Construction Safety Leaders Push for Predictive Risk Models and Digital Contractor Oversight
Event summary
- EcoOnline’s 2026 North America Construction Safety and Operations Forum highlighted three priorities: earlier signals for serious harm prevention, standardized safety systems, and stronger contractor site readiness.
- AtkinsRéalis’ Dan MacLeod emphasized shifting focus from Total Recordable Injury Frequency (TRIF) to Serious Injury and Fatality (SIF) prevention as a forward-looking risk metric.
- Verdantix projects $1.5B in control of work software spending by 2030, with 40% of high-risk firms planning increased investment.
The big picture
Construction safety is evolving from reactive compliance to proactive risk modeling, driven by tighter project timelines and digital tool adoption. EcoOnline’s forum underscores how mid-tier contractors are leading this shift, with software vendors capturing growing share of operational oversight budgets. The industry appears poised for a $1.5B+ control-of-work software market by 2030 as firms prioritize predictive harm prevention over historical injury metrics.
What we're watching
- Predictive Safety Models
- How construction firms will operationalize high-potential near-miss tracking to reduce SIF incidents.
- Software Adoption
- Whether standardized digital systems can reduce supervisor friction while improving contractor competency.
- Market Dynamics
- The pace at which control of work software spending accelerates beyond Verdantix’s $1.5B projection.
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