Event Takeaways 2025 AFPM National Occupational & Process Safety Conference

Jennifer McKeon and Vikki Sanders represented JMJ at the recent 2025 AFPM National Occupational & Process Safety Conference, held in Austin, Texas (May 13–15). This annual gathering brought together safety, operations, and industry leaders for thoughtful discussion and collaboration on some of the most pressing safety challenges facing organizations today. 

Here, Jennifer and Vikki share a few of their key takeaways from the event: 

• Shifting political and market pressures. Discussions explored how regulatory uncertainty, pushback on EV policies, tariffs, and tax shifts are contributing to market instability and making long-term planning in the sector difficult. 

• Leadership gaps are growing. As experienced EHS professionals retire, there’s concern that the next generation may lack a personal connection to the safety incidents that shaped today’s standards. This raises questions about how to keep hard-won safety lessons alive. 

• Safety must be shared, not siloed. A strong theme across sessions was the need to move beyond individual blame and build cultures of shared accountability, learning, and full engagement with safety data. 

• Mental health is a safety issue. Sessions highlighted the importance of proactive mental health support on project sites, particularly for migrant or remote workers. Real-world examples showed how early intervention can save lives and improve well-being. 

The event’s more targeted focus, compared to some broader industry conferences, attracted attendees who are deeply engaged in process safety. This created some fantastic opportunities for meaningful conversations and strategic networking.  

Thanks to AFPM for organizing the event and to the speakers and everyone who contributed to a thought-provoking and productive two days.  

Were you at the event? What stood out to you? 

We’d love to hear your thoughts. Drop us a message to continue the conversation.