May is a critical month for reinforcing safety practices across worksites, offices, and field teams. As seasonal conditions shift and industry-specific campaigns take place, safety managers and operations leaders can use this time to boost awareness, align on safety protocols, and support both physical and mental health.
This guide covers key safety topics to bring into your next safety meeting, with recommendations that align with current best practices in occupational safety. Use these insights to build stronger habits, prevent incidents, and set the tone for a safer season.
Address Everyday Hazards: Slips, Trips, and Falls
Falls remain one of the top causes of non-fatal injuries. May is a smart time to walk your site and address common hazards that lead to these incidents. Clear pathways, secure electrical cords, and improve lighting in all walkable spaces. Make sure wet floor signage is in place and regularly used. Reinforce the importance of wearing proper footwear and fall protection, along with reporting hazards early.
When you include this topic in your next safety meeting, reviewing real examples from your workplace helps employees connect policies with real risks.
Quick Tips:
- Secure loose electrical cords and mats that could catch a boot or tire.
- Improve lighting in stairwells, hallways, and outdoor pathways.
- Post wet floor signs near entrances and recently cleaned areas.
- Keep aisles and exits free of clutter and stored materials.
Revisit Heat Safety Before Summer Arrives
As temperatures rise, the risk of heat illness grows. Teams working in hot indoor spaces or outdoors need clear, enforced protocols for hydration, rest breaks, and acclimatization.
Incorporate heat illness prevention into regular safety meetings. Provide reminders about symptoms like dizziness and nausea, and emphasize that speaking up about heat exhaustion is encouraged. Ensure your team has access to shaded areas and clean drinking water throughout the day.
Quick Tips:
- Provide cooling stations or portable shade tents at outdoor sites.
- Encourage team leads to enforce scheduled hydration breaks.
- Monitor new or returning workers more closely during hot weather.
- Educate teams on the early symptoms of heat-related illness.
Prioritize Mental Health During Stressful Seasons
May is also Mental Health Awareness Month, and it’s a valuable opportunity to highlight emotional safety alongside physical safety. Long hours, demanding schedules, and limited downtime can all increase the risk of burnout and disengagement.
Use safety meetings to normalize discussions about stress, sleep, and work-life balance. Offer resources like Employee Assistance Programs, share wellness tips, and train supervisors to recognize when team members may need support. A psychologically safe workplace is more productive and more resilient.
Quick Tips:
- Share hotline or local mental health resources in break rooms.
- Encourage daily check-ins between supervisors and their crews.
- Offer stress-relief techniques like breathing exercises or short walks.
- Train leaders to spot signs of anxiety, depression, or burnout.
Prepare for Storm Season With Emergency Readiness
Emergency preparedness should never be an afterthought. Storm season in many regions begins in late spring, making May the ideal time to revisit evacuation plans and check emergency supplies.
Update signage, review communication protocols, and run a drill if you haven’t in the past six months. Walk through evacuation routes and ensure employees know their roles in different types of emergencies. Stock first aid kits and make sure they are accessible and fully supplied.
Quick Tips:
- Test emergency alarms and lighting in all buildings.
- Designate and train team captains for each department or area.
- Confirm emergency contact lists are up to date.
- Restock first aid kits and make sure they are easy to find.
Enforce Electrical Safety With Practical Reminders
Electrical hazards are often invisible until it’s too late. During National Electrical Safety Month, make time to refresh teams on essential electrical safety tips. Review who is authorized to perform electrical work and confirm that all tools and panels are inspected regularly.
Add this topic to your next safety meeting agenda. Focus on how to prevent electrical accidents. We recommend maintaining cords, reporting heat around outlets, and using personal protective equipment. Simple awareness steps like these can save lives and prevent long delays caused by preventable incidents.
Quick Tips:
- Never overload circuits or use frayed extension cords.
- Unplug unused equipment and inspect it before each use.
- Keep water and liquids away from all electrical sources.
- Require lockout/tagout training for relevant roles.
Improve PPE Usage Through Better Engagement
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is effective only when used properly. Unfortunately, it’s easy for teams to become complacent. Use this month to reinforce which PPE is required, how to wear it correctly, and how to check it for damage.
Rather than issuing blanket reminders, include PPE checks as part of your safety walkthroughs. Use your regular safety meetings to show employees the proper way to inspect and maintain gloves, hard hats, eye protection, and more.
Quick Tips:
- Replace damaged or expired PPE immediately.
- Store PPE in clean, dry, clearly labeled locations.
- Use checklists to ensure the right PPE is worn on each job.
- Train new hires on when and why PPE is required.
Driving Safety: Reduce Risk Behind the Wheel
Increased travel during warmer months can lead to more vehicle-related risks. Organizations with mobile crews or fleet drivers should focus on distracted driving and fatigue prevention.
Go over key policies in your next safety meeting. Encourage proper rest and the use of hands-free devices. Routine vehicle inspections are also key. Perform preventative checks for brakes, fluids, and more to reduce the risk of breakdowns or collisions.
Quick Tips:
- Schedule routine maintenance for all fleet vehicles.
- Ban texting while driving and require hands-free calls.
- Allow time for breaks on long-distance travel days.
- Review vehicle accident procedures regularly.
Construction Safety Week: Value Every Voice on the Jobsite
May 5–9 marks Construction Safety Week. The 2025 OSHA theme, “Value Every Voice,” is a reminder that communication is central to a safe jobsite. Involve everyone in discussions, from field leads to new hires, and create opportunities for workers to raise concerns or suggest changes.
Interactive toolbox talks, quick site demos, and peer-led discussions are all ways to show that leadership is listening. Make this part of your regular safety meeting structure, not just a one-week initiative.
Quick Tips:
- Let crew members lead a safety discussion once a week.
- Use anonymous suggestion boxes to gather feedback.
- Recognize employees who speak up about unsafe conditions.
- Schedule small-group chats to discuss job-site risks.
Fall Protection: Review the Details That Prevent Injury
Slips, trips and falls are still one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities. National Safety Stand-Down Week, also May 5–9, is an ideal moment to pause work and focus on fall prevention.
Review harness inspection, anchor point use, and proper ladder positioning for effective fall protection. Encourage your team to walk the site and flag fall hazards. Make fall protection a permanent part of your safety protocols and revisit it frequently in future safety meetings.
Quick Tips:
- Inspect harnesses and lanyards before every use.
- Keep ladder bases on level, stable surfaces at all times.
- Use guardrails or fall arrest systems near open edges.
- Tag and remove damaged fall protection gear immediately.
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Book a demo today to see how Safety Mojo transforms safety programs into smarter, more proactive systems that support every worker on your team.
Need more seasonal safety topics? Start planning today with our June Safety Topics article.
