Mike Hourigan
Workplace Safety Speaker
Looking for a safety speaker with hands-on experience? You’ve found one! Mike Hourigan has worked in steel mills, tanneries, and factories. While on the front lines, he has talked to managers after accidents, watched workers cross the wrong line, and observed people who lost their hearing in high-noise plants. Through engaging stories, real-life examples, and interactive discussions, Mike Hourigan captivates audiences with thought-provoking and memorable presentations that make safety concepts relatable and actionable. Whether your upcoming safety event is for a corporation, community organization, or industry association, Mike can enhance your safety program and bring about positive change.
Most Requested Safety Presentations
Safety—don’t take it personally. Take it very personally!
When an incident occurs, the first question is often "Who's to blame?" But that's the wrong question. True safety comes from a culture where every individual—from the machine operator to the CEO—feels a deep sense of personal ownership. This high-energy session dismantles the blame game and reveals how powerful communication can turn your entire workforce into a unified safety team.
Your team will learn to:
- Connect on-the-job safety to their life at home
- Foster a "got your back" mentality that protects everyone
- Understand the direct link between personal actions and company profitability
- Onboard new (and veteran) employees into a proactive safety mindset
All this change in the workplace. Is anyone safe?
Change is constant, but it doesn't have to be dangerous. Mergers, new technology, and shifting teams create uncertainty and distraction—the perfect ingredients for a safety disaster. Mike will help your teams foster an attitude of “fast and furious” when it comes to developing and conforming to new safety norms. This provides teams with a framework for adapting quickly and safely.
Key takeaways include:
- Pinpoint the root causes of resistance to change
- Learn the five truths about change
- Communicate effectively to keep safety top-of-mind during transitions
- Discover your three levels of support and how to rely on them
Four generations in the workplace: How safe is that?
How do you get a baby boomer, Gen X, Millennial, and Gen Z employees to share the same commitment to safety? Their different views on authority, technology, and communication can create dangerous gaps. Mike uses humor and sharp insights to bridge these divides, offering practical strategies to turn your multi-generational workforce into a cohesive team of safety champions.
This program delivers insights on how to:
- Translate generational differences into safety strengths
- Boost safety protocol adoption across all age groups
- Tailor communication to resonate with every generation, from Boomers to Gen Z
Hard hats and safety glasses can’t protect workers from stress.
Physical PPE is only half the battle. The invisible threat of stress leads to distraction, burnout, and costly mistakes. This eye-opening program tackles the direct link between employee well-being and workplace safety. Mike provides actionable tools to manage stress, build resilience, and create an environment where people are as mentally safe as they are physically protected.
Attendees will discover:
- The hidden costs of stress on productivity, property, and people
- Why stress overload is an epidemic in modern workplaces
- The top three drivers of employee burnout and how to address them
- Practical modern techniques for building stress-resistance
Safety communication that cuts through the noise.
You have safety posters on the walls, and procedures in a binder, yet incidents still happen. Why? Because most safety communication is just noise. Drawing on his firsthand experience in steel mills, tanneries, and factories, Mike delivers a reality check as to why safety messages fail. He provides a powerful, no-nonsense guide to communication that grabs attention, inspires action, and prevents the shortcuts that lead to injury.
This session provides easy-to-use solutions to:
- Understand why traditional safety messages (posters, memos) often fail.
- Translate management’s safety philosophy into actionable, on-the-ground behaviors.
- Master communication techniques that prevent dangerous "work-arounds."
- Turn dry safety audits into powerful tools for cultural change.
Business and Organization Client List
Businesses
- Aon
- American Equity Underwriters
- Cottingham Butler
- Delong’s Inc.
- Electric Boat
- Environmental Air Systems
- Entergy
- General Dynamics
- Gold Bond National Gypsum
- Harley-Davidson
- Iredell County Sheriff’s Office
- Jaws of Life
- Kirkwood Community College
- Merck Pharmaceutical
- Westar Energy
Organizations
- Associated General Contractors of Illinois
- California Firefighters Association
- National Association of Fire Equipment Distributors
- Missouri Mine Safety and Health Association
- Minnesota Mine Safety Association
- National Rural Electric Association
- North Dakota North Central Region Safety Association
- North Dakota Northern Region Association of Safety Professionals
- Risk Insurance Management Society
- Southeast Gas Association
- Southeast Mine Safety and Health Association