Ep. 606 “All in Together”: Construction Safety Week 2026

Construction Safety Week runs from May 4th through the 8th; and this year’s theme is “All in Together.” Rancho Mesa’ Alyssa Burley and Client Technology Specialist, Brenda Colby sit down to talk about this year’s theme and why it’s important to prevent serious injuries on high‑hazard job sites.

Show Notes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Rancho Mesa's Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠, RM365 HR Advantage™ Portal

Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Alyssa Burley

Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Brenda Colby

Editor: Jadyn Brandt

Music: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “Breaking News Intro” by nem0production

© Copyright 2026. Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. All rights reserved.

Transcript

Alyssa Burley: You’re listening to Rancho Mesa’s StudioOne™ podcast, where each week we break down complex insurance and safety topics to help your business thrive.  I’m your host, Alyssa Burley, and I’m joined by Brenda Colby, Client Technology Specialist with Rancho Mesa, and we’re going to talk about Construction Safety Week.

Brenda, welcome to the show.

Brenda Colby: Thanks Alyssa, happy to be here.

AB: So, Construction Safety Week runs from May 4th through the 8th; and, this year’s theme is “All in Together.” Brenda, will you tell us more about this year’s theme and why it’s so important to prevent serious injuries on high‑hazard job sites?

BC: Sure. So, workers in the construction industry often face high hazard situations in their daily work. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 5,190 fatal work injuries in the US in 2021, and nearly 20% of those deaths occurred in construction.

So, the theme “All in Together” focuses on three pillars of injury prevention: Recognize, Respond, and Respect. Together this creates a framework for addressing and dealing with serious risks.

AB: Okay, so let’s start with the first pillar, how can participants of Construction Safety Week recognize hazards?

BC: Well, identification is the first step in addressing jobsite risks. And the Construction Safety Research Alliance finds construction workers identify only 45% of the hazards they face during a typical planning briefing. So, with more recognition of high energy and high hazard activities, workers can improve their ability to respond quickly to a dangerous situation.

AB: Right, and it’s hard to prevent an injury or accident if you don’t know what safety issues will be present.

So tell us more about the second pillar which is to respond.

BC: Well, when employers or employees have identified hazards, the next step is to respond. That can mean putting direct controls in place before any work begins with the goal of eliminating, substituting, or engineering out serious risks. It’s important to be proactive, not just reactive.

AB: Yes, removing a hazard before it can become an issue is best. While it’s not always possible, there are ways to mitigate risks no matter what type of work is being preformed.

So, the final pillar is respect. Will you talk about how employers can use respect to prevent injury or fatalities?

BC: Yeah this is a big one. So respecting job site hazards means everyone on your jobsite takes seriously all potential risks to health and safety. It can be easy to become complacent with certain risks on a job site, but it’s important to treat all risks with the same cautious awareness at all times. And as we know, safety is everyone’s responsibility.

AB: Yeah, exactly. And respect can also mean respecting the safety and well-being of everyone on the jobsite.

So Brenda, what resources are available for participants of Construction Safety Week?

BC: Well lots of digital resources are available through the Construction Safety Week website. And they include: A Planning Playbook, which is available for download, and is about how to organize events and communicate goals with leadership and employees, Sample agendas, social media resources, and daily toolbox talks for each day of the week.

And, even when Construction Safety Week ends, safety should still be a top priority for your organization. Toolbox talks and safety observations are also available through Rancho Mesa’s SafetyOne™ platform.

AB: Yeah, and Construction Safety Week is a great reminder to be aware of jobsite hazards, but your workplace safety culture shouldn’t end once the week is over.

Brenda, if listeners have questions about accessing our SafetyOne resources that can be used during for Construction Safety Week, how can they get in contact with you?

BC: As always, clients can contact me at bcolby@ranchomesa.com or call me directly at (619) 486-6562.

AB: Brenda, thank you for joining me in StudioOne.

BC: Thanks for having me.

AB: Thanks for tuning in to our latest episode produced by StudioOne. If you enjoyed what you heard, please share this episode and subscribe. For more insights like this, visit us at ranchomesa.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.