RALLY AROUND RECOGNIZE • RESPOND • RESPECT: 2026 Construction

As a leader in advancing construction best practices, the Construction Industry Institute (CII) is proud to champion Construction Safety Week 2026. This year’s theme, RECOGNIZE• RESPOND• RESPECT, resonates with our mission to drive industry-wide collaboration and innovation to and create safer, more productive job sites. Let’s unite to ensure every worker returns home safely every day. Utilize the videos from the links below in the schedule and the attached daily Tailboard Talks to help drive the overall message within our teams and to our contractors.

Why Safety Week Aligns with our Safety Culture 

Safety is the cornerstone of our vision for a high-performing safety culture. The Safety Week research underscores the need for proactive safety planning, worker engagement, and data-driven solutions. Construction Safety Week is our opportunity to: 

• Plan with precision using safety best practices.
• Own our collective responsibility to eliminate hazards. 
• Commit to a culture of safety and continuous improvement. 

The overall theme of Construction Safety Week this year is Hazard Recognition and Controls, STCKY, and the Energy Wheel. These are proven techniques that are used across the construction and utility industries to help reduce Significant Injuries and Fatalities (SIFs).   

2026 Safety Week Schedule  

Each day of Safety Week will focus on a key pillar of the RECOGNIZE• RESPOND• RESPECT theme: 

• Monday (May 4): Recognize. Focusing on identifying high-energy hazards before work starts.
• Tuesday (May 5): Respond. Looking at implementing direct controls during the planning phase.
• Wednesday (May 6): National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls. Tying in with OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction. 
• Thursday (May 7): Respect. Empowering every team member to use their Stop Work Authority if conditions change. 
• Friday (May 8): Wrap-Up. Reviewing our commitments for the rest of the year. 

Research Driven Impact 

CII prides itself on safety research that has been proven to help reduce risk and safety events. Below is a list of current and past safety research that can be utilized on your projects during Construction Safety Week: 

• RT-412: A Refresh of CII's Zero Accident Techniques, which will be reporting out their research findings at this year's CII Annual Research Conference in Denver!  
• RT-401: Mental Health is Serious Business 
• RT-382: Technologies for Preventing Serious Injuries and Fatalities Related to Last Minute Changes  
• RT-321: Precursors of High-Impact, Low-Frequency Events, Including Fatalities RT-293: Strategies for Improving Hazard Recognition 
• Hazard Recognition and Communication Training 
• Improving Hazard Recognition Training 

Building Safety Culture Together 

Construction Safety Week is a call to action for CII members to lead by example. By integrating CII’s research and best practices, we can improve upon hazard recognition, reducing incidents, enhancing worker well-being, and shaping a safer construction industry. The most important thing we build every day is trust. Let’s plan with purpose, own our roles, and commit to excellence—together. 

Safety isn’t just a checklist; it’s a culture we build together.  

Interested in joining CII’s Safety Community for Business Advancement (SCBA)? The SCBA meets monthly on the second Wednesday at 10:00 am Central and helps members benchmark and improve safety outcomes. Contact Shannon Brinkley for more info: shannon.brinkley@cii.utexas.edu.