From Navy to Oil & Gas: James Junkin's Journey & Safety Advocacy

In this episode, Apolonia is joined by James A. Junkin, the CEO of a risk management and occupational safety and health consulting firm in Louisiana. James is also an advisory board chair of Veriforce, which provides supply chain risk management solutions. Today’s topics include: * James shares his background in the Navy and how it led him to the oil and gas industry.* How James was part of the response to the BP oil spill (Deepwater Horizon oil spill) in the Gulf of Mexico.* Training oil spill response teams.* James’s mindset shift, which went from focusing on compliance to focusing on getting workers home safe. * James credits his success to his mentors and instructors for helping him gain knowledge and build his foundation in safety.* Workplace safety resistance and the importance of identifying hazards. * Apolonia shares her personal experience with the oil and gas industry, including losing her father's best friend in a rig accident when she was in third grade.* The resilience of blue-collar men in the oil and gas industry and their resistance to prioritizing safety. * James argues that some safety professionals have created an "us versus them" mentality, prioritizing worker safety over the system and that this approach hasn’t effectively reduced workplace incidents.* How focusing on hazard identification and risk assessment earlier in the process, rather than just at the job site, could lead to more effective safety measures.* The preventability of many workplace fatalities.* Traditional safety management systems often blame workers for incidents, while new systems prioritize a more holistic approach to safety.* Safety culture and leadership in high-hazard industries. * James emphasizes that there is no such thing as a separate "safety culture" siloed from the rest of the organization.* Why training programs should address real hazards and not just meet minimum requirements.* Organizations must learn from past mistakes and proactively plan for increased safety risks during peak work periods, such as holidays.* Proactive mitigation strategies versus reactive abatement after accidents.Thanks so much to James A. Junkin of Mariner-Gulf Consulting & Services for being a guest! Connect with James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-junkin-ms-csp-msp-sms-asp-csho-494a0046/ Apolonia Rockwell is the Founder and CEO of True Safety Services and True Safety University.Learn more about “Dangerous Jobs with Apolonia Rockwell”: https://www.truesafetyservices.com/podcast Subscribe to Apolonia Rockwell’s YouTube channel (where we also post her podcasts): https://www.youtube.com/@apoloniarockwell7484 True Safety Services is Colorado’s #1 provider in safety training and safety management services. Learn more about True Safety Services: https://www.truesafetyservices.com True Safety University is a world class virtual training platform for individuals and companies: https://www.truesafetyuniversity.com Connect with...