A story of resilience, reinvention, and an unexpected path into safety. In this episode, Jill James sits down with Chanell Alaniz, president of the Oklahoma City ASSP Chapter and former head of EHS for Oklahoma’s largest biopharmaceutical manufacturer. Chanell shares an extraordinary origin story that begins on the Mississippi Gulf Coast during Hurricane Katrina, winding through loss, rebuilding, tattoo artistry, scientific research, and ultimately a calling in occupational health and safety.

Chanell opens up about evacuating with a newborn, rebuilding her life through Habitat for Humanity, becoming one of Oklahoma’s first licensed female tattoo artists, and later transitioning into laboratory science and CGMP pharmaceutical work. Her journey takes a dramatic turn when she steps into her first safety role just three days before COVID‑19 is declared a global pandemic—placing her at the center of biomanufacturing efforts to support vaccine production.

Through vulnerability, humor, and deep reflection, Chanell illustrates how a “helper’s heart,” a systems-thinking mind, and the influence of strong mentors shaped her into the safety professional she is today. This episode is a testament to the winding paths that lead people into EHS—and the power of purpose discovered along the way.

Chanell Alaniz's LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chanelllalaniz/]

Chanell's Story on OptionB [https://optionb.org/stories/giving-back-to-survivors-of-natural-disasters-rkamh8xwx]

Katrina 10 Years Later: Mississippi [https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/hurricane-katrina-ten-year-anniversary-mississippi/]

Women in Safety Excellence (WISE) [https://ncc.assp.org/wise/]

139: How a Life Rebuilt Became a Career in Safety

Perry Silvey, safety manager at BT Construction in Colorado, shares his journey from working at a driving range to becoming a leader in construction safety. He is the founder and chairman of the Trenching and Excavation Safety Task Force (TEST), a volunteer group dedicated to raising awareness about trenching and excavation safety. Perry's career in construction safety began after a layoff from his maintenance job, which led him to work in excavation.

Perry's transition into safety was influenced by his first boss, who encouraged him to leverage his degree and move into office roles, eventually leading to project management and safety coordination. His involvement with industry groups, such as the Construction Safety Round Table and the National Utility Contractors Association, has been pivotal in his career, providing mentorship and collaboration opportunities.

The TEST initiative was sparked by a tragic trench collapse incident in 2019, which motivated Perry to take action and form the task force to prevent similar accidents. The group promotes trench safety through campaigns like "Think Inside the Box" and collaborates with various partners to spread awareness and improve safety practices.

Perry emphasizes the importance of industry groups and safety roundtables for professionals seeking to enhance safety practices in their organizations. He continues to advocate for safety in the construction industry, sharing his experiences and insights at conferences and through the task force's initiatives.

Show Links:
Think Inside the Box [https://thinkinsidethebox.info/] info and logos. If you'd like to use the Think Inside The Box logo to help spread the word, please download! Feel free to make hard hat stickers, use in email signatures or on your own pages.

Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/ExcavateSafe]
Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/excavatesafe/]
LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/trenching-excavation-safety-taskforce/]
X [https://www.x.com/ExcavateSafe]

138: Think Inside the Box

A surprising pivot from nutrition and diet therapy to health and safety launched Danishon "Sean" Felder into a decades-long career investigating incidents, mastering compliance, and navigating complex military and OSHA standards with the US Air Force Reserves and Department of Defense. Sean and Jill discuss why compliance alone isn't enough, the power of mentorship and continuous learning, how risk management evolved into enterprise thinking, and why psychological safety may be the most critical leadership skill today. With his upcoming retirement, Sean is preparing for his "second mountain" in executive coaching and reflects on what truly makes safety cultures thrive. Listen to get a Certified Professional Coach's insights on leadership, culture, and influence techniques! 

137: Why Psychological Safety Is A Critical Leadership Skill

Do you have burning safety questions but aren’t sure who to ask—or worry about how they’ll be received? Jill and her longtime friend and former fellow OSHA investigator, Dr. Todd Loushine, recently hosted a live webinar doing just that! Registrants submitted hundreds of questions before and during the live event, and the duo were able to give answers related to:

> Program building, governance, and core safety systems

> Operational hazards and technical safety scenarios

> Training effectiveness and learning design

> Leadership buy-in, management tension, and business alignment

We believe many of our listeners have the same kinds of questions. So, we're sharing portions of the webinar recording with you for this special episode of the podcast. 

If you like this episode, join Jill and Dr. Todd LIVE for Safety Unscripted: Part 2 on Wednesday, February 25th. You can register by clicking the link below. Enjoy!

Safety Unscripted Part 2: Your Questions, Expert Answers, Live Webinar Registration [https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/210029164007252064]

Safety Unscripted Webinar Recording and Resources Page [https://goto.hsi.com/safety-unscripted-part1-january2026]

HSI.com Resources [https://hsi.com/resources#entry:8558@1:url]

Bonus Episode! Safety Unscripted: Your Questions, Expert Answers

Do you have questions about AI and the role it’s playing in EHS? Is it a trustworthy source, and how would you know if it is? What are the benefits and implications? Jill sits down with three of HSI’s top executives who are leading the charge in AI technology development for EHS software. Join Jose Arcilla, Chief Executive Officer, John Hambelton, Chief Technology Officer, and Mike Case, Vice President of Product, as they break down what’s working with AI, precautions you need to know, and how they’re creating tools that grow with the people who rely on them. You’ll hear how they’re designing tech that learns from real work, minimizes risk, and supports better choices, all while keeping humans firmly in control. From guardrails around ethics and human oversight, and questions to ask before selecting AI-powered solutions, this episode pulls back the curtain on AI development, what’s coming next, and why it matters for EHS professionals.

136: AI and EHS Software

What happens when the teacher becomes the student? Meet Stacy Dubin, an EHS leader whose journey began in the classroom as a middle and high school teacher, and evolved into an impressive career in industrial hygiene and safety. Stacy shares how creating hands-on lessons in toxicology and epidemiology sparked her move into EHS, the challenges of transitioning from teaching to industry, and how she leveraged project management skills to find her footing. She and Jill discuss why EHS professionals are “the ultimate influencers,” succeeding through relationships rather than authority, and how curiosity, reciprocity, and listening to employees help earn trust and drive real safety improvements. From integrating EHS into everyday operational conversations, to observing work and collaborating with supervisors to identify hazards, Stacy offers practical insights on influence and impact—along with her vision for building consistent, engaging global EHS frameworks rooted in authenticity and connection.

The Culture Map [https://erinmeyer.com/books/the-culture-map/]

Purchase The Culture Map on Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/Culture-Map-Breaking-Invisible-Boundaries/dp/1610392507]

135: A Holistic Approach to EHS: Caring Inside and Outside of Work

SIFs, HECA, and ROI, oh my! In this episode, we welcome Dr. Elif Erkal, the Associate Director of Research and Strategy at the Construction Safety Research Alliance (CSRA) at the University of Colorado Boulder. With an extensive background in civil engineering, consulting, construction management, and academic research, Dr. Erkal specializes in safety, performance measurement, predictive analytics, and project risk management. She shares insights into CSRA's unique collaborative efforts between academia and industry to advance serious injury and fatality (SIF) prevention, and explains the development of High Energy Control Assessments (HECA). She details how HECA approaches safety performance measurement, which identifies high energy hazards and assesses direct controls, offering a more actionable safety performance assessment than traditional metrics. Dr. Erkal also touches on CSRA's other research initiatives, including decluttering safety management systems and demonstrating the ROI of safety programs, emphasizing the need for data-driven solutions in safety management.

Power to Prevent SIF [https://www.eei.org/issues-and-policy/power-to-prevent-sif]

Communities of Practice [https://www.csra.colorado.edu/csracop]

Knowledge Center | Construction Safety Research Alliance [https://www.csra.colorado.edu/knowledge-center]

CSRA Safety in the Boardroom EFILE_EE.pdf [https://www.csra.colorado.edu/_files/ugd/2a9917_9a2691d5335c4428a077c0490982d9da.pdf]

Matt Hallowell wrote a book on workplace safety. Industry made it a bestseller. | Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering | University of Colorado Boulder [https://www.colorado.edu/ceae/matt-hallowell-wrote-book-workplace-safety-industry-made-it-best-seller]

Energy wheel [https://aeasseincludes.assp.org/professionalsafety/pastissues/066/12/F2Hallowell_1221.pdf]

HECA [https://www.assp.org/docs/default-source/psj-articles/f1hallowell_0523.pdf?sfvrsn=45416846_0]

Safety classification and Learning Model [https://www.assp.org/docs/default-source/psj-articles/f1hallowellspencer_0224.pdf]

134: SIF Prevention and High Energy Control Assessments

At this year’s NSC Safety Congress, Jill partnered with three other women in EHS to present “Female EHS Leaders: Leveraging Your Superpowers.” The conference room was full of women and allies, and the topic was so well received, the presenters decided to continue the conversation! In this episode, Jill and Monique Parker, Chief Sustainability Officer and ASSP Board Member, further expand on communication strategies, setting boundaries, salary negotiation, and understanding your value, while also sharing personal experiences and examples from their own journey’s to leadership positions. Take charge of your career growth and salary expectations with the provided worksheets linked in the show notes, and discover how to advocate for yourself and your future in EHS.

Resources for Female EHS Professionals, including the Salary and Career Map worksheets. [https://goto.hsi.com/female-ehs-leaders-leveraging-superpowers]

133: Female EHS Leaders: Leveraging Your Superpowers Conversation Continued from NSC 2025

With over 20 years of experience at industry giants like Caterpillar, Dow Chemical, and Merck, Dana Dawsey's career has been anything but comfortable—by design! Dana is currently the Vice President of Environmental Health and Safety at Pentair, but like most guests, she didn't see safety as her future when becoming an industrial engineering student. Since then, she has implemented life-saving ergonomic improvements and spearheaded global EHS strategies. Dana's story is one of resilience, continuous learning, and a people-centric leadership style, enriched by her certification as a John Maxwell leadership coach. Whether you're an EHS professional or someone interested in leadership and organizational culture, Dana’s insights on embedding safety and well-being as core values will leave you motivated and inspired.

132: Being Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable

For the third year in a row, Jill sat down with EHS professionals who were attending this year's ASSP’s Safety Conference and Expo in Orlando, FL. Jill had the pleasure of asking short form questions to EHS professionals who shared their thoughts on the future of EHS, attending conferences and making connections, how they found the profession, their favorite parts of the job, and more! Thank you to all who participated in this year's episode. We'll see you again soon at the NSC Safety Congress & Expo, September 15 - 17 in Denver, Colorado. Be sure to stop by the HSI booth, #3549, and say hi to Jill and others from HSI.

131: Live From ASSP Safety 2025

HSI's Chief Safety Officer, Jill James, chats with other safety professionals about how they came into their role as a safety professional, what they've learned along the way, as well as some of the highs and lows that come with job.

The Accidental Safety Pro