From Military Intelligence to Workplace Safety: A Conversation with James Kolozsi

In this conversation, James K. shares an unconventional professional journey: nearly 20 years in the Australian Army, working in artillery and military intelligence and serving in Iraq, Timor-Leste and Afghanistan, before transitioning into workplace health and safety.Now a Director at Forge Works, James discusses the challenges faced by safety professionals, the need to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and the importance of designing systems that genuinely support the people doing the work.During the episode, we explore:• his transition from the military into the corporate world;• identity, purpose and the challenges faced by military veterans;• building the capability of safety teams;• operational learning and systems-based safety;• HOP, HRO and Resilience Engineering;• the limitations of Behavior-Based Safety;• simplifying safety management systems and reducing process overload;• Forge Works’ work in education, technology and consulting.James also shares a simple but revealing example involving a worker who did not use the available protective gloves. Instead of concluding that the worker had made an “unsafe choice,” the conversation revealed a legitimate concern about whether the gloves were clean.The story illustrates why understanding the conditions surrounding people’s decisions can produce better solutions than simply correcting their behavior.This is a conversation about safety, real work, learning, technology, leadership and how organizations can create the conditions for people to perform their work more effectively and safely.Subscribe to the Segurança Diferente channel and share this episode with professionals who believe that safety is not built through rules, controls and pressure alone, but through listening, learning and improving work.