Speaking on Operational Learning and High-Hazard Risk.

Shawn brings field-tested perspective on how serious injuries happen and what organizations can actually do to prevent them.

Why Safety Programs Fail

Most programs are built around compliance and paperwork, not learning. This talk examines the gap between work as imagined and work as done, and what it costs.

Operational Learning in Practice

A practical look at how Learning Teams work, what they surface, and how organizations can build the capacity to learn from everyday work, not just incidents.

SIF Prevention — Beyond the Numbers

Serious injuries and fatalities don't happen randomly. This talk covers precursor recognition, energy-based risk tools, and why your current SIF strategy may be missing the point

Get In Touch

Available for conferences, leadership summits, safety meetings, and industry events. Topics tailored to your audience.

Past Engagements

2026

NIC SafetyFest
 — February 18–20, 2026 18th Annual NIC SafetyFest of the Great Northwest — 2-hour featured keynote

Safety Labs Podcast
 — Episode 97
— February 2026 Safety Products Global — Featured Guest

2025

NSC Virtual HOP Summit
 — December 3, 2025 “Making HOP Work Where it Matters: Turning Principles into Everyday Practice” National Safety Council — Track 2: Principles in Action

MindForge Published Expert
 — November 10, 2025 “From Learning to Impact: Bringing HOP Insights to the Frontline”

Idaho Damage Prevention & Safety Summit
 — October 30, 2025 State of Idaho, DOPL — Boise

2024

CHOL 30th Annual Conference
— June 2024 “Enhancing Organizational Integration: Measuring Progress” Community of Human and Organizational Learning — Co-presented with Quanta Services

2023

iP Utility Safety Conference & Expo
 — 2023 HOP and the Capacity Model in Utility Work Incident Prevention / USOLN — Presented with Quanta Services

NSC Safety Leadership Conference
 — 2023 Operational Learning and Shifting Safety Paradigms for Operations Leaders National Safety Council — Presented with Quanta Services

CSRA Communities of Practice 
— April 2023 Learning Teams in High-Hazard Field Operations Construction Safety Research Alliance, University of Colorado Boulder — Presented with Quanta Services

2019

ACIG Safety Conference
 — Fall 2019 Human and Organizational Performance American Contractors Insurance Group — Presented as Director of Safety, Pankow Builders