The Safety Consultant Podcast

In Part 2 of this Safety Champions series, Sheldon Primus moves beyond the introduction and breaks down how OSHA’s Safety Champions Program can help organizations build a stronger, more connected safety and health system. He explains that while SHARP and VPP are designed for organizations already operating at a higher level of safety maturity, the Safety Champions Program is meant to help employers start earlier and build step by step. 
In this episode, Sheldon walks listeners through OSHA’s seven core elements of a strong safety and health program: management leadership, worker participation, hazard identification and assessment, hazard prevention and control, education and training, program evaluation and improvement, and communication and coordination for host employers, contractors, and staffing agencies. He explains how each element strengthens the overall system and helps move safety from disconnected activities into a more complete safety management approach. 
He also connects the framework to concepts like ISO 45001, leading and lagging indicators, worker trust, JSAs/JHAs, hierarchy of controls, learning teams, and contractor management, showing how the Safety Champions approach can become a real operational advantage rather than just another initiative. 
This episode is for safety professionals, consultants, and leaders who want to understand not just what the program is, but how it can help improve the way an organization leads, communicates, trains, evaluates, and reduces risk.

In this first episode of a 3-part series, Sheldon introduces OSHA’s new Safety Champions Program (SCP) and explains how it differs from SHARP and VPP. He frames SCP as a practical, voluntary pathway for organizations that want to start building a stronger safety and health program from the ground up, rather than waiting until they are already operating at a mature recognition-program level. In the episode, Sheldon explains that SCP is built around three phases — Introductory, Intermediate, and Advanced — and OSHA’s seven core elements of an effective safety and health program.
Sheldon also highlights how the program uses a tracker and SGE support to help employers document progress and move step by step through the process. He contrasts SCP with SHARP, which is aimed at smaller employers using OSHA consultation, and VPP, which is geared toward mature, high-performing safety systems.
This episode is for safety professionals, consultants, and leaders who are asking:
What’s next for our safety system?
How can we start preparing for OSHA’s new Safety Champions Program?
Sheldon also introduces his upcoming Safety Champion Readiness Workshop, where he’ll spend four hours helping attendees break down the steps, understand the tracker, and build a readiness roadmap.

What happens when artificial intelligence meets real-world safety management? In this episode, Sheldon breaks down how AI can support Environmental Health and Safety professionals in practical, meaningful ways. From hazard recognition and data analysis to training development, trend spotting, and management decision-making, this conversation explores where AI fits into modern safety systems and where human judgment still matters most.
This episode is for safety consultants, EHS managers, trainers, and leaders who want to understand how to use AI as a tool for better planning, better communication, and better outcomes. Sheldon cuts through the hype and focuses on what matters: how AI can help improve safety performance, support compliance efforts, and make safety management more proactive instead of reactive.
If you’ve been wondering whether AI is just a buzzword or a real advantage for safety professionals, this episode gives you a practical lens for using technology without losing the people-first foundation of EHS.

Season 6 is here!
In this kickoff episode of the Safety Consultant Podcast, Sheldon Primus welcomes listeners back and sets the stage for what’s coming next. This season will continue blending safety leadership, consulting strategy, and practical insights to help safety professionals grow their impact—and their businesses.
You’ll hear about the direction of the show for this season, what topics are on the horizon, and how the podcast will keep supporting safety pros who want to think bigger about their careers.
Whether you're an experienced consultant, an aspiring entrepreneur, or a safety professional looking to expand your influence, Season 6 is built with you in mind.
Let’s get started.

OSHA has a new leader, a new poster, and a very clear inspection strategy for 2026. Are you ready?
In this quarterly OSHA update, Sheldon breaks down the biggest changes safety professionals and consultants need to know — from the new “OSHA Cares” poster to federal enforcement reductions and the 24,929 inspections planned for the year.
You’ll learn:
What the new OSHA poster means for employers
Who the new head of OSHA is and why it matters
Where enforcement dollars are shrinking (and where focus is tightening)
Why 70–80% of inspections will be unprogrammed
The four hazards that will dominate construction inspections
If you're a consultant, safety manager, or building your own safety business, this episode helps you anticipate where OSHA is headed — so you can position yourself (and your clients) ahead of the curve.
Stay proactive. Stay strategic. Stay inspection-ready.