Stop the STCKY’s: Preventing Fatal Injuries in Construction

November 19, 2025

Construction is one of the most high-risk industries in the world — but the most serious injuries and fatalities aren’t caused by random “accidents.” They’re rooted in a small set of high-energy, high-consequence hazards that show up again and again on job sites. Our latest safety resource, Fatal Injury Trends in the Construction Industry (see the links at the bottom of this post), emphasizes why recognizing and controlling these hazards — known as STCKY’s (Stuff That Can Kill You) — is essential to preventing life-changing events on the job.

The Deadliest Construction Hazards Haven’t Changed — and That’s the Problem

Most construction fatalities continue to come from four familiar categories:

  • Falls from height

  • Struck-by incidents

  • Caught-in or caught-between events

  • Electrocutions

These hazards are considered STCKY events because they involve high energy and have a high likelihood of causing severe injury or death when things go wrong.

Spotting a STCKY Before It Strikes

A task becomes a STCKY when it involves any of these factors:


  • High-energy sources like electricity, heavy equipment, suspended loads, or working at heights

  • A situation where a single loss of control could be catastrophic

  • Limited protection if something fails (e.g., unprotected trenches, missing guardrails, working under suspended loads)


To help identify these hazards early, teams must ask one simple question during every pre-task plan: “What here is Stuff That Can Kill You?” This question often uncovers hidden risks before a tool is ever lifted.

Compliance Isn’t Enough: STCKY’s Require Higher-Level Controls

It’s clear that meeting minimum OSHA requirements doesn’t sufficiently reduce STCKY exposure. Instead, crews must apply a full hierarchy of controls:


  • Elimination and avoidance — remove or redesign the hazard when possible

  • Engineering controls — guardrails, trench boxes, barriers, exclusion zones

  • Administrative controls — STCKY-specific permits, pre-lift meetings, “pause points”

  • PPE — used only as the final line of defense


When STCKY’s are present, stronger controls and heightened supervision are non-negotiable.

Everyone Has a Role in Preventing Fatalities

Supervisors & Foremen

  • Lead STCKY-focused discussions every day

  • Stop work when critical controls are missing

  • Verify life-saving protections in the field

Workers

  • Speak up when something feels unsafe or high-energy

  • Use Stop Work Authority confidently and without fear

  • Follow life-saving rules every time, no exceptions

Safety Managers

  • Audit job sites for SIF exposure, not just PPE compliance

  • Track how many STCKY hazards are identified and corrected

  • Investigate all near misses for their potential severity

These shared responsibilities create a proactive safety culture.

The Bottom Line: Track Exposures, Not Just Injuries

Four impactful reminders for every job site:


  1. Identify STCKY’s on every project and shift.

  2. Engineer them out or plan safer alternatives before work begins.

  3. Never sacrifice life-saving controls for productivity or convenience.

  4. Measure success by reducing hazard exposure, not just recordables.


If construction teams consistently focus on the stuff that can kill you, serious injuries and fatalities can be prevented — ensuring every worker goes home safely at the end of every shift.

Fatal Injury Trends Fatal Injury Trends - Spanish