Safety professionals have the opportunity to be recognized for their accomplishments with the 2026 J. J. Keller Safety Professional of the Year (SPOTY) Awards, which are now open for applications and nominations.

Safety professionals may apply for or be nominated for the SPOTY Awards by completing a form at JJKeller.com/SPOTY. Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. Central Standard Time on July 31, 2026.

Since J. J. Keller & Associates began the SPOTY Awards in 2002, the program has grown to be a highly prestigious recognition of the often unsung environmental, health, and safety (EHS) heroes who dedicate their careers to ensuring employees return home safely to their families at the end of each shift.

The SPOTY Awards’ official rules include the following:

• Three Award Categories Based on Size of Organization. The SPOTY Awards recognize outstanding safety professionals in three categories based on company size: Small, Medium, and Large. Awards are presented to one winner in each category, recognizing the diverse challenges safety professionals face within their organizations.
• Open to Customers of J. J. Keller in the United States and Canada. The SPOTY Awards are open to safety professionals whose companies are J. J. Keller customers and who work in the U.S. or Canada.
• Choice in Prize Packages. Each SPOTY winner can choose a key element of their prize package based on their preferences and needs. Depending on the prize they choose, a winner’s prize package could be valued at up to $47,200.
• The following prizes will be awarded to each SPOTY Award winner in each size category (for the highest-scoring submission complying with Official Rules):
• Donation of USD $1,000 to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization selected by the winner
• A SPOTY Awards plaque
• USD $750 toward J. J. Keller Safegear PPE

Choice of Free Access to J.J. Keller Tools

The winner will have the choice of one of the following:

• A free one-year subscription to the J. J. Keller Safety Management Suite for the winner and their staff (up to 10 users), including 500 e-learning training enrollments per user, plus data sharing across users (to be used by May 31, 2027)
• A free one-year membership to the J. J. Keller Compliance Network, including the winner’s choice of a Hazmat Edge or Environmental Edge upgrade
• A free one-year Advanced Plus subscription to the J. J. Keller Training Management Service, with up to 2,499 enrollments and a virtual reality headset
• A free one-year, one-seat subscription to J. J. Keller Leave Manager, with the integration of the winner’s HRIS system

Judging and Award Timeline

The judging panel for the SPOTY Awards will be comprised of more than 75 of J. J. Keller’s experts in safety and compliance.

Winners will be publicly announced via a media release in September 2026 and will be featured in a J. J. Keller webcast in October 2026.