Proactive, Measurable Construction Safety Systems Work, ABC Says to Congress – Construction Citizen

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Patrick Sughrue, senior corporate director of health, safety & environmental at Cianbro Corp., Pittsfield, Maine, testified on behalf of Associated Builders and Contractors before the U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. In Sughrue’s remarks, he shared lessons contractors nationwide can glean from resources like ABC’s 2026 Health and Safety Performance Report—a guide to health and safety best practices on construction jobsites—to strengthen use of leading indicators.
Testifying at the hearing, “Building a Safer Future: Private-Sector Strategies for Emerging Safety Issues,” Sughrue explained that ABC’s annual report demonstrates how private-sector safety systems, including the use of leading indicators, are already helping contractors identify hazards, reduce risk and improve outcomes before incidents occur. The report shows that top-performing ABC members participating in ABC’s STEP^® Health and Safety Management System achieved incident rates 686% safer than the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics construction industry average, reducing total recordable incident rates by 85%.
“The lesson is clear: Proactive, measurable safety systems work,” said Sughrue. “At Cianbro, we know that safety challenges cannot be solved by looking only at what went wrong after an injury occurs. It requires committed and engaged leadership, clear communication, team member involvement and a culture of trust. In addition, it requires a proactive approach, focused on the holistic person, which is why we utilize leading indicators to help us prevent illness and injuries. Construction professionals need to be at their best at all times as the construction industry is full of risks.”
Sughrue explained that multiple layers of accountability exist when injuries occur on a project. While those include OSHA, workers’ compensation, civil risks, contractual/owner accountabilities and insurance companies, just as powerful are the consequences for damaged client relationships, workforce morale, public perceptions and reduced ability to attract talent.
“Enforcement alone cannot build an industry-leading health and safety culture,” said Sughrue. “To address emerging safety challenges, OSHA should also emphasize compliance assistance, cooperative programs, education and practical tools that help employers prevent incidents before they happen. Relying on TRIR as a primary safety metric is increasingly ineffective and counterproductive.
“In contrast, leading indicators measure the inputs and processes that prevent injuries before they occur and directly assess how well a safety system is functioning in real time,” said Sughrue. “These indicators are actionable: They tell leaders what to improve, where risk exists and who needs support—long before someone is hurt. OSHA policy should reward prevention, encourage innovation and help more employers adopt proven best practices.”
Sughrue further testified that ABC’s 2026 Health and Safety Performance Report is a blueprint for doing exactly that. It shows that, when contractors measure safety, engage workers, hold leaders accountable and commit to continuous improvement, injury rates go down.
“People are the heart and souls of the construction industry,” said Sughrue. “The purpose of every safety program should be to protect them using leading indicators.”
Watch the hearing and read Sughrue’s testimony.
Established 37 years ago, STEP is a proven system that provides contractors and suppliers with a robust, no-cost framework for measuring health and safety data and benchmarking with peers in the industry. This self-assessment tool helps participants become an employer of choice in a competitive labor market. Any construction contractor can be a STEP participant. Visit abc.org/step to learn more.
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