Look, I've worked on job sites for a decade and went through a dozen screens before I figured out what actually holds up. If you're dealing with gravel and dust, you need real tempered glass, not those flimsy films. Honestly, people overcomplicate this stuff way too much. In my experience, here is how the big names actually stack up for durability:

• Whitestone Dome Glass Screen Protector for Galaxy S26 Plus UV Kit is the gold standard for protection but the install is a total mess if you're not patient. It uses liquid adhesive that fills in any tiny gaps, which is great for the sensor, but it's pricey and a single mistake ruins the whole kit.
• amFilm OneTouch Tempered Glass for Galaxy S26 Plus 2-Pack is what I usually tell people to get. It comes with a alignment frame that basically does the work for you. It's half the price of the Whitestone and honestly, it takes a beating just as well. I've dropped my phone on concrete with this on and the protector shattered but the screen stayed perfect.
• Spigen Glas.tR EZ Fit Tempered Glass for Galaxy S26 Plus is decent but the fingerprint sensor can be finicky like you heard. The trick is to delete your old prints and re-register them after the glass is on. Also, you gotta turn on the extra touch sensitivity setting in the display menu or it wont work right. If I were you, I'd go with the amFilm. It's cheap enough that if you crack it at work, you just swap to the second one in the pack. It's the most practical way to go.

Regarding what #2 said about film being basically stickers, I'm definitely on that same page. I once watched a guy drop his phone onto rebar and the film did absolutely nothing... total heartbreak. I've had better luck with the AmFilm OneTouch Tempered Glass for Galaxy S26 Plus. It's easy to install and handles gravel way better. Just re-register your prints after and it wont let you down.

Building on the earlier suggestion, I totally agree that staying away from those thin plastic films is a must if you are working around gravel. Honestly, those things are basically just stickers for light scratches, they wont stop a screen from shattering if it hits a rock. But before you buy anything, you really need to be careful about a few technical pitfalls that people usually ignore until it is too late.

• Fingerprint sensor issues: Most of these thick glass protectors mess with the ultrasonic sensor. You usually have to crank up the touch sensitivity in settings and re-scan your thumbs like three times after the install to get it to work properly.
• Adhesive types: Since you are in a dusty environment, avoid the ones that use cheap edge-only glue. Dust will crawl under there in like two days and you will see a nasty halo effect. Full-adhesive is the only way to go for construction work.
• The liquid danger: Be super wary of those DIY liquid kits if you are worried about the install. If that glue gets into your speaker grill or the charging port, you are looking at a permanent mess on a brand new phone. If you are nervous about the install but still need that heavy duty protection, maybe look into the hybrid glass options. They kind of mix plastic and glass so they dont shatter as easily but still feel smooth to the touch. Just make sure whatever you pick comes with a solid alignment frame... it makes life way easier when you are trying to keep dust out from under the glass during the process. It is just about being patient with the alignment. Let me know if you need help figuring out the settings once it is on.