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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

At a Glance: A federal government shutdown doesn’t just disrupt services, it strains the very systems meant to guard worker safety. While OSHA may continue only the most critical enforcement, most inspections, consultations, rulemaking, and oversight grind to a halt. That gap in oversight creates blind spots and risk for employers, workers, and contractors alike. Why the Shutdown Matters for Safety When federal funds lapse, many non-essential government operations are paused under the Antidef

Brady Keene

October 6, 2025·3 min read

At a glance: STKY (‘Shit That Kills You’) is a blunt way to name the hazards that matter most. Minor injuries hurt, but they rarely end lives. STKY hazards come from high-energy sources like gravity, motion, electricity, pressure, temperature, chemicals, and biological agents. When released without control, they kill. STKY shifts the focus from counting injuries to confronting the forces that change lives forever. Why STKY matters Cuts, sprains, and strains matter. They cause pain, disrupt wo

Brady Keene

October 1, 2025·2 min read

At a glance: Energy-based safety shifts the focus from counting incidents to recognizing and controlling the forces that cause serious harm. Research shows workers naturally identify fewer than half of hazards in pre-job briefs. The Energy Wheel improves recognition by about 30% by making hazardous energy explicit. High-Energy Control Assessment (HECA) then measures whether those hazards are controlled with safeguards that remain effective even when people make mistakes. Together, these methods

Brady Keene

September 30, 2025·3 min read