ASSP joined OSHA and industry partners on March 19, 2026, for the Alliance Program’s Annual Construction Roundtable in Washington, D.C. The event, themed “Building Bridges: Enhancing Collaboration and Strengthening Partnerships in the Construction Industry,” brought together stakeholders to share updates and identify opportunities to improve worker safety.
ASSP participated alongside industry leaders, continuing our role in advancing collaborative approaches to construction safety.
The day was packed with critical updates from OSHA leadership and industry partners. Here are the high-level takeaways for our ASSP community and what they mean for safety professionals in the field:
Empowering Employers through "OSHA Cares"
A major highlight was OSHA Cares (Customer Assistance, Resources & Engagements), an agency-wide initiative designed to help businesses, especially small and medium-sized organizations, better access safety expertise and compliance resources.
OSHA also introduced the Safety Champions Program (SCP), a free, self-paced initiative designed to help employers build effective safety and health programs based on seven core elements of recommended practices.
Key Safety Challenges Facing Construction
The roundtable addressed several pressing safety and health issues:
Temporary Worker Safety: Emphasis on shared responsibility between host employers and staffing agencies.
Fatalities and Violations: Fall protection remains the most frequently cited violation and the leading cause of fatalities in construction. This reinforces the need for planning, proper equipment and training.
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention: With one of the highest suicide rates of any industry, construction continues to require focused attention on awareness, open dialogue and resources like the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Workplace Violence: Speakers stressed zero tolerance for harassment and violence, particularly toward women in the trades, underscoring that safety extends beyond PPE to include psychological and cultural well-being.
Emerging Research and Innovation
Additionally, NIOSH presented about ongoing research that will help shape the future of our profession, including:
Industrial Helmet Performance: Testing new air-bubble cushioning to reduce traumatic brain injuries.
Construction Automation: Investigating safety risks associated with demolition robots and masonry-assisting robots to ensure humans and machines can work safely together.
The convening reinforced that the most effective way to lower fatality rates is through comprehensive, on-site consultation and proactive collaboration. As safety professionals, our role in these alliances is vital to ensuring every worker goes home safe at the end of the day.
ASSP’s continued participation in these alliances helps ensure the voice of safety professionals is represented as new programs and priorities take shape. Together, we can advance solutions that protect workers and strengthen the construction industry.
For more details on these programs and upcoming initiatives like the National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls (May 4-8), visit OSHA’s website or explore ASSP resources and connect with ASSP's advocacy team.