Part three of our special six-week series spotlighting Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) professionals features Jason Hyde, EHS Manager at SIGCO, Inc., whose approach to safety leadership goes far beyond compliance.
Jason shares why building a strong safety culture starts with understanding people, not just policies. From creating personal connections that change behavior to navigating language barriers, mental health, and emergency preparedness in today's evolving workplace, he explains why the best safety leaders focus on trust, communication, and employee engagement. This conversation offers practical insights for anyone responsible for protecting people while building a culture where employees genuinely want to do the right thing.
Takeaways:
- Safety culture is built through people, not policies. Compliance is essential, but regulations alone don't change behavior. Creating personal connections and helping employees understand why safety matters is what drives lasting cultural change.
- Make safety personal. Every employee has a different motivation for working safely. Leaders who take the time to understand what matters most to their people can create conversations that lead to meaningful behavior change.
- Your workforce is one of your greatest resources. Instead of trying to solve every communication challenge alone, empower employees to become part of the solution. Leveraging bilingual subject matter experts and involving frontline workers strengthens both understanding and trust.
- Never compromise what's right. Safety professionals will inevitably face pressure to take shortcuts. Jason explains why standing firm, presenting facts, and leading with integrity is essential for protecting both employees and organizational culture.
- Mental health is part of workplace safety. Supporting employees also means recognizing when someone may be struggling outside of work. Jason encourages safety professionals to care for both their teams and themselves because difficult situations are an unavoidable part of the job.
- Challenges create better leaders. Jason reflects on how COVID forced safety teams to rethink communication, training, and operations, ultimately creating new tools and approaches that continue to improve workplace safety today.
Quote of the Show
- "Never compromise what's right. You compromise that value once, and you'll compromise it every time after that."
Links
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-hyde-b02158144/
- Website: https://www.sigcoinc.com/
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