Health & Safety Unplugged

Your exec team isn't ready. And the simulations prove it.Dave Greenberg spent 25 years on the Westpac rescue helicopter in Wellington — 4,000 missions. Now he runs executive crisis simulations across New Zealand and he has never once walked into a boardroom where the CEO doubted their team.The simulations tell a very different story.In this episode we cover:→ Why executives slide from governance into operations when crisis hits→ The gap between assumed readiness and observed behaviour→ What strong executive crisis performance actually looks like (and how rare it is)→ The perishable skill problem — and why your 2022 simulation won't save you→ How small businesses can build genuine resilience without a big budget→ The Santa Claus story every safety leader needs to hearDave Greenberg | Emergency Preparedness ServicesLinkedIn: Dave Greenberg (the only one in NZ)Website: thedavegreenberg.comJoin NZHSP ConnectIf you want deeper conversations, resources and community learning, join NZHSP Connect, our new free professional platform on Circle:https://www.advancedsafety.co.nz/nzhsp-connect-free-community/NZHSP Safety Summit Early Bird Tickets are now available - less than 100 left, sale ends 29 May 2026: https://www.safetysummit.co.nz

In Season 5, Episode 4 of Health and Safety Unplugged, Matt Jones speaks with experienced health and safety leader Sarah Thomas about the real role of the modern health and safety professional.
This episode goes beyond compliance and dives into:
Why health & safety professionals fall into the “rescuer” trap
Why you can’t break a business in the name of safety
How to influence boards, executives and frontline teams differently
Speaking in the right “gear” to match your audience
Aligning safety strategy with operational reality
Boundaries, burnout and professional maturity in H&S
If you're a health and safety professional, PCBU, director, operations manager or business leader navigating HSWA responsibilities in New Zealand, this conversation is essential listening.
This is real-world safety leadership - not theory.
Season 5 continues to challenge what it means to lead health and safety well in complex operational environments across construction, manufacturing and high-risk industries.
Join NZHSP Connect
If you want deeper conversations, resources and community learning, join NZHSP Connect, our new free professional platform on Circle:⁠https://safety-connect.circle.so/c/start-here⁠
Join the waitlist for the NZHSP Safety Summit 2026
⁠https://www.safetysummit.co.nz⁠
About the Host – Matt JonesMatt Jones, a HASANZ-registered health and safety professional and founder of Advanced Safety.Matt advises New Zealand business leaders on practical health and safety system design, HSWA compliance and risk management, with a focus on construction, manufacturing, and complex operational environments.
He is also the host of the Health and Safety Unplugged podcast, where he speaks with industry leaders about real-world safety challenges and emerging practice.
Advanced Safety is a New Zealand-based workplace health and safety consultancy providing compliance audits, ISO 45001-aligned systems, risk assessments, and ongoing safety management support for construction, manufacturing and commercial businesses.

AI is already changing workplace safety — most people just don’t realise it yet.
In this episode of Health and Safety Unplugged, I sit down with Tane van der Boon, Founder of Inviol, to unpack how computer vision and AI are being used to prevent serious injuries and fatalities before they happen.
This is not theory. This is not hype. This is what’s happening right now inside high-risk industries like logistics, steel, and manufacturing.
Tane’s story is one of the most unusual origin stories in safety tech:
From tracking Maui dolphins with AI-powered aircraft, to deploying real-time computer vision systems that identify unsafe behaviour in workplaces, this conversation goes deep into what proactive safety actually looks like.
In this episode, we cover:
Why complacency, not ignorance, is the biggest risk in high-hazard workplaces
How AI identifies leading indicators of harm before incidents occur
Why traditional audits and site inspections miss most real risk
How computer vision fits into existing CCTV systems (without “Big Brother” backlash)
What it really takes to change safety culture, not just monitor behaviour
How to introduce AI into workplaces without losing trust
Why safety data should enable conversations, not punishment
What the future of proactive, AI-assisted safety looks like over the next 5 years
Lessons for founders building technology inside traditional industries
This episode is especially relevant if you’re: ✔ A Health & Safety Manager ✔ A Business Owner or Operations Leader ✔ A Safety Consultant ✔ Working in logistics, manufacturing, transport or construction ✔ Curious about how AI actually works in the real world
Most serious injuries and fatalities aren’t caused by “one bad decision.” They happen because risk slowly creeps in unnoticed, unmeasured and unchallenged.
AI doesn’t replace people. It helps humans see what they can’t see consistently and act before harm occurs.
This conversation is about keeping people alive, while still letting businesses operate efficiently and profitably.

Why this matters
Most serious injuries and fatalities aren’t caused by “one bad decision.” They happen because risk slowly creeps in — unnoticed, unmeasured, and unchallenged.
AI doesn’t replace people. It helps humans see what they can’t see consistently — and act before harm occurs.
This conversation is about keeping people alive, while still letting businesses operate efficiently and profitably.

🔗 Connect with Inviol
Website: ⁠https://www.inviol.com⁠ Email: ⁠hi@inviol.com⁠ LinkedIn: Search “Inviol” or “Tane van der Boon”

🎙 About the Host
Matt Jones is the founder of Advanced Safety and organiser of the Safety Summit, helping New Zealand businesses modernise safety performance and move beyond paperwork-driven compliance.

🤝 Join NZHSP Connect
If you want deeper conversations, practical tools, and community learning, join NZHSP Connect — our free professional platform:
https://www.advancedsafety.co.nz/nzhsp-connect-free-community/

Digital safety is changing faster than most businesses can keep up – and this conversation pulls back the curtain on exactly what’s happening on the ground, what practitioners are asking for, and how tech is reshaping the future of health and safety in New Zealand.In this exclusive episode, I sit down with Storm McDonald (Head of Sales, Site App Pro) and David Masters (Strategic Partnerships Manager, Site App Pro) to unpack the real-world challenges, breakthroughs, and transformational insights driving the rapid shift from paperwork to digital safety systems.Across New Zealand, businesses are moving away from outdated manual processes and embracing automated reporting, real-time visibility, mobile-first engagement, and AI-driven insights. Site App Pro sits right at the centre of that evolution – and in this interview they reveal:What you’ll learn:Why in-person site visits are accelerating innovation in safety techThe biggest frustrations practitioners face with paper-based systemsHow digital workflows improve engagement, compliance, and decision-makingWhat NZ health and safety consultants are asking for right nowThe inside story behind Site App Pro’s new equipment moduleHow partnerships, collaboration, and customer-led development shape product evolutionWhy failing fast is now essential for modern safety leadershipHow to shift teams from resistance to buy-in when going digitalWhether you’re a health and safety manager, a business owner, a consultant, or someone curious about the future of safety technology, this episode gives you practical insight into what’s driving the biggest industry transformation in years.Why this mattersThe companies that modernise their safety systems now will move faster, gain deeper visibility, make better decisions, and significantly reduce preventable harm. The ones that hold onto manual processes are already falling behind.This conversation is your blueprint to understanding what’s changing – and how to stay ahead of the curve.Connect with Site App ProAbout the HostMatt Jones is the founder of Advanced Safety and organiser of the Safety Summit, helping NZ businesses modernise their safety performance and adopt tools that actually move the needle.Join NZHSP ConnectIf you want deeper conversations, resources and community learning, join NZHSP Connect, our new free professional platform on Circle:
https://safety-connect.circle.so/join?invitation_token=128727fdd51ef687ad0b0a602e5419c35caab02d-9b2559d9-e0e0-4750-aa6b-c852a54852d7#HealthAndSafetyNZ #HSWANZ #SafetyLeadership #HealthAndSafetySoftware #MattJonesNZ #AdvancedSafetyNZ #NZHSP #NZHSPConnect #SafetyPodcast #HealthAndSafetyPodcast #SafetyCultureNZ #WorkplaceSafetyNZ #SafetyProfessionalsNZ #SafetyApp Join the waitlist for the NZHSP Safety Summit 2026https://www.safetysummit.co.nz

Welcome to Season 5, Episode 1 of Health and Safety Unplugged - New Zealand’s longest-running health and safety podcast. Hosted by Matt Jones and proudly sponsored by Advanced Safety, this season is now connected to NZHSP Connect, our new online free-to-access community for more than 4,000 NZ health and safety professionals across LinkedIn and Facebook.In this episode, Matt sits down with Keith Barnett, Senior Trainer and Health and Safety Advisor at Vertical Horizonz, to unpack a career journey that started in military logistics and evolved into one of New Zealand’s most respected voices in safety training.This conversation is packed with grounded, real-world lessons for practitioners, business owners and trainers who actually want to improve safety outcomes - not just tick boxes.What You’ll Learn:• Why safety culture starts with standards and what “the standard you walk past” really means• Working at Heights: why “if you’re going up, you better know how to get down” is the rule everyone forgets• Confined Spaces: planning, rescue readiness and why assumptions kill• Military lessons for safety leadership - communication, preparation, and informed decision-making• How a serious heat-exhaustion incident shaped Keith’s career in safety• Why training is an investment, not an expense and how organisations get it wrong• Advice for new trainers entering the profession• Why you should never pigeonhole yourself as a safety practitioner• The future of safety training in NZ and why “train wisely” matters in 2026 and beyondAbout Keith Barnett (Vertical Horizonz NZ)Keith has spent almost two decades delivering health and safety training in New Zealand, covering:- Working at heights- Confined space entry- Industrial safety- Heavy vehicle and plant training- Bespoke safety training across multiple sectors- International project support through Vertical Horizonz Australia and the PacificHis entry into safety is unlike any other, shaped by military standards, real emergencies and lessons that cost real people real consequences.Why This Episode MattersIf you’re a:- Health and safety practitioner- Trainer- Safety leader- PCBU- Business owner- Worker aspiring to grow in safety- Or part of NZ’s health and safety community…this interview is a masterclass in practical, experience-driven safety thinking.Join NZHSP ConnectIf you want deeper conversations, resources and community learning, join NZHSP Connect, our new free professional platform on Circle:https://safety-connect.circle.so/join?invitation_token=128727fdd51ef687ad0b0a602e5419c35caab02d-9b2559d9-e0e0-4750-aa6b-c852a54852d7Connect with Keith on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-barnett-3a473546/#HealthAndSafetyNZ #VerticalHorizonz #WorkingAtHeights #ConfinedSpaceTraining #HSWANZ #SafetyLeadership #HealthAndSafetyTraining #MattJonesNZ #AdvancedSafetyNZ #NZHSP #NZHSPConnect #SafetyPodcast #HealthAndSafetyPodcast #SafetyCultureNZ #WorkplaceSafetyNZ #SafetyProfessionalsNZ #SafetyTrainingNZ #EmergencyPlanning #PCBU #HSETrainingJoin the waitlist for the NZHSP Safety Summit 2026https://www.safetysummit.co.nz

Proudly sponsored by Advanced Safety - Keeping health and safety simple since 2016.