ABC Highlights Safety Gains from STEP Program
Jobsite incidents fall by 85% for ABC STEP members, per ABC’s 2025 Safety Report, supporting safer crane and rigging operations.
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) has released its 2025 Health and Safety Performance Report, offering insight into jobsite safety outcomes and best practices that significantly reduce incidents in the construction and crane sectors. The report coincides with Construction Safety Week, May 5–9, 2025.
Drawing from over 1 billion work hours tracked across crane, rigging and construction projects in 2024, the report highlights how contractors using ABC’s STEP Health and Safety Management System reported jobsite incident rates 658% safer than the industry average. These top-performing companies also saw an 85% reduction in total recordable incident rates (TRIR).
“Transforming the status quo to set the expectation that all incidents are preventable creates a culture where health and safety are elevated to core values,” said Greg Sizemore, ABC vice president of health, safety, environment, and workforce development.
Key Findings for Crane and Rigging Operations:
- New Hire Orientation: In-depth safety orientation led to a 52% reduction in TRIR and a 56% drop in DART (Days Away, Restricted or Transferred) rates.
- Substance Abuse Prevention: Companies with strong drug and alcohol testing protocols experienced a 52% lower TRIR and 55% lower DART rate.
- Toolbox Talks: Daily briefings resulted in 78% and 79% reductions in TRIR and DART, respectively.
- Executive Involvement: Top-level engagement contributed to nearly 50% lower incident rates.
- Leading Indicators: Tracking proactive safety activities cut TRIR by 59% and DART by 60%.
ABC’s report reinforces the importance of leadership, training, and data-driven safety practices across crane operations and heavy lifting environments.
“The 2025 Health and Safety Performance Report and STEP will help any contractor or supplier reinforce their commitment to the well-being of their workforce,” Sizemore added.
Now in its eighth year, the report is based on real-world data from ABC STEP member firms and aims to guide companies in implementing or improving safety strategies to protect workers and reduce downtime.
The 2025 report is sponsored by DEWALT, a Stanley Black & Decker brand. Contractors can begin or enhance their safety journey by visiting abc.org/step.
