In this episode of The Safety Meeting, we connect with Jill Schaefer, KPA’s Director of Content Management, and Taylor Thorn, KPA’s Senior Product Director and founder of Anchor Rock, about strategies for creating effective toolbox talks. Jill and Taylor overview how to increase energy and engagement in safety meetings and outline how digital proce…

In this episode of The Safety Meeting, we connect with Zach Pucillo, KPA’s EHS Regulatory Compliance Manager, for a mid-regulations review. Zach overviews changes that have occurred thus far in 2024 ranging from updated chemical bans from the EPA, the expansion of hazardous material response plans under the Clean Water Act, and OSHA’s evolving regu…

As the only African American Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) at South Bend, Indiana’s Memorial Hospital in the late 1960s, Charlotte Huddleston shares her perspective on racism in healthcare, housing, and in education. This episode is the first of a new format for “South Bend’s Own Words,” featuring more of the back story behind the history. We hope…

Since 2017, for 54 episodes, you’ve been with us as we’ve gone back into South Bend’s history. And next week, we’re presenting a new format for “South Bend’s Own Words.” It still shares stories of people who worked to make this city change—real stories told by them, in their own voices. Look for the first of the new episodes to arrive in this same …

In this episode of The Safety Meeting, Jeremy Denton, Senior Construction Safety Engineer with Alpha & Omega Safety, discusses a multifaceted approach to success in workplace safety. His toolbox for success includes embracing the many capabilities of digital tools, building trust and genuine connections, and investing in the future of safety profes…

In this episode of The Safety Meeting, KPA’s Emily Hartman, Senior Marketing Communications Manager, and Jade Brainard, Senior Director of Product Management, highlight KPA Connect. Launched in 2022, the customer community provides a space for user collaboration and discussion to take full advantage of KPA Flex software’s capabilities and impact fu…

A Mississippi native who moved to South Bend in 1944 speaks about Black businesses on the west side. Elmer Joseph came to South Bend from a resort community in Mississippi. His family was financially well off, yet still deeply impacted by Jim Crow segregation. He attended an all-Black school—and experienced a huge culture shock when he moved to Sou…

In this episode of The Safety Meeting, KPA’s AJ Ruperto (Manager of Video Acquisition), Rachel Hook (Training and Quality Manager), and Kyle Morton (Lead Editor) discuss crafting effective and memorable safety training materials. AJ, Rachel, and Kyle share tips for balancing training techniques, addressing employees of all levels, and battling dise…

A 1931 graduate of South Bend’s Central High School talks about her experiences growing up in a resort town of Kentucky, and the discrimination she experienced as a white-passing African American woman both in the south and in South Bend. Odie Mae Johnson Streets was born in Chicago before moving with her family to Dawson Springs, Kentucky. In the …

In this episode of The Safety Meeting, KPA’s Senior Product Director Taylor Thorn discusses the evolution of construction site safety technology and embracing software solutions for efficiency and risk mitigation. (00:49) – Embracing technology in construction sites (05:28) – Readily available safety data (08:46) – Adopting new technologies (12:33)…

In this episode of The Safety Meeting, KPA’s EHS Regulatory Compliance Manager Zach Pucillo discusses evolving regulations—from OSHA, EPA, and FAA—and focus areas in workplace safety for 2024. Zach overviews OSHA’s National Emphasis Programs, newly implemented and imminent regulations, and embracing virtual safety training in 2024. (00:47) – 2024’s…

Gail Brodie lived her entire life in her beloved west side community. She even has an honorary street named after her. Her mother, Annette Brodie, was a long-time community activist during the late 1960s. Annette pushed city leaders to provide basic services, like paving their dusty, dirt streets. Gail took on her mother’s community work and became…

In this episode of The Safety Meeting, KPA's Mulango Akpo-Esambe (Lead Animator) and Shawn Smith (Product Director of Training and Content) discuss designing engaging and effective safety training materials. Mulango and Shawn provide insight into strategies for training and emerging trends—including immersive experiences, real-world case studies, a…

Andre Buchanan grew up in South Bend’s east side African American community in a house that, today, is threatened by the rampant construction of the Eddy Street shopping areas right by the Trader Joe’s. During the mid-1940s, when he was in the fourth grade, Andre was one of the first students of color to attend Saint Joseph Catholic grade school. D…

In this episode of The Safety Meeting, KPA’s EHS Regulatory Compliance Manager Zach Pucillo overviews the top 10 OSHA violations in 2023, provides insight into shifts in citation frequency and industries of concern, and shares KPA’s training and customizable solutions to combat unsafe working conditions. (00:33) – OSHA’s top 10 most frequently cite…

Over the past two years, doctors Jamie Wagman and Julia Dauer from Saint Mary’s College collected local stories of those impacted by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, they gave a public presentation with clips from some of the narrators who graciously shared their stories. They did it again this past September at the Saint Joseph County P…

In this episode of The Safety Meeting, KPA's Amanda Rawls discusses how safety professionals can ensure a strong year-end finish. She stresses the importance of looking back — self-assessment, reviewing incident trends, and training completions — while also planning ahead to proactively consider new technology, 2024 budgets, and goals. (00:36) - Wh…

Health and safety programs can be perceived as slowing down processes and disrupting production. In this installment of The Safety Meeting, Jade Brainard, Product Director at KPA, discusses how a well-designed digital safety program can actually speed things up, having a positive impact on productivity and the bottom line. (00:35) - How EHS program…

Ruperto Guedea lived the majority of his life in the United States straddling multiple cultures. Born into a small mining community in northern Mexico during the late 1930s, his mother and father brought their family across the border just after World War II. His first school was openly hostile towards Spanish speakers yet did not teach him English…

Alma Powell left her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, when she was two years old. Her father worked for Studebaker by day, and with his family, ran Nesbitt’s Club and Casino by night. Despite the name, it was a music and a social hall, holding local political rallies and community conversations as well as nationally known musicians. There were, as A…

On this week’s episode of the Safety Meeting, EHS Regulatory Compliance Manager Zach Pucillo is back with a two-part, midyear update on changes from OSHA and the EPA. In this second installment, Zach covers the latest from the EPA. Be sure to check out part one to hear about recent updates from OSHA. (00:48) - Forever chemicals: PFAS & PFOA (05:56)…

On this week’s episode of the Safety Meeting, EHS Regulatory Compliance Manager Zach Pucillo is back with a two-part, midyear update on changes from OSHA and the EPA. In this first installment, Zach covers the latest from OSHA, including the current status of the Heat Illness rule. Be sure to check out part two to hear about recent updates from the…

We’re releasing a new book. Placing History: An African American Landmark Tour of South Bend, Indiana, features South Bend’s African American history as told through some of the many landmarks where that history was made. The book is available for free in print while supplies last, and always available as an e-book by visiting http://aalt.iusb.edu/…

In the current financial climate, many companies are looking for items to cut from the budget. A quality safety program should not be one of them. Safety issues don't disappear when ignored, and doing nothing can actually cost a company significantly in the long run. That's why Deren Boyd, KPA's SVP of New Markets has joined to talk about all the c…

In this episode of The Safety Meeting, we’re joined by Shawn Smith, KPA’s Product Director of Training, to discuss microlearning, and how this targeted approach can help improve the effectiveness of your safety training programs. (00:33) – What is microlearning? (01:22) – Integrating with traditional training (02:56) – Delivery methods (04:22) – Mi…

The daughter of migrant farmworkers, Rebecca Ruvalcaba witnessed the growth of the Latines community from a few originators, like her father, Benito Salizar. Rebecca’s parents instilled in her a desire to learn, and to serve. She adapted to a late-in-life diagnosis of dyslexia to earn degrees from Indiana University South Bend and the University of…

In this installment of The Safety Meeting, we’re joined by Jade Brainard, Product Director at KPA, to discuss fostering a culture of safety and measuring engagement through practical, relevant, and interactive tools and approaches. (0:53) – Engaging frontline workers (4:52) – Measuring engagement (6:41) – Utilizing bite-size information (9:15) – Tr…

In the 1940s, professional baseball segregated players both by race and by gender. The All-American Girls’ Professional Baseball League, and our home team, the South Bend Blue Sox, famously upset rigid gender discrimination and opened pro-ball to white women. But only white women. For a talented young athlete like Renelda Robinson, the opportunity …

Near the end of World War II, at age four or five years old, Abdul Nur moved from Elkhart, Indiana, to South Bend. Despite the short distance, Abdul experienced a huge cultural shock. For the first time, he was surrounded by children from multiple racial and cultural groups. Abdul went on to experience multi-ethnic spaces throughout his time at Cen…

On this week’s episode of the Safety Meeting, Erin reconnects with Zach Pucillo, EHS Regulatory Compliance Manager at KPA. We discuss upcoming changes from OSHA and the EPA, as well as safety program tips to start the year off strong. Tune in to hear a few colorful workplace stories directly from an NSC Rising Star of Safety, and how he stays motiv…

In this installment of The Safety Meeting, we’re joined by Shawn Smith, Product Director of Training at KPA, to discuss several important Annual Training and Content Survey results. (0:37) – Annual Training and Content Survey (3:36) – Behavior safety and preparing managers (5:39) – KPA’s training team (8:25) – The best method for running a safety p…

In this installment of The Safety Meeting, we’re joined by Dale Golgart, Senior Sales Associate at KPA, to discuss integrating EHS mobile technology for timely, efficient reporting in the field. (0:39) – Getting time back (3:33) – Integrating software (5:14) – Mobile technology (7:54) – Customizable training (10:06) – Embracing QR codes (12:47) – A…

At two public events in October 2022, doctors Jamie Wagman and Julia Dauer from Saint Mary’s College presented the results of an oral history collection project they’d been working on. The idea was to collect stories of real people in our community deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The full versions of these oral histories are preserved in …

In this installment of The Safety Meeting, we’re joined by Jade Brainard, Product Director at KPA, to discuss several important EHS State of the Industry Benchmark Report findings. (1:09) – Key areas of focus (3:16) – Challenges in meeting EHS focus goals (6:23) – Mobile access (7:35) – Confidence in EHS programs (9:50) – Increasing confidence thro…

This week on The Safety Meeting, we’re joined by Greg Sizemore, Vice President of Health, Safety, Environment, and Workforce Development for ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors), to discuss the staggering impact of substance abuse in the workplace and ensuring health and safety through awareness and prevention. (0:59) – Substance abuse in the …

This week on The Safety Meeting, Sage is joined by Dale Golgart, Senior Sales Associate at KPA, to discuss proper equipment inspections and providing a safe environment for employees through consistency and documentation. (0:39) – Critical role of equipment inspections (1:36) – OSHA’s guidelines (2:45) – Top ten citations (4:52) – Forklift incident…

One of the most fundamental human needs is shelter. From the 1910s through the 1950s, many thousands of people of African descent fled the most brutal forms of economic, racial, and violent oppression in the U.S. South and sought refuge in South Bend, Indiana. Many white people did not warmly welcome them into their new homes. African American peop…

On this episode of The Safety Meeting, Sage is joined by Rob Stansbury, Director of Sales at KPA, to discuss the role that insurance brokers play in employer driven safety. (00:30) - Adoption of technology (01:54) - Cyber coverage (03:08) - Appropriate solutions (05:23) - Staying sticky (08:08) - Bottom line savings (09:27) - Proactive and preventa…

On this installment of The Safety Meeting, Sage is joined by Alaina Adair, Customer Care Manager at KPA, to discuss how automating your safety metrics can help alleviate stress on your admin team and save the time and frustration that comes with manual entry. (00:28) - Hot topics (02:04) - Fully utilizing EHS software (03:52) - Improved tracking (0…