ABC: best practices make sites 7x safer

Associated Builders and Contractors said on May 4 that construction companies using its safety management framework operated with incident rates 686% safer than the U.S. construction industry average. The trade group released the finding in its 2026 Health and Safety Performance Report, which tracks results from participants in its STEP Health and Safety Management System. ABC said the best-performing companies reduced total recordable incident rates by 85% compared with the industry benchmark. The report was published ahead of Construction Safety Week, which ran May 4-8 under the theme “Recognize, Respond and Respect.” ### Where does the “seven times safer” claim come from? ABC’s May 4 report ties the figure to companies participating in STEP, a health and safety benchmarking system the group says it established in 1989. The organization said top-performing ABC members achieved incident rates 686% safer than the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics construction industry average. ABC also said the report is based on submitted health and safety data and is intended as an annual guide to jobsite practices. (abc.org) The 85% reduction cited by ABC refers to total recordable incident rates, according to the report summary on ABC’s site. ABC framed the result as evidence that proactive safety practices and benchmarking correlate with lower incident rates among participating contractors and suppliers. ### Which practices does ABC say separate the better performers? ABC’s report summary says STEP gives contractors and suppliers a framework for measuring safety data and benchmarking with peers. (abc.org) The group said the report includes practical takeaways on proactive health and safety practices, though the public release summarizes the findings more than it lists every underlying control in detail. Construction Safety Week’s 2026 materials point to some of the same operating themes. The campaign’s technical bulletins say they are meant to create “a unified framework” for recognizing, responding to and respecting serious injury and fatality precursors. The bulletins describe a common approach to high-energy hazards, which aligns with the push for clearer language, stronger hazard recognition and more consistent field response. (abc.org) ### Why is standardized language showing up in the discussion? Construction Safety Week’s 2026 campaign centers on “Recognize, Respond and Respect,” and its organizers say the bulletins are designed to give teams a unified framework across jobsites. That emphasis matters because hazard controls can break down when crews, supervisors and subcontractors use different terms for the same exposure or response step. The Safety Week materials do not present that as a slogan; they present it as a way to standardize how teams identify and act on serious risks. (constructionsafetyweek.com) ABC’s report does not, in the release summary, isolate one vocabulary measure as the single driver of lower incidents. But its broader message is that structured systems and repeatable practices — rather than ad hoc site-by-site habits — are associated with better outcomes among STEP participants. ### How does emergency readiness fit into this? Construction Safety Week’s 2026 framework includes “Respond” as one of its three pillars, alongside hazard recognition and respect for high-energy exposures. (constructionsafetyweek.com) The campaign says its technical bulletins are aimed at helping teams respond to complex hazards in a more consistent way. HSENations, an HSE-focused organization, has also recently published emergency-preparedness and fire-safety content on its website. (abc.org) Its site currently promotes fire-safety coverage and broader hazard-safety services, adding to the wider industry push for preparedness alongside prevention. ### What can contractors verify next? ABC’s 2026 Health and Safety Performance Report is posted through the group’s Health & Safety Alliance and news pages. Construction Safety Week’s 2026 campaign materials, including technical bulletins tied to “Recognize, Respond and Respect,” are available through the event’s official site. (constructionsafetyweek.com) Contractors reviewing the claim can compare ABC’s published figures with the Safety Week materials released for the May 4-8 campaign. (abc.org) (hsenations.com)