We're back for Season 3!

Dr. Martin and James kick off 2026 with the topic on every safety pro's mind: OSHA 300 logs are due, and these 5 pitfalls could cost you. From first aid confusion to a $2,500 electronic filing mistake, they break down the recordkeeping traps that catch even experienced safety pros off guard.

INSIDE THE EPISODE:

• First aid confusion - if it's not on OSHA's official list in 1904, it's not first aid (including red light therapy)
• The signature slip-up - company owners must sign OSHA logs, not safety professionals. Know what you're certifying.
• Electronic reporting requirements - companies with 250+ employees must file electronically. Missing the deadline costs $2,500 per violation with no grace period.
• Why good incident records matter - detailed case management makes the difference between accurate logs and over/under-reporting.
• What executives need to know - sit down with leadership and explain what's on the logs, why incidents occurred, and what's being done to prevent them.

RESOURCES:

⁠OSHA 1904 Recordkeeping Guidelines⁠⁠OSHA Electronic Reporting⁠

JOIN THE CONVERSATION:

Follow ⁠The Risk Matrix Podcast⁠ on LinkedInConnect with ⁠Dr. Martin⁠Connect with ⁠James Junkin⁠

ABOUT THE RISK MATRIX PODCAST

Welcome to Season 3! The Risk Matrix brings you weekly masterclass in risk management from industry titans ⁠Dr. L.F. Martin⁠ (32-year veteran, Board of Global EHS Credentialing Impact Award winner) and ⁠James Junkin⁠ (trainer of 40,000+ safety professionals, ASSP's 2024 Safety Professional of the Year).

Every Tuesday: The tough conversations safety managers need to have. Critical insights from safety experts. Real-world strategies. Actionable solutions.

The Risk Matrix Podcast is powered by ⁠Veriforce⁠: Bringing workers home safe from high-hazard jobs.

The holidays are here, and Dr. Martin and James are taking a quick break from regular programming to share practical safety tips to help you and your family stay safe this season.

Extension cords. Fire hazards. Winter driving. Ladder safety. Kids with new toys. Carbon monoxide detectors. Five minutes of tips that could make a difference.

INSIDE THE EPISODE:

⚠️ Extension cords matter. Check that they're rated for indoor or outdoor use, and don't daisy chain them unless they're designed for it.

⚠️ Fire kills during the holidays. Extinguish candles before leaving rooms, keep live trees hydrated, and don't leave Christmas lights on overnight.

⚠️ Winter weather is unforgiving. Slow down, leave distance between cars, and plan extra time for travel in bad conditions.

STAY SAFE THIS SEASON

However you celebrate - Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Christmas, or just enjoying time with family - we hope you have a safe and happy holiday season.

The Risk Matrix Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Weekly masterclass in risk management from industry titans ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. L.F. Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (32-year veteran, Board of Global EHS Credentialing Impact Award winner) and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Junkin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (trainer of 40,000+ safety professionals, ASSP's 2024 Safety Professional of the Year).

Every Tuesday: The tough conversations safety managers need to have. Critical insights from safety experts. Real-world strategies. Actionable solutions.

The Risk Matrix Podcast is powered by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Veriforce⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Bringing workers home safe from high-hazard jobs.

⁠

"We've identified mental health as a workplace issue. Now what? Most companies stop at awareness."

Pete Smith, Founder & CEO of Confyde, joins Dr. Martin and James to discuss a platform designed to move beyond awareness and into action. From confidential check-ins to real-time data on workforce mental health, this conversation explores what early intervention actually looks like in high-risk industries.

INSIDE THE EPISODE:

• Mental health awareness isn't the same as mental health action. Companies have EAP numbers and training programs, but workers still aren't getting help when they need it most.

• Early intervention beats crisis response. Confidential check-ins catch struggles before they become emergencies, and workers actually use them because the barrier to reaching out is lower.

• Data tells you what's really happening. Anonymous responses show how workers actually feel, not how they think they should respond when their name is attached.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Pete Smith is a former professional athlete and coach with over a decade of experience in the mental health space. During his coaching career, he saw firsthand the significant mental health challenges faced by many players and recognized the urgent need for better support. Unable to find an existing solution that met the needs of his team, he took matters into his own hands and created one. In 2022, Pete founded Confyde, a platform that has since provided critical support to teams, programs, administrators, coaches, and athletes, helping them engage in conversation and access the mental health support they need when it matters most.

Connect with Pete on LinkedIn.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Trade Mutt (Mental health awareness apparel): https://trademutt.com
• Construction Working Minds Summit: https://constructionworkingminds.com/summit

JOIN THE CONVERSATIONHow is your organization addressing mental health beyond awareness training? What's actually working?

The Risk Matrix Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Weekly masterclass in risk management from industry titans ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. L.F. Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (32-year veteran, Board of Global EHS Credentialing Impact Award winner) and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Junkin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (trainer of 40,000+ safety professionals, ASSP's 2024 Safety Professional of the Year).

Every Tuesday: The tough conversations safety managers need to have. Critical insights from safety experts. Real-world strategies. Actionable solutions.

The Risk Matrix Podcast is powered by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Veriforce⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Bringing workers home safe from high-hazard jobs.

We made some predictions for 2025. Some stuck. Some didn't.

This week Dr. Martin and James take a hard look at what actually happened in workplace safety this year.

They break down where the industry missed the mark on AI, why heat illness keeps killing workers, and why mental health discussions aren't translating into action.

Real talk, honest assessments, and what safety leaders need to focus on heading into 2026.

Inside the Episode:

• AI in safety is still mostly hype. Until someone shows real data on how it's improving worker safety, the buzzwords don't matter.
• Heat illness continues to kill workers while the industry debates standards. The solution exists right now. It's called implementation.
• Mental health in the workplace is being discussed everywhere, but companies still aren't actually putting it into practice. More awareness doesn't equal action.

The Risk Matrix Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Weekly masterclass in risk management from industry titans ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. L.F. Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (32-year veteran, Board of Global EHS Credentialing Impact Award winner) and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Junkin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (trainer of 40,000+ safety professionals, ASSP's 2024 Safety Professional of the Year).

Every Tuesday: The tough conversations safety managers need to have. Critical insights from safety experts. Real-world strategies. Actionable solutions.

The Risk Matrix Podcast is powered by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Veriforce⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Bringing workers home safe from high-hazard jobs.

"You do not rise to the occasion in an emergency. You always descend to your level of training." – James Junkin

This week Dr. Martin and James examine a tragic workplace incident and walk through what every safety leader needs to know.

They explore the warning signs that escalate into crisis, the gaps in how most organizations respond to conflict, and what it actually takes to build a culture where people report concerns before situations spiral.

Real examples, hard truths, and actionable strategies you can start implementing now.

Inside the Episode:• Behavioral warning signs appear early—shifts in demeanor, escalating arguments, and verbal threats are key indicators in workplace violence cases.• Preparedness depends on planning and practice—effective prevention requires clear roles, rehearsed response steps, and structured escalation processes.• Reporting culture determines whether concerns surface—leadership, communication, and psychological safety encourage early reporting and faster resolution.

The Risk Matrix Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Weekly masterclass in risk management from industry titans ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. L.F. Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (32-year veteran, Board of Global EHS Credentialing Impact Award winner) and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Junkin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (trainer of 40,000+ safety professionals, ASSP's 2024 Safety Professional of the Year).

Every Tuesday: The tough conversations safety managers need to have. Critical insights from safety experts. Real-world strategies. Actionable solutions.

The Risk Matrix Podcast is powered by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Veriforce⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Bringing workers home safe from high-hazard jobs.

This week, Dr. Logan F. Martin and James Junkin break down the winter hazards that put workers at risk as temperatures drop. From propane heater misuse to methanol ingestion cases, the hosts share practical, field-tested controls every safety leader should put in place before December arrives.

Drawing from real incidents in construction, oil and gas, utilities, and high-hazard industries, they explain why cold weather demands a different approach to fit-for-duty, equipment operation, and onsite planning.

Inside the Episode:

• Why propane heaters create carbon monoxide hazards if not monitored

• How methanol misuse leads to blindness and fatalities, and how to prevent it

• Cold stress and winter illness warning signs safety leaders often miss

• Why OTC medications can impair equipment operators during winter shifts

• Winter driving risks that increase incidents on and off the job site

Resources mentioned:

• Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/
• OSHA Letters of Interpretationhttps://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/interpretations
• GHS Labeling Requirementshttps://www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/ghs.html
• NIOSH Cold Stress Resourceshttps://www.cdc.gov/niosh/cold-stress/about

The Risk Matrix Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Weekly masterclass in risk management from industry titans ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. L.F. Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (32-year veteran, Board of Global EHS Credentialing Impact Award winner) and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Junkin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (trainer of 40,000+ safety professionals, ASSP's 2024 Safety Professional of the Year).

Every Tuesday: The tough conversations safety managers need to have. Critical insights from safety experts. Real-world strategies. Actionable solutions.

The Risk Matrix Podcast is powered by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Veriforce⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Bringing workers home safe from high-hazard jobs.

"Your drug test came back positive, but that doesn't tell you if your worker is impaired right now."

This week Dr. Martin and James sit down with Ken Fichtler, CEO at Gaize.ai, to discuss the critical gap between detecting past drug use and identifying actual impairment in safety-sensitive environments.

Drawing from real-world cases where traditional drug tests created false positives and unnecessary terminations, they reveal why your current impairment detection strategy might be leaving workers exposed.

From cannabis legalization reshaping workplace policy to proactive screening creating deterrent effects, impairment detection has become a challenge in occupational safety that impacts companies' compliance status and worker safety.

Inside the Episode:

• Why traditional drug tests measure past use, not impairment, and what this means for your liability
• The critical difference between detecting what's in someone's system and whether they're actually impaired on the job
• How cannabis legalization laws like CA AB 2188 are reshaping workplace policy and what you need to do now
• How Gaize's ocular technology achieves 98% accuracy in detecting real-time impairment in six minutes

About Our Guest:

Ken Fichtler, CEO and founder of Gaize.ai, is a regulatory compliance and impairment detection expert with a technology and entrepreneurship background that evolved into decades of work understanding how cannabis and other drugs impact the body differently than alcohol. His focus on how detection technology impacts workplace safety brings a uniquely informed perspective on where impairment testing protects or compromises workplace safety.

The Risk Matrix Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Weekly masterclass in risk management from industry titans ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. L.F. Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (32-year veteran, Board of Global EHS Credentialing Impact Award winner) and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Junkin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (trainer of 40,000+ safety professionals, ASSP's 2024 Safety Professional of the Year).

Every Tuesday: The tough conversations safety managers need to have. Critical insights from safety experts. Real-world strategies. Actionable solutions.

The Risk Matrix Podcast is powered by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Veriforce⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Bringing workers home safe from high-hazard jobs.

"A gas monitor is not PPE."

This week Dr. Martin and James discuss critical misconceptions about H2S training and workplace safety. James sits on the ANSI Z390.1 committee and brings direct expertise on the 2024 updated standard.

Over the past decade, 60 workers have lost their lives in hydrogen sulfide incidents. Drawing from real incidents and field experience, they reveal what separates training that protects workers from programs that just check boxes.

Inside the Episode:

• Why a gas monitor is essential but NOT personal protective equipment
• The respiratory protection standard paragraph that has prevented or could have prevented 60 deaths
• How to test if your workers are actually trained: the "gas, gas, gas" drill most people fail
• OSHA's regulatory blind spot: why there's no vertical standard for H2S
• The deposition question every safety pro needs to be ready to answer

Resources mentioned:

• OSHA: https://www.osha.gov/
• Letters of Interpretation: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/interpretations
• Federal Register: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/federalregister/publicationdate/currentyear
• NIOSH Pocket Guide: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/
• ANSI Safety Standards: https://webstore.ansi.org/industry/safety-standards
• Hydrogen Sulfide: The Silent Assassin (Veriforce Article): https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hydrogen-sulfide-silent-assassin-oil-gas-operations-veriforce-llc-ordde/?trackingId=jMaCu9ApT3mzaHlChVmTfg%3D%3D

The Risk Matrix Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Weekly masterclass in risk management from industry titans ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. L.F. Martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (32-year veteran, Board of Global EHS Credentialing Impact Award winner) and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Junkin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (trainer of 40,000+ safety professionals, ASSP's 2024 Safety Professional of the Year).

Every Tuesday: The tough conversations safety managers need to have. Critical insights from safety experts. Real-world strategies. Actionable solutions.

The Risk Matrix Podcast is powered by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Veriforce⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Bringing workers home safe from high-hazard jobs.