Nearly two-thirds of construction firms surveyed said they have implemented a program aimed at preventing serious injuries and fatalities, commonly called SIFs, according to the Construction Safety Research Alliance’s annual Safety in Practice Report.
Researchers reviewed responses from 72 construction firms and looked at seven safety concepts as part of the survey. The report also found an increase in HECA adoption. It said 26% of surveyed firms implemented a HECA program last year, up from 20% in 2024. Another 44% said they plan to implement a HECA program, up from 38% the prior year.
For mason contractors and other specialty trades, the findings land on a familiar jobsite challenge. Crews need a clear plan for preventing high-severity events, and leadership needs a way to measure progress without getting pulled into paperwork that does not reduce risk on the wall. The report noted that 63% of firms do not have safety metrics tied to management or employee incentives or bonuses, or metrics used to track regulatory compliance.
The report also pointed to concerns about leadership overreaction and misplaced focus on low-severity recordable injuries. Among the 24 respondents, or 33%, who tie incentives for executive to middle leadership to safety performance metrics, the most cited reason was building organizational commitment to safety.
CSRA emphasized that the report is not an endorsement of any specific safety activity or best practice. It said the topics were researched and their connection to SIF prevention was tested through empirical, peer-reviewed academic literature, with a goal of facilitating learning and discussion.
Read the full, original article from Safety+Health Magazine here.