The J. J. Keller Center for Market Insights in collaboration with the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) has released their 2025 Construction Industry Safety Challenges study.
This benchmark report gives construction professionals an idea of today’s pressing safety and compliance issues and how these issues are affecting job site practices and overall performance. The study covers areas ranging from the greatest safety and compliance challenges to top unmet needs, approaches to safety performance, PPE usage, training program initiatives, advanced technology adoption, and employee mental health and wellness.
Key industry insights
- Labor shortages (38%), rising material costs (35%) and job site safety (32%) were the top three challenges cited by respondents.
- 54% reported that inconsistent wear by workers was the greatest challenge to PPE practices.
- 51% take employee mental health only “somewhat seriously” or “not at all seriously.”
- 48% were only “somewhat confident” to “not confident at all” their current training prepares employees to perform the job safely and in compliance with regulations.
- 38% lack a proactive approach to safety and regulatory compliance.
The full study is available for free to the public via J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. or the ASSP website.
What people are saying
“Improving safety in construction requires current data to help us better understand the obstacles that safety professionals face every day,” says Ray Chishti, senior EHS editor at J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. “Real-world insights are essential for building safer, healthier job sites, and this study provides a critical picture of where the industry stands and where it needs to go to strengthen safety cultures.”
“In an industry where safety risks are prominent, understanding the unique challenges faced by construction professionals is critical for creating a safer future,” says Gabriel Atencio, CSP, CHST, STSC, Administrator of the Construction Practice Specialty member community at ASSP. “This study uncovers the current conditions in order to spark essential conversations and drive meaningful change toward a safer working environment for everyone involved.”
