Since 2012, CPWR has partnered with the Dodge Construction Network to survey safety management among construction firms. The surveys have kept many questions consistent, allowing for comparisons over time, and topics have been added as they have emerged, including COVID-10, PPE, heat exposure, and mental health and substance use.

Latest report:

• • Safety Management in the Construction Industry 2026
    The latest report found that small contractors are improving safety, but gaps remain in preconstruction planning, use of technology, and mental health support.

Prior reports:

• • Safety Management in the Construction Industry 2023
    The 2023 study found increased implementation of safety and health strategies, particularly in areas such as heat and mental health, but those measures could have greater adoption across the industry.

• • Safety Management in the Construction Industry 2021
    This report showed how contractors and workers were responding to the pandemic, as well as growing efforts to use real-time data. It also revealed differences between large and small companies in their implementation of safety practices and the benefits they experience.

• • Safety Management in the Construction Industry 2020
    In this report, contractors said that jobsite worker involvement, strong safety leadership abilities in supervisors, regular safety meetings, and ongoing access to safety training for supervisors and jobsite workers were the most important factors in effective jobsite safety. There were notable differences in the practices of large and small contractors.

• • Safety Management in the Construction Industry 2017
    In addition to demonstrating the financial and project benefits for contractors from safety investments, this report showed the impact that new technologies, such as building information modeling (BIM), drones, and wearable devices, on improving safety, as well as the potential impact of Prevention through Design (PtD).

• • Safety Management in the Construction Industry 2015
    The second report’s key finding was that companies that had stronger safety cultures reported more business benefits from their safety investments than those at the low end, such as improved project quality, increased project ROI, and improved staff recruitment and retention.

• • Safety Management in the Construction Industry 2013
    The initial report found that the adoption of safety practices vary between general contractors and subcontractors, as well as small and large firms (through these factors are correlated). As in subsequent surveys, firms reported a number of benefits from a strong safety plan, including faster project schedules, higher ROI, lower budgets, and improved company reputation.

Over the years, several CPWR’s Data Reports have drawn on the results of these surveys to build understanding of conditions in the industry and how to improve safety:

• Small Establishments in Construction: Employment, Injuries, and Training (2026)
• Safety Practices Reported Among Construction Contractors (2023)
• Construction Safety Management During the COVID-19 Pandemic (2021)
• Union Effect on Safety Management and Safety Culture in the Construction Industry (2018)

We want to thank all prior report partners, as well as our association research partners. These partnerships vary each survey, but their support is invaluable in us gaining insights into construction safety management.

For questions, please contact [email protected].