Saddle Up for Summer Safety 2026
This year, we’re expanding from education and events during National Safety Month to a Summer of Safety with Ryerson! Inspired by the determination of the men and women of the American Frontier, the Summer Safety 2026 theme is True Grit Means Working Safe Each Day.
This year we’re excited to expand our National Safety Month events to Summer of Safety with Ryerson! This year’s theme, True Grit Means Working Safe Each Day, is inspired by the determination of the men and women of the American Frontier whose relentless resilience and mental toughness kept them going through difficult circumstances.
Pioneers were dependable, resilient and optimistic. They focused on the opportunities ahead of them, embracing failure as part of the ongoing quest for improvement. Let’s saddle up for a Safety Summer that gives us all a chance to show our True Grit!
Education, Events & Prizes
Summer Safety 2026 is divided into two four-week campaigns: Hand Safety (6/21-7/18) and Material Handling Safety (7/19 – 8/15). All Ryerson and Olympic Steel locations are divided into categories based on warehouse headcount, so your location will ‘compete’ against like-sized locations. Click here to view teams. From 6/21-7/18, you can earn points for your team by completing any of the tasks below. When you complete a point-earning task, notify your Safety contact so they can record the task and tally your location’s points. The team with the highest number of points (after both campaigns) will win lunch and prizes!
ROPE IN SAFETY: Cowboys and cowgirls are never without their trusty rope! The same applies to employees in manufacturing – you need to have the right tools to do your job. When we think about hand hazards, could we use a no-touch tool to reduce our risk of injury? Events in this category help you identify hand hazards, trial no-touch tools and implement risk reduction opportunities.
TRAILBLAZER:
A Trailblazer is a pioneer in identifying new ideas and challenging the status quo. When we identify hand hazards, the next step is to blaze a trail forward, identifying how to reduce our risk or eliminate the hazard. Events in this category push the team forward to implement solutions that eliminate hand hazards.
POINT POSITION: In the Old West, the Point Position was the wrangler who rode at the front of the herd, guiding the path and taking the lead. In this event, we encourage you to become a leader in Safety, helping guide your coworkers to a path that keeps them and others safe.
LOOKING AHEAD
We’ll share more about the second half of Summer Safety, Material Handling Safety, in July. In the meantime, if you have any questions about activities or if you don't receive your Summer Safety t-shirt by the end of June, please reach out to your local Safety contact.
Safety First. Always. And, it starts with me.
