Denver — Safety should be treated as an enterprisewide responsibility, not a “task” that’s delegated to the safety department, Brian Fielkow told the hosts of the “On the Safe Side” podcast during a live recording Monday.
The executive vice president of risk resources at Acrisure was a guest speaker on the podcast, hosted by Safety+Health Associate Editors Barry Bottino, Kevin Druley and Alan Ferguson. The episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the 2025 NSC Safety Congress & Expo. Fielkow is set to deliver the Leadership Keynote at 10 a.m. Mountain time on Tuesday.
“As a leader, it’s what you celebrate and what you tolerate that will create an enterprisewide understanding that safety is a way of life,” Fielkow said. “It’s not a priority – it’s a core value. It’s who we are. It’s ingrained in who we are. It’s got to start with leadership and then it must be owned by every employee in the organization.”
He added that organizations should:
- Make it clear that operations is responsible for the execution of safety.
- Align pay and incentives with financial and safety performance.
- Train consistently – and ensure 100% participation among required employees.
- Break down silos with integrated meetings.
- Make sure your process is understandable by the intended audience.
When asked about how employers can help close the gap between how safety is perceived by frontline workers and senior leaders, Fielkow suggested they:
- Conduct walkarounds and listening sessions.
- Acknowledge input and suggestions, even if they can’t be acted on right now.
- Encourage psychological safety so employees can speak up without fear.
- Perform a “gap” survey. If you want to learn more about frontline perceptions, you need to ask, he said.
Fielkow added that a properly structured safety committee can help close the gap.
“The way to close the gap is to show up with empathy,” he said, “and the best way to show up with empathy is to make sure you’re seeing through the eyes of the people who are responsible for executing safety, the people with their hands on the levers and the wheels.”
Produced monthly, On the Safe Side covers important safety topics and features interviews with leading voices in the profession.
