David Daniels
Podcaster/Speaker/Consultant/Thought Leader/Culture Warrior
ID2 Solutions
Does Safety Help People FEEL Safe?
A significant difference exists between doing “safety-related things” and people “feeling safe.” While both have value, how safe people FEEL is often given too little attention. In many ways, traditional approaches to safety are out of step with a changing community of workers. Amid more data, information, and analytical tools, it is hard to argue that there is a lack of interest in safety on the part of organizations, leaders, and members of these organizations; however, the implementation systems sometimes look more backward than they look forward. Attempts to help people feel safe are less effective when done to or for people and better when done with people.
To be effective, contemporary safety efforts require physical and psychosocial hazards to be identified, assessed, and mitigated. In fact, understanding the importance of psychosocial hazards is more personal and could ultimately be connected to reducing both hazards. In the United States, our safety-related policies, procedures, and practices have focused on quantitative success measures but are too often lacking in qualitative approaches.
This presentation will critically examine safety as an industry and identify opportunities to ensure that safety systems are designed and built to address contemporary safety issues for modern people.
Dr. I. David Daniels is an occupational health and safety professional, former public safety executive, thought leader, and Founder/CEO of ID2 Solutions, LLC, a safety-focused solutions company specializing in helping organizations plan and execute safety management systems, including focusing on psychosocial hazard mitigation strategies. He hosts the Psych Health and Safety USA podcast and is preparing to release one of the first books focused on psychosocial hazards in 2025.
Dr. Daniels’ extensive education and certifications and his years of experience make him a trusted expert in the field. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Fire Services Administration, a master’s degree in human resources management, and a Ph.D. in Occupational Health and Safety. His certifications as a Safety Director, Violence Prevention Specialist, Emergency Management Specialist, Job Hazard Analysis Specialist, Safety and Health Specialist, and in Mental Health First Aid further attest to his expertise.
He has also honed his skills at prestigious institutions such as Harvard University and Cornell University.
Dr. Daniels is not just a professional but a leader in the field. He is the founding chair of the National Association of Black Compliance and Risk Management Professionals, Safety and Security Workgroup, and the Vice Chair of the Society for Total Worker Health Advisory Panel. His two terms further demonstrate his leadership as a member of the National Safety Council (NSC) Board of Directors and his role as the founding chair of the NSC’s Government and Public-Sector Division. In 2021, he became only the third African American in history to receive the NSC’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service to Safety Award.
Dr. Daniels is a life member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and served over 30 years in fire/rescue, emergency medical, and emergency management organizations in three states, including four appointments as a Fire Chief. He was the founding chair of the IAFC Safety, Health, and Survival Section and the first safety representative on the IAFC Board of Directors. His career-long focus on safety was one of the factors that led to him becoming the first living African American to be inducted into the National Fire Heritage Center’s Hall of Legacies, Legends, and Leaders.