BOSTON — Safety practices across the U.S. construction industry are improving, with small contractors driving much of the recent progress, according to a new report released by Dodge Construction Network in partnership with CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training.
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The Safety Management in the Construction Industry 2026 SmartMarket Report, funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, highlights growing adoption of safety practices but underscores uneven progress in critical areas such as preconstruction planning, technology use and mental health support.
“Every construction worker should go home safely every day, but more than 1,000 died on the job in 2024,” said Chris Trahan Cain, CPWR’s executive director. “This report shows where managers and owners are improving safety and health for workers and where they need to do more.”
One of the report’s key findings is the rapid increase in safety engagement among small contractors, particularly those with fewer than 20 employees.
Compared with 2023, more small firms reported adopting online safety training, offering employee assistance programs and implementing multiple methods to assess and mitigate heat exposure risks. These firms are improving faster than their midsize and large counterparts, even though they still trail in overall adoption of formal safety systems.
“While small contractors still lag larger firms in the overall use of formal safety management practices,” said Donna Laquidara-Carr, industry insights research director at Dodge Construction Network, “the data clearly shows they are increasing their commitment to protecting workers and improving health and well-being at a faster rate than in previous studies.”
Preconstruction safety planning has become nearly universal, with 95% of contractors reporting that they create health and safety plans before work begins. However, only 43% involve a safety director in that process — a gap that the report links to measurable differences in outcomes.
Firms that include safety directors report reduced injury rates, improved worker engagement and better project performance, including gains in productivity and schedule adherence.
Despite progress in some areas, the report highlights ongoing challenges in adopting advanced technologies and expanding mental health support.
Less than half of contractors use emerging safety technologies such as predictive analytics, wearable sensors and virtual reality training, even though these tools can help prevent incidents and improve jobsite awareness. More commonly used technologies, such as building information modeling, laser scanning and drones, are often deployed primarily for productivity rather than safety purposes.
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“This suggests significant untapped potential for contractors to leverage technology more strategically to improve safety on the jobsite,” Laquidara-Carr said.
The study also points to continued gaps in mental health support across the industry. While more companies now offer employee assistance programs, only 46% of contractors provide them. Small firms showed the greatest increase, but adoption remains lower than among larger companies.
Work conditions also contribute to stress, with 52% of contractors reporting that workers frequently face long commutes exceeding 100 miles or overnight stays — factors that can increase fatigue and negatively impact well-being.
In addition, while most contractors report implementing heat mitigation strategies such as hydration, rest breaks and environmental monitoring, fewer small firms have formal written heat illness prevention plans compared with larger organizations.
Industry leaders say the findings highlight both meaningful progress and the need for continued focus on comprehensive safety strategies.
The report is based on a nationwide survey of general contractors and specialty trade contractors and marks the seventh edition of Dodge’s SmartMarket safety studies.
Originally reported by Business Wire.
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