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What will the future of workplace safety look like? Jowanza Joseph, founder and CEO of Parakeet Risk visited Torus—an energy storage innovator headquartered in Salt Lake City—to sit down with their Director of Safety, Joshua Davis. Filmed at Torus's headquarters in Salt Lake City, their conversation dives into how the energy innovation company is breaking the traditional mold when it comes to occupational health and safety.
With vast global safety experience and a Master’s degree in Occupational Health and Safety, Joshua brings a fresh perspective to how modern industrial facilities can protect their people while scaling quickly.
Here are the key takeaways from the conversation at Torus's facility on how culture, real-time data, and practical AI are transforming industrial workplace safety:
Building a Culture of Trust, Not Policing
When people talk about industrial manufacturing, safety protocols are rarely synonymous with rapid innovation. For decades, safety has often been associated with compliance checklists, rigid enforcement, and "safety cops" monitoring the shop floor. One of the most refreshing takeaways from the interview is Joshua's approach to safety leadership based on partnership and trust.
- The Easy Way is the Safe Way: Torus aims to build safety into everyday processes so that the easiest way to do a job is naturally the safest.
- Peer-to-Peer Accountability: Employees are encouraged to look out for one another and address issues directly at the shop-floor level before escalating them.
- Non-Punitive Approach: If an incident occurs, management partners with the individuals involved to learn and improve, rather than assigning blame.
The foundational philosophy is simple: make the right way the easy way. When safe procedures are designed to be seamless, compliance happens naturally across every shift.
Torus's most valuable asset is our people. When you take care of people first, operations and production numbers fall into place.
— Joshua Davis, Director of Safety, Torus
Integrating Technology for Real-Time Insights
Torus isn't just innovating in energy and energy storage; they are bringing modern technology directly to their safety programs:
- QR Code Reporting: Employees can scan a QR code on their badge to instantly report safety concerns, log near misses, or provide positive reinforcement by shouting out a peer.
- Live Data Dashboards: These reports feed into live dashboards, allowing the team to track progress and compare leading indicators day-to-day and year-over-year.
- Embracing AI: Utilizing tools like Claude to accelerate safety initiatives—including building out a learning management system to modernize training.
The Innovative Vision for the Future of Industrial Safety
During the interview, Joshua shared his ultimate, visionary goal for manufacturing safety that drives continuous, incremental improvements like enhanced machine guarding and robotic integration.
Curious to learn more about how technology, AI, and a culture of trust can revolutionize safety in your organization? Watch the Full Interview on YouTube and discover insights that inspire the next generation of industrial risk management.
Visit Parakeet Risk blog for more insights on industrial risk.
Written by
The Parakeet TeamField notes from the people building continuous risk engineering for industrial operations.
