11 - The Safety Rack: Building Better Protection for Women Workers with Amy Roosa

On this episode of On the Front Line: The Safety, Learning & Operations Podcast, Dr. Gina Anderson speaks with Amy Roosa, founder and CEO of the Safety Rack, a nonprofit organization working to close the personal protective equipment gap for women across all industries.

Amy shares her journey from safety professional to nonprofit founder. She experienced firsthand the challenges of wearing men's extra-large safety gear when she needed a medium or small. Amy explains her three founding principles of education, research, and advocacy through what she calls the "Errors Initiative." She opens up about the importance of listening to understand rather than respond. Amy believes that stopping to truly hear women's experiences was her breakthrough moment at a 2018 safety conference.

Tune in to discover how Amy's quiet leadership is building community and moving the industry toward safer workplaces for everyone.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Amy's journey from safety professional to nonprofit founder
• The Safety Rack's mission to close the PPE gap for women workers
• Research findings showing injury rates linked to poorly fitting safety equipment
• The three founding principles: education, research, and advocacy (the "Errors Initiative")
• How listening and understanding drives meaningful change in workplace safety
• The importance of data in convincing employers and manufacturers to make changes
• Innovation emerging in women-specific safety equipment over the past five years
• Building community and connection within the safety industry
• Leading with purpose while facing barriers and skeptics

Connect with Amy on LinkedIn HERE.

Want to learn more about Amy's work? Check out The Safety Rack website HERE.

Check out the Luma Brighter Learning website HERE.

Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.

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