Critical Incident Response with Cal Beyer

NSSGA Podcast

Welcome to another impactful episode of Safety Shorts with your host, Libby Pritchard. In this episode, Libby welcomes back a special guest, Cal Beyer, Vice President of Risk, Safety, and Mental Well-Being at ethOs, who brings with him his extensive experience and knowledge in addressing mental health and critical incident response in the workplace. Today, he shares a pivotal moment when he realized the importance of psychological first aid and critical incident response, while also offering practical strategies that can transform the way organizations support their employees through challenging times.

Episode Highlights:

• Prioritizing mental health for those responding to workplace trauma

• Acknowledging vulnerability and reshaping workplace culture for well-being

• Destigmatizing mental health discussions

• Vital self-care practices: hydration, nutrition, sleep, and socialization

• Industry-wide adoption of critical incident response protocols

• Simple strategies for integrating mental well-being into crisis plans

• Empowering employees to overcome workplace stress challenges

• Fostering resilience in the workplace

Toolbox Talk Discussion Questions:

1. In this episode, Cal talks about how support has changed for those who respond to critical incidents. Have you noticed this change over the years? How?

2. Stress and trauma have physiological impacts on the body. What can we do to support and check in with team members who have responded to a critical incident?

3. Does anyone have a story about a time when they responded to a critical incident or saw how responding to a critical incident impacted someone else?

Quotes:

"I've always called those the unthinkable moments."

"We could normalize the conversation by teaching how the body and the mind respond to traumatic events."

"The goal of critical incident response is to let workers know that help is available."

"We're not babying you; we're humaning you."

"Getting these steps more normalized as part of our workplaces can really help change the culture."

Links:

National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association website