Major construction firms are working to standardize safety terminology across jobsites as part of Construction Safety Week 2026, aiming to reduce confusion and improve hazard recognition among workers.
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Despite ongoing safety efforts, workers identify only 45% of jobsite hazards during pre-job planning, according to the Construction Safety Research Alliance. Even when risks are recognized, terminology often varies significantly between projects, creating gaps in communication that can increase the likelihood of serious injuries or fatalities.
To address the issue, Safety Week’s executive team is proposing a unified framework built around three key classifications: “high hazard,” “high energy” and “STCKY,” or “stuff that can kill you.” These categories are designed to better identify and communicate the most dangerous jobsite conditions — those most likely to lead to serious incidents, often referred to as SIFs.
The push for standardized language is being led by top construction executives, including Adam Jelen, CEO of Gilbane Building Co. and chair of the Construction Safety Week executive committee.
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“We sought to simplify jobsite language and reduce gaps in recognition for workers across jobsites,” Jelen told Construction Dive.
While much of the terminology already exists — including OSHA’s Focus Four hazards — the initiative aims to unify various safety concepts under a single framework. Tools such as the “Energy Wheel” and STCKY classification charts visually map out hazards like gravity, motion and environmental risks, offering workers a clearer and more consistent way to identify dangers.
The goal is to create a shared understanding across all levels of the workforce, from frontline laborers to executive leadership, improving communication and enabling faster, more effective responses to potential risks.
Contractors say that identifying hazards earlier in the construction process is critical to reducing risk. Increasingly, safety planning is beginning during the project pursuit phase rather than waiting until preconstruction.
“Usually we know, okay, we’re going to have a jobsite here, let’s go visit the site and identify the scope of work. We’re going to have steel erection, we’re going to have excavation. Let’s start the conversation months in advance,” said Hal Wheatley, corporate safety director for Manhattan Construction. “It’s a lot easier to mitigate a hazard earlier in the process than it is, say, if you try to mitigate it the day before work starts.”
Similarly, Steve Spaulding, senior vice president and chief environmental health and safety officer at Turner Construction, emphasized the importance of analyzing worker behaviors and planning for risk mitigation beyond basic compliance.
“What we’re really trying to look at is the behaviors that allow for life threatening injuries on the jobsite, or any type of hazard that can be controlled that would prevent an injury,” said Spaulding.
In some cases, contractors attempt to eliminate hazards altogether through design changes or scheduling adjustments. When risks cannot be avoided — such as working at height — companies are focusing on deeper education and planning.
“What we see a lot of the time is that the planning says, ‘Hey, you got a fall hazard, make sure you’re tied off.’ And we want to make sure that that planning is ‘What is the anchorage point?’” Spaulding said. “It’s not that you’re tied off, it’s that you’re tied off to the right anchorage point.”
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Leadership involvement is also critical. Jesse Torres of Granite Construction said safety must begin at the top and be integrated into early project planning.
“It comes from the leadership of each organization. It comes through engineering, pre-construction services, before it even gets down to the skilled craft, with the frontline supervisor,” Torres said. “Because by that point it should be eliminated or engineered out. It’s the last checkpoint.”
At the same time, firms stress the importance of involving workers directly in safety planning. Shaun Carvalho of Shawmut Design and Construction said engaging craft workers ensures that those closest to the jobsite have a voice in identifying and managing risks.
“If they’re part of the task to deliver the task, the operation, they need to be part of creating that plan,” Carvalho said.
As the construction industry continues to prioritize worker safety, leaders say adopting a common language could be a critical step toward reducing preventable injuries and saving lives.
Originally reported by Zachary Phillips, Senior Editor in Construction Dive.
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