TRMA | January Newsletter

January 2026

Safety Excellence Starts with You

Nominations are now open for TRMA’s 2026 Safety Awards, recognizing outstanding safety leadership and impact across our membership. Help us honor both seasoned professionals & rising safety leaders at the TRMA Annual Awards Dinner on March 26.

Submit your nominations by January 31, 2026, and celebrate those who inspire safer workplaces and stronger safety cultures.

Chairperson Award Application

Next Generation Award Application

Contractor Safety Awards Application

New Year, New Safety Goals

A new year brings a fresh opportunity to reflect, refocus, and recommit to what matters most—keeping our people safe. January is an ideal time to take a step back, review last year’s incidents and near misses, and set clear, achievable safety goals for the year ahead. Strong safety cultures aren’t built overnight; they’re built through consistent training, engaged leadership, and a shared commitment at every level of the organization.

As you plan for the year, consider evaluating your training needs. Are refresher courses due? Have job roles, processes, or regulations changed? Will you be onboarding new employees who need foundational safety training? Addressing these questions early helps prevent gaps and reinforces safe behaviors before problems arise.

TRMA, is your Safety Council, and we’re here to help. With a broad catalog of general Computer-Based Training (CBT) courses and the ability to support site-specific and customized training needs, we can serve as your one-stop safety training partner. Whether your goal is to strengthen your safety culture, improve compliance, or simplify training delivery, we’re ready to support your 2026 safety resolutions—one course, one team, and one safe decision at a time.

“Slow Down. Ice Ahead.”

Winter roads can be unpredictable. Black ice, snow, and reduced visibility make commuting dangerous. Remind employees to slow down, increase following distances, and keep headlights on at all times. Encourage them to prepare their vehicles with winter essentials: an ice scraper, jumper cables, warm clothing, and emergency supplies. At work or at home, planning ahead before hitting the road helps prevent accidents. Safety starts with preparation.

Will County’s water future is taking shape. Local leaders, industries, and environmental partners gathered on November 12 to advance a collaborative aquifer recharge strategy, exploring data needs, reuse opportunities, and site priorities. The morning began with a networking breakfast sponsored by ExxonMobil, Joliet Refinery. Learn what’s driving this momentum—and the important next steps ahead.

Full Recap

TREP Announces the 2026 Safety Poster Contest!

The Three Rivers Education Partnership (TREP) is excited to launch this year’s Safety Poster Contest, inviting students to put their creativity to work in promoting a culture of safety. Building on the wonderful success of last year’s competition—where students illustrated smart ways to recognize and eliminate hazards—this year’s contest continues the mission of encouraging young people to think proactively about safety in all aspects of life.

Students are challenged to design posters that highlight the importance of preventing accidents and making safe choices at home, school, work, and play. Whether through vivid artwork, powerful messages, or clever concepts, each poster will help reinforce the essential role that safety awareness plays in protecting ourselves and those around us.

TREP looks forward to seeing the imagination and insight students bring to the 2026 contest. Their contributions not only deepen their own learning but also inspire our community to stay committed to safety every day.

For more details, including contest guidelines and deadlines, contact Maisie Vrba at Maisie@trma.org