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At a glance * Energy is present in every task, whether anyone is looking at it or not * Most serious injuries happen when energy moves in a way no one controlled * Energy based safety is a way of seeing work, not a new program to buy * A short list of energy sources shows up on almost every job * Three simple questions change how a team thinks about a task * The shift is small on paper and large in the field Why we are talking about energy Most safety training starts with rules. Wear t

Brady Keene

April 17, 2026·4 min read

At a glance: Not all energy is equal. Some will bruise, some can kill. High energy is the kind that drives serious injuries and fatalities. Direct controls are what actually stop that energy from reaching a worker. PPE, procedures, and training help, but they are not direct controls. Most SIF events share the same story. High energy was present, and no direct control was in place. Knowing the difference changes how you plan, observe, and respond. Why this matters If you read the last post on

Brady Keene

April 17, 2026·4 min read

At a glance: AI agents in safety should not feel like software that people operate. They should feel like the best coworker you have ever had on a job. Like the one who carries memory, understands context, and helps decisions happen in the flow of work without adding friction. The Real Problem With Safety Tech Today A lot of safety technology still behaves like a rulebook taped to a hard hat. It can be correct and still be unhelpful when the plan changes and the crew is improvising. Real work

Brady Keene

February 4, 2026·3 min read

At a glance: AI in safety only scales when the entire system works, not just the AI. Data quality, governance, cybersecurity, and operational fit determine whether outputs remain reliable as conditions change. Without that foundation, even impressive tools struggle to survive real world use. Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly entering the Environmental Health and Safety profession, but scaling AI in safety environments introduces challenges that many vendors underestimate. Reliable AI sys

Brady Keene

February 3, 2026·3 min read

At a glance: Artificial intelligence is entering Environmental Health and Safety fast, but much of the market is filled with shallow tools rather than meaningful operational innovation. Many so-called AI first products prioritize demos over reliability, eroding trust and slowing adoption in real work. The goal is not to chase AI. The goal is to apply it with purpose so it strengthens decision making and risk management. Artificial intelligence is rapidly entering the Environmental Health and Sa

Brady Keene

January 24, 2026·4 min read

The fastest way to build an AI agent users love using? Stop thinking about AI. Pretend you're hiring unlimited humans to do the job instead. Don't think about LLMs. Don't think about tool limitations. Don't think about cost. Just ask: if I could hire as many people as I want to do this job, what would I want them to do? What would they need to do it well? And what would success look like? Say you're building an agent to help field workers identify and control hazards. If you hired a human for

Houman Farokhzad

December 25, 2025·2 min read

At a Glance: Zero recordables cannot predict safety because they measure outcomes, not exposure. A site can look calm while high energy hazards, variability, drift, and weak signals quietly increase risk. Serious harm comes from STKY hazards that do not show up in injury logs. Real safety comes from strong controls, verified capacity, and honest learning about how work actually happens. Leaders often celebrate zero recordables as proof that a site is safe. It feels like a clear signal that sys

Brady Keene

December 3, 2025·3 min read

At a glance: Compliance creates the appearance of control because it is measurable and familiar. But true safety performance depends on understanding how work actually happens, not just how it is written. Organizations that treat compliance as the definition of safety often miss the early signals of risk. What Compliance Really Means in Safety Management In most environmental health and safety programs, compliance is the foundation. Training is completed, inspections are passed, and documenta

Brady Keene

November 4, 2025·4 min read

At a glance: Near misses are often brushed aside because no one gets hurt. They are not noise. They are signals that show where a safety system is thin. When treated as a checkbox, near misses are lagging indicators that describe what almost happened. When used for learning and action, they become leading indicators that help prevent serious injuries and fatalities. The event itself does not determine which they become, the response does. What is a Near Miss A near miss is any unplanned event

Brady Keene

October 30, 2025·3 min read