Construction Safety Week serves not only as a reminder of the importance of established safety protocols, but also as a platform for new ideas, fresh perspectives, and an industry-wide recommitment to both physical and mental well-being. While traditional practices remain vital, construction leaders across the country are looking at ways to push safety efforts further.

Construction Dive spoke with several environmental, health and safety executives from leading firms including Jacobs, Clayco, Shawmut, Turner, and more, asking what aspects of safety need greater focus to advance jobsite protection. Their answers highlight a broad view of safety that encompasses planning, mental health, human factors, and company culture.

Integrating Human Performance and Data

For Jeff Palombo, vice president of safety at Robins & Morton, addressing human error and leveraging data are critical next steps. “A couple of areas that contractors and safety experts should pay more attention to in order to continue improving jobsite safety are the integration of human performance methodologies and data-driven decision-making,” he said.

Palombo explained that focusing on factors that contribute to human error — such as latent organizational weaknesses or error precursors — can help contractors intervene before incidents happen. “Contractors use this understanding to reduce the likelihood and severity of workplace incidents with the integration of consequence-control strategies, building resilience to failure,” he said.

By collecting and analyzing observational data, Palombo added, companies can pinpoint error-prone conditions more accurately and adjust strategies in real time.

Mental Health as a Safety Priority

Hannah Waters, vice president of global health, safety, and environment at Jacobs, emphasized that psychological well-being must be part of the safety conversation. “In addition to focusing on high-risk activities and onsite safety, our industry could pay more attention to mental health and well-being,” she said.

She noted that stress and other mental health challenges can directly influence decision-making and overall safety. “Providing support resources, promoting open communication and fostering a supportive work environment can help mitigate stress, improve overall job satisfaction and ultimately influence safe and secure decision-making,” Waters said.

To address these issues, Jacobs developed One Million Lives, a free mental health check-in tool aimed at giving workers resources for mental health self-assessment and proactive strategies for improvement.

It Starts with a Plan

Todd Friis, senior vice president of risk management at Clayco, pointed to planning as a simple yet often overlooked foundation for jobsite safety. “Planning. It sounds basic, but planning is where safety starts and often where it fails,” Friis said.

He warned that rushed schedules or incomplete plans can lead to unnecessary risks. “We set up site-specific safety plans for the project that take into account the requirements of our program, plus state and client requirements, before the project even starts,” he explained. Subcontractors are also required to create their own safety plans tailored to their scope of work.

Additionally, Friis said daily coordination meetings, weekly look-ahead meetings, and pre-task safety analyses help crews proactively identify and address safety issues each day. “We find time and time again that the projects and contractors that place a lot of emphasis on making solid plans consistently result in having some of the highest safety performance,” he said.

Creating Respectful, Inclusive Jobsites

Shaun Carvalho, chief safety officer at Shawmut Design and Construction, believes that treating trade partners with respect — physically and psychologically — is critical to fostering a safer industry. “Ensuring trade partners have a good, safe experience that is built on respect — both physical and psychological — is vital to the industry’s future,” Carvalho said.

He noted that trade workers often work for multiple contractors each year, and it’s essential that construction managers align on providing strong health resources and inclusive workplaces where everyone can thrive.

Shared Responsibility

Steve Spaulding, chief environmental, health, and safety officer at Turner Construction, argued that safety must extend beyond the safety department. “First, we need to move beyond the idea that safety is solely the responsibility of the ‘safety expert.’ Safety belongs to everyone,” Spaulding said.

He emphasized that every worker on a jobsite must feel empowered to speak up for their own safety and their coworkers’. “That’s what All In Together (this week’s theme) means to me: a culture of shared responsibility and collective care,” Spaulding said.

He also stressed the importance of proactive planning for high-risk activities and praised the industry’s progress on both physical and psychological safety. “Ultimately, the goal is to strengthen a culture where the worker is more important than the work — here safety isn’t a checklist, but a mindset and a mission,” Spaulding said. “It’s about daily acts of care that reflect who we are and what we value.”

Building a Strong Safety Culture

Tricia Thibodeaux, vice president of health, safety, and environmental at Fluor, added that cultivating a culture of care and engagement can motivate workers to prioritize safety. “Contractors and safety experts should focus on cultivating a strong safety culture through demonstrated care and management engagement,” she said.

When workers feel valued, Thibodeaux noted, they’re more likely to follow safe practices, report hazards, and actively participate in safety efforts. “Culture can be elevated through regular safety meetings, open communication channels and visible leadership involvement in safety initiatives,” she said.

Addressing Mental Health Risks

Lonnie Schock, environmental health and safety leadership team member at DPR, pointed out that the construction industry’s high rates of mental health challenges and suicide require more attention. “We believe that ongoing improvements require a focus beyond the typical ‘physical safety’ environment to include holistic/whole-health approaches, including the expansion of the industry’s focus on mental health,” Schock said.

He called for greater awareness, education, and destigmatization around mental health conversations in construction. “Having a better understanding of personal wellness, nutrition and mental health will help engage teams and lead to safer projects and a safer industry overall,” Schock said.

Construction leaders agree: the next frontier of safety isn’t just about rules and equipment, but about people — their bodies, their minds, and the culture they work within.

Originally reported by Zachary Phillips in Construction Dive.