Report: Contractors Are Improving Safety Practices but Gaps Persist Across the Industry
A new CPWR and Dodge Construction Network report shows progress on heat safety and worker well-being programs, but smaller firms lag behind in implementation and data use.
- By Stasia DeMarco
- Oct 27, 2025
Construction contractors across the United States are making measurable progress in addressing worker safety and health, but many still have work to do to fully implement effective safety practices, according to new findings from the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) and the Dodge Construction Network.
The Safety Management in the Construction Industry 2023 SmartMarket Report highlights a growing awareness of jobsite hazards such as heat stress and mental health — yet reveals persistent gaps, particularly among smaller firms.
More than half of contractors surveyed said they’ve implemented changes in the past three years to prevent heat-related illnesses, and two-thirds report having a formal heat-safety policy in place. However, the report found stark differences by company size. Among firms with fewer than 20 employees, only 21 percent made recent changes to address heat exposure, and one in five said they don’t consider heat stress a safety issue at all.
The research also underscores a widening divide in access to health and wellness programs. Larger contractors — those with 100 or more employees — are significantly more likely to provide formal programs addressing mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention. Eighty percent of large firms said they have such initiatives, compared with just 29 percent of small contractors.
Overall, 52 percent of all contractors expressed interest in receiving more resources and guidance on worker well-being topics such as stress management and opioid use. By contrast, fewer than four in ten identified ergonomics and lifting-related hazards as training priorities, even though musculoskeletal injuries remain among the most common and costly in construction.
“Employers need to provide workplaces that control recognized hazards, including heat,” said CPWR Executive Director Chris Trahan Cain. “Many firms are showing that protecting their workers from excessive heat is good for safety and good for business, but this report shows many still are not.”
The report also found a strong connection between early worker engagement and improved safety performance. Among contractors that used seven or more engagement activities during pre-project or pre-task planning, 94 percent reported higher worker participation, 84 percent saw reductions in recordable injury rates, and 60 percent experienced productivity gains.
Data management emerged as another area for improvement. Nearly one-quarter of contractors that collect project safety data said they never analyze it — missing opportunities to identify trends, predict risks, and enhance overall safety performance.
The findings suggest that while many contractors are moving in the right direction, smaller firms often lack the dedicated personnel or resources needed to sustain comprehensive programs. CPWR researchers emphasized that free online tools, stronger worker engagement, and better data utilization could help close these gaps and elevate safety standards across the construction industry.
About the Author
Stasia DeMarco is the Content Editor for OH&S.