For more than 30 years, he has helped a wide variety of companies develop world-class safety cultures and shown audiences around the world how to live healthier and happier lives.
It’s rare to find someone who is both a safety professional and an entertaining speaker and trainer, but Richard fits the bill. He is in high demand for annual meetings, conferences and seminars and is a popular keynote speaker at the National Safety Council’s Annual Congress & Expo, the largest annual safety convention in the U.S.
Richard has trained thousands of supervisors, managers and employees at organizations such as Exxon/Mobil, Shell, Nestle Purina and McNeil Consumer Healthcare. He has been a featured speaker at international conventions for Fortune 500 companies and presented to engineers and plant managers in India, CEO’s from Canada, and Japanese technicians with Westinghouse.
Before starting his own business, Richard gained 10 years of practical experience as a safety engineer and management trainer in the nuclear power industry. His experiences as a union and nonunion employee, line worker and manager, safety leader and now successful business owner, give him the insight to relate to people at all levels, from employees to CEOs, truck drivers to scholars.
Richard studies brilliant people and passes on what he learns to his audiences. While his depth of knowledge and extensive experience make for content-rich sessions, he also draws on his theater and music background to deliver presentations that are truly enjoyable. An accomplished guitarist and singer-songwriter, he weaves original songs and parodies into his talks and seminars. He also uses all kinds of props, prizes and audience participation throughout each session.
Richard stays on the leading edge of the safety industry. He holds numerous safety and technical certifications from various organizations, including the National Safety Council, ASSE, INPO and NRRPT.
Richard’s weekly Safety Stuff e-zine, first published in 1999, serves as a clearinghouse for the best ideas from thousands of safety professionals around the globe. Richard also has created several safety and health products, such as the Safety Puzzle Pak and Fun Flyers, and authored several books on safety and health, including Spice It Up! 52 Easy Ways to Turn Your Safety Meetings From Bland to Grand, The Safety Leader’s Guide Book and 250 Super Bright Safety Meeting and Promotional Ideas. Richard has written and produced three music CDs, and produced and starred in the DVD Chill Out When You’re Stressed Out, filmed before a live audience at NASA.