In the second episode of “The Art of Safety Leadership” podcast, we had the privilege of speaking with Oli Sanandres, a seasoned safety professional whose journey has taken him from Westminster Council to international organizations like Auckland Council. Oli shared invaluable insights on transforming safety from a checkbox exercise to a genuine culture of care – a conversation packed with practical wisdom for safety professionals at all levels.
The Accidental Safety Professional
Like many in the field, Oli “fell into” safety rather than actively pursuing it as a career path. Starting in environmental health, he found himself drawn to safety during his placement year and never looked back. His career took a pivotal turn after a military deployment to Iraq with the Rifles – an experience that awakened his desire to step into leadership roles where he could make more significant impact.
“I just kept seeing people make some really terrible decisions in and around me,” Oli reflects. “I thought, I can do better, or I think I could do better.”
Trust: The Foundation of Influence
Perhaps the most powerful theme throughout our conversation was Oli’s emphasis on trust as the cornerstone of effective safety leadership. As he puts it: “The ability to influence is one thing, right? But the key one that supports that, and you can’t really influence until you’ve got this, is trust.”
Oli shared how building genuine relationships with executives allowed him to move beyond traditional safety reporting and into more meaningful conversations. These relationships didn’t form overnight – they required consistent demonstration of value, reliability, and a willingness to understand business priorities beyond safety compliance.
From Reports to Real Engagement
One of the most practical takeaways from our conversation was Oli’s innovative approach to executive engagement. Recognizing that traditional safety reports were largely ignored, he boldly changed his approach:
“I was getting quite bored of doing the executive leadership sort of report, which clearly nobody read… I’d take this report as read because I hope you’ve all read this report, right? And then I’d say, let me tell you about a couple of things that happened to me this month which I think were really interesting from a safety perspective.”
This evolved further when Oli began showing video walkarounds of different operational areas instead of presenting slides – a change that immediately sparked genuine interest and questions from executives who could finally visualize the environments they were responsible for.
Making Safety Relevant to Business
Another critical insight was Oli’s approach to positioning safety within broader business objectives. Rather than treating safety as a standalone compliance exercise, he demonstrated its direct connection to performance and productivity:
“What blows me away is that [executives] can’t sort of link the dots between enhanced performance and productivity and safety.”
At Auckland Council, Oli’s team tracked cultural improvements in safety and demonstrated that a 12% increase in safety culture metrics translated to a 42% reduction in harm – equating to approximately $7 million in savings. This financial translation made safety immediately relevant to business leaders in ways that compliance metrics never could.
Challenging Executive Mindsets
Perhaps most refreshingly, Oli wasn’t afraid to challenge leadership thinking when necessary. He shared how one passionate team member confronted a director: “If you cared more about your people than actually the amount of reports that you’ve got to read or anything else, you might do a better job.”
While such directness requires careful navigation, Oli recognized that sometimes these “punchy conversations” are necessary catalysts for change. The key is having built enough trust to deliver tough messages effectively.
Failing Safely: A New Safety Paradigm
One of the most thought-provoking concepts Oli shared was around “failing safely” – a fundamental shift from the traditional view that safety is about preventing all incidents:
“Safety is not about getting everything 100% right. Safety is about how we fail. How we fail safely. What do we learn when we fail?”
This perspective acknowledges the reality that perfect prevention is impossible, but creating systems where failure can occur without catastrophic consequences – and where learning is maximized – represents the future of safety management.
The Path Forward for Safety Professionals
For safety professionals looking to elevate their influence, Oli’s advice is refreshingly straightforward:
“Be really deliberate with your development. Get some help. Don’t keep it all to yourself… Find yourself a mentor. Find yourself somebody who can guide you.”
He emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, vulnerability, and continuous learning – not just in safety techniques, but in business acumen and soft skills that enable effective influence.
Want to hear more?
To hear Oli’s full story, including more detailed strategies for influencing stakeholders at all levels and fascinating examples from his varied career, be sure to listen to the complete episode. Whether you’re a safety professional seeking to increase your influence or a business leader wanting to better leverage safety as a performance driver, this conversation offers valuable lessons that extend far beyond traditional safety management.
Watch the full episode here.
