Raising the Bar: The Evolution of SOCMA’s Safety Recognition Program

July 20, 2026

Safety excellence is not a destination, it’s a journey of continuous improvement. As part of our commitment to advancing safety performance across the industry, we are introducing enhancements to the 2026 Safety Recognition Program that will place greater emphasis on performance, proactive safety efforts, and continuous improvement.

These updates reflect our commitment to ensuring the program evolves alongside industry-best practices. While the program has long recognized facilities for their dedication to safety, future enhancements will increasingly focus on the actions, systems, and behaviors that drive strong safety outcomes.

Several updates will be introduced as part of the 2026 program, marking the first step in a broader, multi-year evolution of the recognition framework. Our goal is to create a program that not only acknowledges achievement but also encourages facilities to continuously strengthen their safety culture and performance.

As the program evolves, greater emphasis will be placed on leading indicators and continuous improvement while maintaining a balanced approach to evaluating overall safety performance. This approach will provide a more comprehensive view of safety excellence and better recognize facilities that are proactively working to prevent incidents before they occur.

Importantly, this is not a one-time change. The Safety Recognition Program will continue to evolve over time as we gather participant feedback, evaluate results, and identify opportunities for improvement. We are committed to ensuring the program remains meaningful, relevant, and aligned with the needs of the industry.

Key Dates
The 2026 Safety Recognition Program will open on August 3, 2026, and submissions will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. ET on September 13, 2026. We encourage all eligible facilities to begin preparing now and plan to participate.

Additional information on this year’s program updates, eligibility requirements, and submission process will be shared in the coming weeks. We appreciate the continued engagement of our members and look forward to recognizing the organizations that are leading the way in safety excellence.

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