Safety Week 2026: Building Skills, Confidence, and a Stronger Safety Culture

The Southeastern States District Office celebrated Safety Week 2026 with a full slate of trainings, demonstrations, and team‑building activities that strengthened staff readiness both in the office and in the field. Held the week of May 4, this year’s event was the first district‑wide Safety Week in several years and brought employees together across disciplines to sharpen skills and reinforce a culture of preparedness. 

The week opened Tuesday with an introduction to core safety principles followed by a self‑defense session led by a local gym. Staff practiced situational awareness, defensive posture, and simple protective maneuvers, along with an energetic boxing component that kept participants active and engaged. That afternoon, teams conducted field‑hazard assessment exercises and drafted risk analyses to reinforce habits for identifying dangers during inspections, fieldwork, and routine duties. 

The day concluded with a visit from the Flowood Fire Department, whose firefighters led a mock fire drill and provided hands‑on fire‑extinguisher training, helping staff feel more confident using essential emergency equipment. 

Midweek, the focus shifted to field readiness. On Wednesday, Wildlife Biologists from the Mississippi Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks delivered a memorable training featuring live poisonous snakes, reptile identification tips, and guidance on treating bites and stings from reptiles, insects, spiders, and mites. These insights are especially valuable for staff working across the district’s 11‑state region, from the bayous of Louisiana and Florida to the mountains of Arkansas, Georgia, and Virginia. The day wrapped up with safety‑equipment reviews emphasizing proper use of personal protective equipment, hard hats, and safe‑lifting practices—reinforcing that safety is both procedural and mindset‑driven. 

Safety Week concluded Thursday with training on HAZMAT and HAZCOM, covering environmental, chemical, and waste‑related hazards and how to interpret safety labels. Employees from the Wild Horse and Burro Program and Petroleum Engineering Technicians also demonstrated safe trailer‑hitching and tire‑changing techniques, highlighting real‑world scenarios where proper execution prevents injuries. 

The enthusiasm and collaboration throughout the week underscored the district’s strong commitment to ensuring every employee goes home safely. As District Safety Officer Joe Edmonds noted, “It is an understatement when one states that the safety of staff is a crucial priority. This is especially true here at SSDO, where the Wild Horse and Burro staff travel to adoptions across 11 different states, and Petroleum Engineering Technicians do site inspections in some of the most rugged locations of the Southeast. I am very pleased that Safety Week went off without a hitch, and was both a very enjoyable, even exciting, and most of all, informative experience for everyone.”