David Smalley, MS, CSP

David Smalley, MS, CSP, is an Environmental, Safety, and Health (ESH) professional who specializes in helping organizations operate safely within high-risk, high-impact environments.

As a consultant, his expertise sits at the intersection of technical operations, regulatory compliance, and cultural leadership. David develops proactive safety strategies, guides teams through complex requirements, and translates safety principles into effective actions across labs, field operations, and large-scale projects.

In his professional history he’s served as an ESH Point of Contact at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), where he worked directly with leading scientists and engineers, ensuring that cutting-edge research is executed with clarity, compliance, and a culture of safety.
Embedded in day-to-day operations, David aligns innovative ideas with responsible, practical implementation.

Before joining NREL, David led an international team of safety professionals at IBM, where he coordinated global safety standards across diverse regions and business units. His cross-sector experience spans energy, technology, and healthcare, grounded in ISO 45001, OSHA VPP, and high-reliability organizational frameworks.

David is also the creator and host of Paid With Blood, a podcast that explores real-world safety disasters and the lessons they leave behind. Through investigative storytelling and interviews, he helps transform past failures into meaningful, actionable insights for organizations and the broader EHS community.

Whether consulting with companies, collaborating with research teams, coaching frontline leaders, or producing the next episode of his podcast, David remains committed to a single mission: protecting people, honoring the lessons of the past, and empowering innovation through a strong, resilient safety culture.