Associated Builders and Contractors has published its 2026 Health and Safety Performance Report, with findings directly relevant to drywall, ceiling and specialty trades contractors managing risk, labor and productivity on active jobsites. The report links structured safety systems to measurable reductions in total recordable incident rates and days away, restricted or transferred rates.

ABC reports that contractors participating in its Safety Training Evaluation Process Health and Safety Management System achieved incident rates 686 percent safer than the U.S. construction industry average reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Participants reduced TRIR by 85 percent, indicating strong correlation between formalized safety processes and field performance.

STEP, established in 1989, functions as a no-cost benchmarking and self-assessment platform. Contractors evaluate safety programs against defined criteria, allowing identification of gaps in planning, hazard mitigation and workforce engagement. For interior finishes contractors, this has direct implications for high-risk tasks such as overhead work, scaffold use, material handling and silica exposure controls.

The report draws on more than 1.3 billion work hours across multiple construction segments in 2025. It identifies several practices with clear impact on incident reduction:

• Daily toolbox talks: Associated with 59 percent lower TRIR and 61 percent lower DART rates compared to monthly frequency. For wall and ceiling crews, this supports consistent communication on sequencing, access and coordination with other trades.
• Substance abuse prevention programs: Linked to 55 percent reductions in TRIR and 57 percent in DART, addressing a persistent risk factor affecting jobsite safety and reliability.
• Structured safety meetings: Reduced TRIR by 52 percent, reinforcing consistent messaging and accountability across crews and supervisors.
• Front-line worker engagement: Delivered 55 percent lower TRIR, underscoring the value of crew input in identifying hazards such as material staging conflicts or ceiling grid access constraints.

The report also outlines six leading indicators critical to proactive safety management: project safety planning, executive leadership involvement, use of leading and trailing indicators, incident investigation, and behavior-based safety observations. These elements align with pre-task planning and hazard analysis practices already familiar to many finishing contractors.

From a field execution standpoint, the findings reinforce that safety performance is tied to planning discipline and communication frequency—not just compliance. Contractors integrating these practices may see secondary benefits, including reduced rework, improved crew retention and stronger bid positioning where safety metrics are prequalification criteria.

ABC positions the report as a practical framework for improving jobsite outcomes while addressing ongoing labor pressures. With skilled labor availability still constrained, lower incident rates can directly affect workforce stability and project continuity.

The report was released in conjunction with Construction Safety Week, emphasizing industry-wide focus on hazard reduction and workforce protection.

Any construction contractor can be a STEP participant. Visit abc.org/step to learn more.