robinson. Todd and Brent discuss how AI can either amplify blame and surveillance or enable learning and improvement, and why organizational culture shapes which path wins.

Topics include surveillance concerns (Flock cameras, wearables), AI amplifying existing culture, neurodiversity, leader assurance questions, and practical advice for using AI to listen to frontline workers rather than punish them.

This episode argues that meaningful improvement rarely happens overnight. Big-bang rollouts and sudden change cause chaos, bugs, and unintended consequences, while slow, incremental implementations let organizations prototype, find hidden flaws, build buy-in, and protect core operations.

The host reflects on a difficult personal week and reminds listeners that steady, small steps — passo y paso — are the reliable path to safer, more resilient organizations. Be kind, be patient, and be safe.

In this episode Todd Conklin talks with David Keeling, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, about OSHA’s shift toward partnership, refreshing VPP, the new Safety Champions program, and focusing on serious injuries and fatalities (SIF).

They discuss mental health, vehicle safety, leadership’s role, predictive analytics, and incentives to drive abatement and innovation so employers and regulators can work together to prevent catastrophic events.

Todd joins James Newman and Ken Madsen on a special excerpt from the Counter-Errorism podcast to discuss productive safety, leadership change, and how investigations should inform solutions rather than impose them.

They cover practical ideas: shifting leaders' thinking, treating workers as problem-solvers, using judgments of need, and how DOE-style investigations differ from industry practices.