The annual Health and Safety report from Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) shines the light on practices proven to reduce jobsite incidents. More safety and less harm is of course good for people—and business, so read on for data driven pointers about what to focus on in the busy homestretch of 2025.
Action Steps for Injury Prevention
Analysis of the over 1 billion hours logged by contractors participating in ABC’s STEP Safety Management System in 2024 has found measurable safety gains. Specifically, as Allyson Sherrier reports, these five safety practices, consistently implemented, are linked to lower injury and incident rates on construction job sites:
1. Comprehensive new hire orientation
Companies that go beyond basic compliance training during onboarding see a 52% drop in TRIR (Total Recordable Incident Rate) and 56% fewer DART cases (Days Away, Restricted or Transferred).
2.Robust substance abuse policies
Drug and alcohol testing programs where permitted are associated with a 52% lower TRIR and a 55% reduction in DART rates.
3.Daily toolbox talks
Contractors holding brief, daily safety discussions experience a 78% drop in TRIR and a 79% drop in DART compared to those that conduct them monthly.
4.Executive-level engagement
Companies with active involvement from top management report a 49% lower TRIR and 52% fewer DART incidents.
5.Use of leading indicators
Tracking and acting on proactive safety measures — such as training hours or hazard observations — correlates with a 59% reduction in TRIR and 60% reduction in DART.
The complete annual report from ABC is available here: 2025 Health and Safety Performance Report. Greg Sizemore, ABC vice president of health, safety, environment and workforce development underscores: “The findings in this report show what’s possible when leadership and teams commit to proven safety systems … .The STEP process gives any company — large or small — a clear roadmap to improving safety. Together, we can build jobsites that are not only productive, but safe and sustainable for everyone involved.”
Launched in 1989, STEP “provides a no-cost framework for contractors and suppliers to benchmark and strengthen their safety systems.” In addition to following the STEP process, construction leaders working to improve safety on the job are reminded to resist unrealistic expectations in the push for speed. Safety is not just about doing the right things at the right times when convenient: a culture of safety must always be the priority. Industry professionals at the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations remind us that pressure to accelerate is the safety hazard at the root of so many devastating incidents and injuries:
The push to shorten project timelines can lead to compounding errors during construction, and existing infrastructure is not getting the maintenance and repairs it needs … .Speed is a problem from two fronts … .When owners shorten a project schedule, the architect may not be finished by the start of construction. Engineers are told that the designs will be looked at sometime down the road, but an opportunity for review doesn’t always happen … .On the construction side, contractors often struggle to find enough especially if there’s a building boom in the region. As a result, they may try to get work done quickly while they still have labor available.
Avoid the trap of being pushed to accelerate a project past what is viable, by keeping a steady focus on creating and maintaining a strong culture of safety. Doing so really helps to put prevent issues from snowballing, as the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations underscores: “If a company has made safety a core value and won’t accept a less-safe alternative, they will then push harder to negotiate from a position of strength and confidence in the product of their company and their abilities to get the right amount of time….If you’re negotiating from a position of weakness because of whatever reason — you underbid, you’re not totally qualified — errors become compounding errors and start to multiply. It’s rarely one bad decision that causes a construction site problem….”
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