Did History (Actually) Teach Us Anything?

The Black Death (The Plague) - 1347

2 January 2026 | Season 1 | 19 mins 1 sec

buboes, bubonic plague, church, covid-19, disease, europe, health, medieval europe, middle ages, outbreak, pandemic, ports, public safety, quarantine, rats, sanitation, sewers, ships, spread, the black death, the peasants' revolt, the plague, transmission, venice

In this episode, we'll discover how the Black Death spread across Europe, and how its devastating legacy shaped the foundations of modern public health today.

The Radium Girls - 1917

2 December 2025 | Season 1 | 17 mins 22 secs

cancer, factories, girls, health and safety, iosh, jaw necrosis, nebosh, necrosis, new jersey, orange, osha, poisoning, radioactive, radium, radium girls, radium-based paint, radium-poisoning, rrc, safety, safety laws, united states radium corporation, usa, war factories, war girls, watch-dial painting, world war i

We'll discover who the Radium Girls were, and how their tragic fate led to a change in workplace safety laws forever.

The Minamata Bay Mercury Poisoning - 1951-1968

2 November 2025 | Season 1 | 16 mins 16 secs

1950s, cat dancing disease, chisso corporation, environmental disaster, environmental issues, health and safety, iosh, japan, mercury, mercury poisoning, methylmercury, minamata bay, nebosh, rrc, safety

In this episode, we explore the heart-breaking story of Minamata Bay, its lasting impact, and the lessons it holds for environmental responsibility.

Tenerife Airport Disaster - 1977

2 October 2025 | Season 1 | 16 mins 38 secs

aeroplane, airport, aviation, boeing, bomb scare, collision, crash, fog, grand canaria, health and safety, iosh, jumbo jets, klm, los rodeos airport, nebosh, pan am, passenger, rrc, safety, tenerife

Join us as we explore the Tenerife Airport Disaster, and the significant impact it's had on aviation safety worldwide.

The Great Fire of London - 1666

2 September 2025 | Season 1 | 24 mins 35 secs

1666, city of london, fire, great fire, great fire of london, health and safety, iosh, king charles ii, london, nebosh, pudding lane, rrc, safety, samuel pepys

In this podcast episode, we delve into the events that unfolded during the Great Fire of London. Tune in to learn more about this devastating chapter in the city's history.

The Eruption of Mount Vesuvius - 79AD

2 August 2025 | Season 1 | 15 mins 57 secs

79ad, ash, fire, first century, health and safety, herculaneum, iosh, italy, lava, mount vesuvius, natural disaster, nebosh, pompeii, rrc, safety, volcanic eruption, volcano

In this episode, we explore an event that many of us know by name but perhaps not in detail: the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD – a catastrophe that obliterated Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Easter Island Ecological Collapse

2 July 2025 | Season 1 | 11 mins 12 secs

1700s, deforestation, easter island, ecological collapse, ecological disaster, environmental disaster, environmental issues, explorers, extinct, health and safety, iosh, moai, moai statues, nebosh, rapa nui, rrc, safety

Join us as we explore how the Easter Island ecological collapse serves as a cautionary tale as to the damage we are doing to our planet and highlights the importance of sustainable natural resource use.

Alton Towers Rollercoaster Crash - 2015

2 June 2025 | Season 1 | 26 mins 23 secs

2015, accident, alton towers, amputation, chessington world of adventures, crash, health and safety, iosh, nebosh, rollercoaster, rrc, safety, smiler, theme park, thorpe park

Ten years on from the horrific Alton Towers Smiler crash, we are asking the questions: how did a system designed for safety, fail so catastrophically? And could this devastating accident that left so many innocent riders injured have been prevented?

Apollo Theatre Collapse - 2013

2 May 2025 | Season 1 | 12 mins 53 secs

apollo theatre, health and safety, iosh, london, metal ties, nebosh, roof collapse, rrc, safety, shaftsbury avenue, the curious incident of the dog in the night time, theatre, theatre collapse, west end

In this episode, we uncover the shocking details surrounding the Apollo Theatre ceiling collapse and explain what circumstances led to the drama being turned up a notch on that December evening…

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - 2010

2 April 2025 | Season 1 | 14 mins 16 secs

2010, bp, deepwater, deepwater horizon, environmental disaster, environmental issues, gulf of mexico, health and safety, iosh, marine oil spill, nebosh, oil rig, oil spill, rrc, safety, transocean

In this episode we discover what events led up to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill of 2010, which is considered to be the worst environmental disaster in history, with impacts on the local flora and fauna that experts are still unsure of.

The Sinking of the RMS Titanic 1912

2 March 2025 | Season 1 | 34 mins 33 secs

1912, health and safety, maritime disaster, nebosh, rms titanic, rrc, safety, ship, ship sinking, sinking, the titanic, titanic

On this extra-long episode, we’re diving into one of history’s most infamous maritime disasters: the sinking of the RMS Titanic.

Shoreham Air Show crash - 2015

2 February 2025 | Season 1 | 20 mins 53 secs

2015, aerial display, air show, aircraft crash, aviation, hawker hunter, health and safety, iosh, military aircraft, nebosh, plane crash, rrc, safety, shoreham, shoreham air show, t7

In this episode, we will be discussing the devastating Shoreham Air Show crash of 2015. This tragic event claimed 11 lives and left a lasting impact on the aviation community.