To discuss how to meet the challenges of executive safety leadership, our latest podcast guest is Heather MacDougall, JD, CSP. She has an extensive 30 years of experience in the occupational safety and health field.

MacDougall has served as Chair of the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Review Commission (OSHRC); VP of Amazon Worldwide Workplace Health and Safety; and is now offers comprehensive workplace health and safety services, combining legal expertise and executive safety leadership through MacDougall Solutions LLC.

She is a widely respected expert within the health and safety community. She has the distinction of being twice presidentially appointed, by both President Donald Trump and President Barack Obama, and unanimously confirmed in the Senate. Heather received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin and a J.D. from Marquette University Law School.

In an interview on ISHN’s podcast All Things Safety, MacDougall’s discussion centered on moving organizations from a reactive to a proactive stance on safety, fostering a culture where safety is a shared responsibility, and leveraging technology to save lives.

From Reactive to Proactive Safety

MacDougall highlighted Amazon's "bias for action" leadership principle, a proactive approach that prioritizes quick, decisive action. She said many small companies that have a "bias for inaction," waiting for an incident to occur before addressing safety issues. She said that to shift this mindset, safety professionals must build a strong network of partners across the organization, including operations, finance, and human resources. This collaborative approach helps leaders "own" the decisions and accountability for safety, moving beyond the traditional role of a "safety police" and making safety an integral part of the company's overall culture.

Leveraging Technology for Safety

MacDougall offered concrete examples of how Amazon uses technology to enhance safety. She also spoke about "Dragonfly," a tech-enabled platform she helped develop. The system allows frontline employees to submit safety observations, near-misses, and improvement ideas in real time via an app. These submissions are logged in a central information system, enabling trend analysis and follow-up. According to MacDougall, this platform has become a core part of Amazon's safety management system, using data to inform decisions and drive continuous improvement.

The Role of Trust and Mental Health

MacDougall emphasized that building trust is essential for a successful safety program. She said that a "blame culture" prevents employees from speaking up about safety concerns. To combat this, she noted the importance of having systems in place to hold leaders accountable for safety. She highlighted Amazon’s Safety Leadership Index, a tool that asks workers daily questions about how they feel about safety and leadership in their workplace. These scores are then tracked at the most senior levels of the company, ensuring leaders have a real-time pulse on employee perceptions and are held accountable for improving the safety environment.

She also touched on the growing importance of psychological safety. Statistics show that 56% of surveyed workers do not feel completely safe at work, with nearly half (49%) attributing this to high stress levels. Investing in mental health initiatives isn't just the right thing to do, it's also a smart business decision, she said.

Listen to the episode to learn more about what MacDougall has to say about safety leadership.