Safety Without Slogans: What Actually Reduces Risk on the Job With Darren Varga

A lot of companies say “safety first.” Darren Varga, Director of EHS at Aecon Group Inc., argues that misses the point. If people do not trust the system, they stop talking, and that is when risk quietly stacks up.In this episode of The Safety Spotlight, Darren shares how an ergonomics and biomechanics background, along with time as a Ministry of Labour inspector and global consultant, has shaped a practical approach to safety: quantify risk, design work that makes sense, and treat workers like the experts they are.We also get into what “safety culture” actually means in real life. Darren’s answer is blunt: there is no magic KPI or slogan that fixes it. Trust is the lever, and trust is built through listening, giving workers a voice, and following up every single time, even on “small” issues.We discuss:Why “layered skills” make safety pros more effective, and how Darren built that stack across industries and rolesHow to spot risk faster by walking the floor with workers and asking one question: “What’s the worst part of the job?”How ergonomic redesign becomes a business case when you quantify risk and tie it to efficiency gainsWhy change management gets easy when the tool is simple, useful, and worker-approvedThe one thing “safety culture” is really built on: trust, plus follow-throughA practical voice-of-worker system: QR codes on hard hats feeding safety and the Joint Health and Safety CommitteeWhat happens when workers have no voice, and why complaints, conflict, and cost explodeLeading on high-profile, first-of-a-kind projects: emergency readiness, clear communication, and relationships with real decision-makersMental health in construction, the Ambassador Program approach, and why “tough-guy culture” is a liabilityLeadership that actually works: servant leadership, Maxwell’s five levels, and treating dignity as a daily practiceLooking for an all-in-one compliance platform? See all that BIS Safety Software has to offer at https://bissafety.ca/