


The Safety Plateau: Why Traditional Approaches Aren’t Enough
For over 10 years, construction safety has hit a plateau, with ~40 deaths per year in the UK (HSE data). Despite improved processes and safety management systems, incidents still happen.
- More rules don’t mean better safety
- Compliance ≠ culture change
- Workers hesitate to speak up due to fear of blame
The Shift: Moving from “Preventing What We Don’t Want” to Creating a Positive Safety Culture.

The Swiss Cheese Model: Why Incidents Still Happen
Construction sites are hazardous—working at heights, heavy equipment, electrical risks, and more. Safety barriers (processes, training, and rules) exist, but no barrier is perfect.
Gaps (holes) in these barriers lead to incidents.
What’s causing the holes?
- Human behavior risks: Ignoring PPE, taking shortcuts, failing to report incidents.
- System risks: Overly complex procedures, “tick-box” safety culture, lack of worker input.
- People & culture risks: Fear of blame, distrust of management, poor safety culture from past workplaces.
How PepTalk Helps: We engage with the workforce to identify these hidden gaps and provide actionable insights to close them.
Download the Safety Gaps Swiss Cheese Explainer
The Power of Perception: Why Engagement Matters
Workers act based on how they perceive safety. If they see it as policing rather than protecting, they disengage.
When workers are engaged:
✔ 64% fewer safety incidents
✔ 41% reduction in quality defects
✔ 14% increase in productivity
✔ 23% increase in profitability
✔ 66% improvement in wellbeing
(Source: Gallup)
PepTalk shifts safety from a policing function to a protection mindset—workers engage because they see the value.
See how the platform can help your team here
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