Survey: Two-Thirds of Construction Firms Now Have SIF Prevention Programs
According to Safety+Health Magazine, nearly two-thirds of construction firms have implemented a program to prevent serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs), based on a new survey from the Construction Safety Research Alliance.
Market Impact
The CSRA’s annual Safety in Practice Report surveyed 72 construction firms on seven safety concepts, including SIF prevention programs, high-energy control assessments (HECA), and how firms use lagging indicators like total recordable incident rate. HECA adoption is rising fast: 26% of firms implemented a program in the past year, up from 20% in 2024, and another 44% plan to roll one out, up from 38% the year before.
The survey also found that 63% of firms don’t tie safety metrics to management or employee incentives, bonuses, or compliance tracking. Among the 33% that do link incentives to safety performance, the CSRA reports the top reason cited is building organizational commitment to safety, though respondents also flagged concerns about leadership overreacting to low-severity recordable injuries. CSRA emphasized the report “is not an endorsement of any specific safety activity or best practice,” noting that its research topics are tested against peer-reviewed literature to spark discussion rather than dictate a single approach.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Expect general contractors to increasingly ask about SIF prevention programs and HECA adoption during prequalification, since two-thirds of surveyed firms already have programs in place.
- If your firm ties safety bonuses to total recordable incident rate alone, know that a growing share of the industry views that metric as a weak proxy for serious injury and fatality risk.
- Review how your crews assess high-energy exposures on site (falls, mobile equipment, energized systems) since HECA-style programs are moving from early adoption toward mainstream use.
- Watch for GC-level incentive structures shifting away from lagging indicators toward leading indicators, which could change how safety performance is scored on your contracts.
- Use the CSRA report as a discussion starter with clients and crews rather than a compliance checklist, since the alliance stresses it does not endorse specific practices.
