Enhancing Safety Programs: Lessons from Safe + Sound Week

Every year in August, OSHA leads Safe + Sound Week, a national event that brings attention to the value of effective safety and health programs. The 2025 observance, taking place from August 11–17, centers around one key message: “Preparedness is Your Superpower.”

 

For safety professionals, operations leaders, and field teams, this week serves as a call to action—to evaluate what’s working, identify gaps, and strengthen systems that protect workers every day. At Pearson Safety Solutions (PSS), we believe meaningful safety goes beyond compliance; it’s about creating programs that truly prevent injury and build a proactive culture.

 

What Makes a Safety Program Truly Effective?

According to OSHA’s Safe + Sound framework, the most successful safety programs are built on three key elements:

  1. Management Leadership – Clear support and accountability from leadership.
  2. Worker Participation – A culture where employees are actively involved and empowered.
  3. Finding and Fixing Hazards – A consistent process to identify risks and take timely action.

These core elements aren’t one-time checkboxes; they’re ongoing commitments that, when executed well, result in fewer injuries, improved morale, and better operational performance.

 

Key Strategies to Strengthen Safety Programs


1.Conduct Risk Reviews and Gap Assessments

Use Safe + Sound Week as a checkpoint to review your current safety policies, job site conditions, and training efforts. Identify what’s outdated, what’s missing, and what can be streamlined.

 

At PSS, we support this process with comprehensive site audits, hazard identification walkthroughs, and recommendations tailored to your industry and workforce size.


2.Engage Employees Through Ownership

Employees are more likely to follow safety procedures when they feel they have a voice. Safe + Sound Week is a great time to launch:

  • “Hazard Hunts” with prizes
  • Peer-led toolbox talks
  • Suggestion boards or digital surveys

We help teams implement these engagement strategies and, more importantly, we guide leaders in building structures that keep employee involvement active beyond the week.

 

3.Strengthen Emergency Preparedness

This year’s theme, Preparedness is Your Superpower, is a timely reminder that emergency drills, communication systems, and response plans need regular testing. Through partnerships with tools like AlertMedia, PSS helps companies roll out mass notification systems, escalation protocols, and training that ensure everyone knows what to do in a crisis.

 

Testimonial Spotlight: Results That Speak for Themselves

While every jobsite and client is unique, the results speak volumes. One PSS client, Tommy McMurry of MCCI, shared:

“Your safety program has benefited our company and saved us a considerable amount of money. In the last few years, our MOD rate decreased from .93 in 2020 to .68 in 2023. We get great responses from you and your company at our projects, and I greatly respect your ability and knowledge in the trade… At least 80% of our employees work with their tools on the construction sites, and all are in harm’s way. Thank you, PSS!”

 

This kind of progress doesn’t come from a single training—it’s the product of collaborative planning, consistent field support, and long-term implementation. Our safety professionals become an extension of your team, helping bridge the gap between compliance and culture.

 

Beyond the Week: Sustaining Safety Improvements

Here’s how organizations can keep the momentum of Safe + Sound Week going throughout the year:

Best Practice

What It Looks Like

Quarterly Safety Engagements

Continue hosting toolbox talks, site assessments, and training refreshers every 3 months.

Digital Documentation

Use tools like PSS’s LinkSuite to track incidents, corrective actions, and training certifications.

Leadership Check-ins

Hold short executive safety reviews to assess progress and discuss new initiatives.

Field Coaching

Deploy onsite safety managers (like PSS’s) to offer day-to-day support and coaching in real time.

 

Ready to Strengthen Your Program?

Safe + Sound Week is more than a campaign; it’s an opportunity to pause, assess, and recommit to a culture of safety. Whether you’re launching your first formal safety plan or looking to level up an existing program, Pearson Safety Solutions can support you with:

  • Safety program development
  • Jobsite audits and hazard assessments
  • On-site safety staffing
  • Emergency communication setup
  • Custom training and compliance solutions

 

Let’s turn your safety goals into measurable results.

 

Contact us at info@personsafety.com to explore our construction safety training offerings here or contact us to schedule a jobsite consultation.

Eric Hughes