American Society of Safety Professionals Addresses House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections Meeting

The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) monitored the May 2026 U.S. House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections meeting, addressing “Building a Safer Future: Private-Sector Strategies for Emerging Safety Issues.”

The Society submitted a statement for the record regarding the testimony provided by the panelists on emerging workplace safety and health issues. Representing over 35,000 global members, ASSP said that it stands aligned with the urgent need to address evolving hazards and exposures through proactive, evidence-based strategies.

In the same meeting, safety professionals emphasized using leading safety indicators, in contrast to OSHA’s current lagging indicators.

To supplement the discussion on private-sector innovations and the reduction of workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses, ASSP provided the following key priorities.

Prioritizing "SIF leaders" and hazard controls

While overall injury rates may fluctuate, rates of Serious Injuries and Fatalities (SIFs) remain a critical challenge. ASSP said that it advocates for a strategic shift in messaging and methodology, focusing on "SIF leaders," the top hazards and precursors, for example, such as the "Fatal Four," that consistently lead to the most tragic outcomes.

ASSP said that it believes that by operationalizing safety and health standards to target these specific high-risk areas, the private sector can move beyond passive observation to active risk assessment and remediation. There was additional discussion on voluntary national consensus standards and metrics. ASSP is the secretariat of the committee viewed as creating the most comprehensive occupational safety and health metric standard in the United States: ANSI/ASSP Z16.1-2022 Safety and Health Metrics and Performance Measures.

Operationalizing standards through collaboration

ASSP noted that one of the panelists discussed the ongoing work addressing the control of hazardous energy lockout/tagout. The Society said that its ANSI/ASSP Z244.1 Standard was specifically included. There is also a standard addressing lockout/tagout (LOTO) specific to construction and demolition operations: ANSI/ASSP A10.44.

In addition, ASSP recently launched its Standards-Based User Groups (SBUGs) to bridge the gap between regulatory theory and operational reality. The Society said that these collaborative, industry-led networks allow safety and health professionals to move beyond compliance into practical and timely remediation strategies. Control of hazardous energy and LOTO is a specific ASSP SBUG.

Occupational health and safety and health management systems

ASSP’s statement said that it was pleased to see the panelists understand and appreciate the need to implement effective management systems addressing occupational safety and health. ASSP said that it is viewed as the global leader on this issue, as the Society publishes occupational safety and health management systems standards addressing a wide range of industries.

This includes general industry in addition to construction and demolition operations. The Society recommends the implementation of the applicable national consensus standards (such as ANSI/ASSP Z10, ANSI/ASSP/ISO 45001 and the ANSI/ASSP A10.1 Standards) directly into business and organizational operating systems.

ASSP said that this initiative ensures that safety and health are treated not as a standalone compliance metric, but as a core driver of operational excellence and business strategy.

Integrating AI and emerging technology

As highlighted in ASSP’s 2026 AI Taskforce white paper, “AI and the Evolving Role of EHS Professionals,” technology must serve as a partner to the safety and health profession.

The Society said that it supports the integration of artificial intelligence for predictive risk modeling and real-time hazard monitoring, provided these tools are implemented with a focus on worker trust, transparency and human-centric design.

Health as foundational infrastructure

ASSP said that its 2026 Corporate Listening Tour confirmed that workforce stability, mental health and psychological safety are foundational to a productive workplace. The Society said that it urges the Subcommittee to recognize that worker well-being is not a "soft" secondary concern, but essential infrastructure for a resilient and safe American workforce.

The Society is also an active partner of the Workplace EHS Coalition. The coalition is dedicated to improving occupational safety and health by significantly reducing SIFs while strengthening the organizational bottom line. ASSP said that its core principles offer valuable insights for Subcommittee members and stakeholders committed to workplace safety.

The Society added that it remains committed to serving as a trusted advisor to both industry and government, and looks forward to continuing its work with the Subcommittee to ensure every worker returns home safely at the end of their shift.