Welcome to The Safety Knights Podcast, where EHS meets real life and safety is about people first, paperwork second.
Each episode, host Zach Johnston sits down with safety managers, risk leaders, consultants, and industry veterans to unpack what is really happening on jobsites, in plants, and inside boardrooms when the topic is safety, culture, and risk.
You will hear honest conversations about careers that did not follow a straight line, what it feels like to be the safety person in high pressure environments, and how to build trust with the field instead of being seen as the person who only says no.
Guests share practical ideas on training that actually sticks, measuring more than EMR and TRIR, using tools like microlearning, QR codes, AI, and telematics without losing the human element, and protecting mental health in a profession that is often overlooked until something goes wrong.
If you are a safety professional, operations leader, or anyone responsible for sending people home safely, this is your roundtable for the protectors of the industry and your new home for real world EHS insight.
Brought to you by the community at https://safetyknights.com, the online hub for safety and health professionals who want practical tools, honest conversations, and a stronger safety culture.
Welcome to The Safety Knights Podcast, where EHS meets real life and safety is about people first, paperwork second.
Each episode, host Zach Johnston sits down with safety managers, risk leaders, consultants, and industry veterans to unpack what is really happening on jobsites, in plants, and inside boardrooms when the topic is safety, culture, and risk.
You will hear honest conversations about careers that did not follow a straight line, what it feels like to be the safety person in high pressure environments, and how to build trust with the field instead of being seen as the person who only says no.
Guests share practical ideas on training that actually sticks, measuring more than EMR and TRIR, using tools like microlearning, QR codes, AI, and telematics without losing the human element, and protecting mental health in a profession that is often overlooked until something goes wrong.
If you are a safety professional, operations leader, or anyone responsible for sending people home safely, this is your roundtable for the protectors of the industry and your new home for real world EHS insight.
Brought to you by the community at https://safetyknights.com, the online hub for safety and health professionals who want practical tools, honest conversations, and a stronger safety culture.
Welcome back to The Safety Knights Podcast — the roundtable for protectors of the industry.
In this episode, we sit down with Benjamin Gratto for a straight-up conversation about safety, leadership, culture, and what actually makes a program work when the pace is high and the pressure is real.
From serving in the Marines…to stepping into the world of EHS…to realizing that safety isn’t just about rules — it’s about people—Benjamin’s story is a reminder that no one chooses safety… safety chooses you.
🔥 What we cover in this episode:
• How Benjamin transitioned from the Marines into safety
• Why relationships and soft skills matter as much as technical knowledge
• How empathy and communication can make or break a safety program
• How to build trust with operations and move past “safety cop” stereotypes
• Balancing compliance with compassion without losing credibility
• Why the human element is the difference-maker in every incident, near miss, and decision
• How to turn hard moments into lessons that strengthen culture
• Practical advice for safety pros who are trying to influence without authority
🔥 Most powerful message in this episode:
“Safety starts with understanding people, not just processes.”
Every week, we sit down with safety leaders to explore the mindset, battle scars, and breakthroughs shaping the EHS profession.
🛡️ Join the community: https://www.safetyknights.com/join-us
🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts
🔔 Subscribe for more conversations from the frontlines of safety
⚙️ About the Safety Knights Podcast
Every week, we sit down with safety leaders to explore the mindset, frameworks, battle scars, and breakthroughs shaping the EHS profession.
On this episode of The Safety Knights Podcast, host Zach Johnston sits down with Ryan Castello, SMS, MSP, Director of Safety & Risk at CILA — and an anthropologist-turned-safety-leader who sees the job very differently than most.
Ryan didn’t come up through a traditional safety path. His academic background is in anthropology, studying black and gray market economics and subcultures. After 9/11 derailed his academic plans, a “temporary” internship in safety turned into a 20+ year career spanning manufacturing, American Express, grocery/warehousing, heavy industry, and now home services.
In this conversation, Zach and Ryan dig into:
If you’re a safety pro trying to build trust, simplify training, or get better support from operations and leadership, this one is packed with practical, human-centered insight.
🛡️ Join the Safety Knights community: https://SafetyKnights.com/join-us
🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations with the protectors of the industry.
🤝 Connect with Ryan Castello on LinkedIn to keep the conversation going.
#SafetyKnights #SafetyPodcast #EHS #SafetyLeadership #Anthropology #WorkplaceSafety #SafetyCulture #RiskManagement #LearningTeams #Microlearning
On this episode of The Safety Knights Podcast, host Zach Johnston sits down with one of the most recognizable voices in modern EHS: Abby Ferri — safety leader, author, speaker, and driving force at the National Safety Council.
Abby shares how she accidentally stumbled into safety from a construction office in the early 2000s, took a one-year master’s program in Environmental Health & Safety, and never looked back.
From Southern California job sites with boxy vests and steel-toe Timberlands to shaping national conversations on safety, culture, and risk, her journey is full of hard-won lessons and very human moments.
They dig into:
Abby also shares the belief that guides her work:
“People over everything.”
If you’ve ever felt stuck between frontline realities and executive expectations, or you’re wondering what the next 5–10 years of safety might look like, this episode will hit home.
🛡️ Join the Safety Knights community: https://SafetyKnights.com/join-us
🔗 Connect with Abby Ferry on LinkedIn
🎧 Subscribe for more conversations with the protectors of the industry.
#SafetyKnights #SafetyPodcast #AbbyFerry #EHS #SafetyLeadership #ConstructionSafety #WorkplaceSafety #SafetyCulture #NSC #RiskManagement
Welcome back to The Safety Knights Podcast — the roundtable for protectors of the industry.
In this episode, we sit down with Brandon Baronner, CSP, for one of the most real and insightful conversations we’ve ever had about safety, leadership, culture, and the future of the profession.
From military service in Afghanistan…to landing a safety job in a bar during a Penguins vs. Capitals game…
to leading high-risk programs and shaping culture across major organizations—
Brandon’s story is the perfect example of how no one chooses safety… safety chooses you.
🔥 What we cover in this episode:
🔥 Most powerful message in this episode:
“Safety isn’t a secret. It’s not proprietary. Share what you know.”
Every week, we sit down with elite safety leaders to explore the mindset, frameworks, battle scars, and breakthroughs shaping the EHS profession.
If you’re a safety pro — this is your new home.
🛡️ Join the community: https://SafetyKnights.com/join-us
🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts
🔔 Subscribe for more conversations from the frontlines of safety
⚙️ About the Safety Knights Podcast
Every week, we sit down with elite safety leaders to explore the mindset, frameworks, battle scars, and breakthroughs shaping the EHS profession.If you’re a safety pro — this is your new home.
🛡️ Join the community: https://SafetyKnights.com/join-us
🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts
🔔 Subscribe for more conversations from the frontlines of safety
In this debut episode of The Safety Knights Podcast, hosts Branden Raczkowski and Zach Johnston set out on their quest to bring the safety community together.
From humble beginnings to one of the most active online safety hubs in the world, this episode shares the story behind Safety Knights — how it started, why it matters, and what’s next.
⚔️ Follow the journey, join the community, and become part of the movement at SafetyKnights.com/join-us