With the official start of summer right around the corner, now is the time to start planning for the tenth annual Safe + Sound Week which is being held August 10-16, 2026. This event is sponsored by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in partnership with other safety organizations including the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the National Safety Council (NSC), and the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA).
Safe + Sound week recognizes the accomplishments of workplace health and safety programs and raises awareness about the value of them being proactive. Organizations are encouraged to hold events and activities that highlight their safety program and identify opportunities for new safety initiatives.
Why Participate?
Participating is a great way to recognize your organization’s safety accomplishments and show its commitment to maintaining a safe workplace. OSHA emphasizes that successful safety and health programs can proactively identify and manage workplace hazards before they cause injury or illness, while at the same time improving sustainability and the bottom line. Participating in Safe + Sound Week can help get your program started or energize an existing one.
Feedback about Safe + Sound Week from previous participants has included that holding the event at their workplace helped create a culture of safety and let employees know their ideas were valued and heard. Other benefits mentioned were that participating in Safe + Sound Week encouraged collaboration between employers and employees and showed stakeholders how safety is a fundamental pillar of business.
Who Should Participate?
Establishments of any size and in any type of industry looking for a way to recognize their commitment to safety are encouraged to participate. Last year more than 4,600 organizations registered from a variety of industries, including life sciences, manufacturing, construction, and renewable energy.
How Can my Business Participate?
Companies can either participate privately, or officially register (expected to open in early July) on OSHA’s Safe + Sound Week webpage. The site will also have lots of great ideas for Safe + Sound Week activities, many of which don’t take much time to plan for. Resources are provided for developing safety and health programs, management leadership, worker participation, and finding and fixing workplace hazards. They include webinars, course offerings, brochures, worksheet templates, and more.
Safe + Sound Week has been a huge success for Safety Partners’ clients who have participated in previous years! Some fun activities from events we’ve helped clients plan for and host are listed below.
- Mock spill drills and fire drills
- Safety-related games including “Name that Chemical,” “Waste Segregation Challenge,” “Safety Bingo,” and “Where does the Trash Go?”
- Build your own first aid kits
- The classic “Can You Take Your Gloves Off Without Contaminating (i.e., getting shaving cream on) Yourself and Your Surroundings?”
- Safety scavenger hunts to locate safety manuals, safety data sheets (SDS), emergency equipment, and more
- Ergonomics training sessions, evaluations, and ergonomic equipment demonstrations (lab and office)
- Self-defense and yoga classes
- Hands-on fire extinguisher training or virtual reality fire extinguisher simulation training
- Refresher safety training using a new format such as “Hazard Communication Jeopardy”
Safe + Sound week is a great opportunity to raise awareness about your safety program in a fun and engaging way! For additional information, or for assistance with planning for this year’s event, please contact us!
This blog was written by Beth Graham, Safety Partners’ Director of Quality, Research, and Training.
