October 13, 2026 Same Old Playbook: Safety, Midterms & Microsoft Suspended
In this episode of Safety Wars, Jim questions why both parties keep replaying the same playbook ahead of the 2026 midterms with no bold proposals. Feature Story News covers Pope Leo XIV's lung cancer diagnosis, Tupac Shakur's murderer sentenced, the Pentagon's plan to livestream an execution, and Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. Jim debuts two original songs—"On Vulture's Wings" and "Love is a Safe Workplace"—sharing the real incident that inspired the latter. New Labor Secretary Sonderling announces…
Safety Wars 9-22-2-26 When the Lights Go Out: Energy, EPA, and Emergency Prep
Jim from Safety Wars covers soaring diesel prices, Trump's UN speech on Iran, and rising tanker insurance in the Strait of Hormuz. EPA updates include $82 million for San Francisco Bay watersheds, lead cleanups in Indiana and Montana, and a Clean Air Act settlement in Puerto Rico. For National Preparedness Month, Jim dives deep into disaster readiness: water storage strategies, emergency food and food safety, reading severe weather, lightning safety, flood preparedness, power outage management with…
September 2, 2026 Safety Wars – Disaster Preparedness, Deadly Horseplay, and the Push for National Resilience
This episode of Safety Wars opens with disaster preparedness tips for National Preparedness Month, covering assessing hazards, building emergency plans, and stocking 72–96 hours of supplies at home and work. A quick news roundup follows, touching on US-Iran tensions, the Ebola outbreak in the DRC, Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong's guilty plea, Nepal's landslide death toll, and NASA's newly launched Roman Space Telescope. The core segment examines a tragic Minnesota case: a tree-trimming worker was…
Safety Wars 8-18-26 Don't Rock the Safety Boat: Confronting Bullies, Big Fines, and the AI Confidence Gap
**Summary:** This episode of Safety Wars opens with a call to speak up—both in society and on the job—before diving into news headlines covering Iran-U.S. tensions, the Meta youth mental health trial, and Ukraine's drone strikes on Moscow. The host then shifts to the core theme: safety professionals often become "victims of their own success," letting bullying or intimidation from workers go unaddressed because past professionals stayed silent. Through personal anecdotes—including turning a…
June 18, 2026 Sauerkraut Diets, Knicks Glory, and the Lessons of the Titan Submersible
In this episode of Safety Wars, host Jim opens with personal reflections — marking four years since his father's passing and celebrating his Aunt Sophie's 90th birthday. He then dives into a Wall Street Journal story about a fermented food diet sweeping through Trump's cabinet, including RFK Jr., JD Vance, and others swearing by sauerkraut and grass-fed meat for dramatic health results. Jim pivots to the New York Knicks' first NBA championship since 1973, using Karl Anthony Towns' journey from St.…
Title: Safety Wars June 17, 2026: Labor Violations, EPA Cleanups, Iran Deal Fallout & More
Safety Wars — June 17, 2026: Labor Violations, EPA Cleanups, Iran Deal Fallout & More In this wide-ranging episode of Safety Wars, host Jim covers breaking news and regulatory updates across labor, environmental, and geopolitical fronts. On the labor side, the U.S. Department of Labor secured a $750,000 federal court judgment against four Washington State restaurants for wage theft, overtime violations, child labor law infractions, and retaliatory termination. Jim also covers DOL demands to…
June 9, 2026 Safety Theater is Killing People
Safety Wars 6-9-2026 Safety Theater Is Killing People Host Jim Poesl returns after a hiatus to address listener comments and cover recent safety and news topics. He opens by critiquing micro-level accident prediction models, arguing they're inherently flawed because safety professionals correct hazards as they find them, skewing any data. He stresses that without authority to hire, fire, or discipline, safety pros have limited power to change workplace culture. Jim shares a story about a roofing…
Safety Wars 5-20-2026 Blame vs. Solutions, NY Construction Deaths & WHO Update
Safety Wars 5/20/26 Blame vs. Solutions, NY Construction Deaths & WHO Update In this May 20, 2026 episode of Safety Wars, host Jim Poesl opens with a discussion on the ineffectiveness of employee-blaming in accident investigations, advocating instead for systemic fixes rooted in HOP (Human and Organizational Performance) principles. He illustrates this with a practical story about ladder label compliance — showing how education and pragmatic problem-solving beat antagonism and job shutdowns. Jim…
Safety Wars 5-19-2026 Part 1 Interview with Jennifer Coffey President, NJ School of Conservation
Safety Wars 5-19-2026 Part 1 Interview with Jennifer Coffey President, NJ School of Conservation This is part of our ongoing mission to educate, inform and motivate our supporters. Today Jim welcomes Jennifer Coffey, Executive Director of ANJEC and board president of the Friends of the New Jersey School of Conservation, joins host Jim to discuss the proposed elimination of the NJ School of Conservation from Governor Cheryl's budget. Located in Stokes State Forest, the 77-year-old facility serves…