Zurich Construction shares data, trends in digital magazine

Construction risks have evolved rapidly in recent years, extending beyond jobsites. Motor vehicle/auto losses — which can involve construction workers or others behind the wheel — have surged in severity.

To address these risks and help enhance safety, Zurich Construction has created a digital magazine, Zurich Construction Insights. The first edition focuses largely on Casualty, sharing data and experience from Zurich’s leadership in construction risk management to help project owners and contractors get their construction crew members home safe after a day’s work.

“We’re all vested in confronting the acute challenges in areas such as auto, not to mention the ever-present Focus Four Hazards,” Kelly Kinzer, Head of Construction for Zurich North America, writes in her introduction to the magazine. The Focus Four Hazards are incidents defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration as falls, struck-by, caught in or between, and electrocution, which are perennial risk concerns on construction jobsites.

The first Construction Insights article, “What Zurich Construction’s Claims Experience Says About Worker Safety,” reveals that motor vehicle-related deaths have surpassed other causes of fatalities in Zurich’s Construction Casualty portfolio.

“A decade ago, Focus Four incidents such as falls and struck-by incidents far exceeded motor vehicle accidents as causes of catastrophic injury and death,” said James Savage, Head of Construction Casualty for Zurich North America. “In the past two years, motor vehicle accidents were far and away the No. 1 cause of what seriously injured a worker.”

Savage added, “These issues are not always the insured’s fault, with 40% of auto fatalities resulting from third-party actions, according to Zurich U.S. Construction data.”

Zurich Construction colleagues share some of the innovative ways Zurich is collaborating with brokers, owners, contractors and crews to mitigate risks and enhance safety in relation to auto and Focus Four Hazards. One example:

“We’ve been piloting technology-focused loss prevention programs that integrate use of assets like fixed-point cameras with services from Zurich Risk Engineers,” said Megan Jameson, Zurich Construction Technical Director. “Customers can review highlights of footage and verify observations and make recommendations based on what they see.”

A look at sustainability in construction

The second magazine article, “Why Sustainability Has Gained Ground in Construction,” highlights steps taken in the private and public sector to support sustainable methods and materials in construction. Zurich North America’s Alicia Pavelko, Head of Construction Innovation and Sustainability; Climate Director David Edsey; and Patrick McBride, Head of Construction Property, offer observations of progress made and the path forward to help reduce construction’s carbon footprint and mitigate the impacts of severe weather.

“There’s been exciting progress on substitutes for materials and methods that have been shown to be less environmentally friendly,” McBride said. “Take concrete. It’s said to be responsible for 8% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. Some municipalities have passed mandates requiring a substitute for a portion of the cement used on a job. One way to reduce the embodied carbon content of concrete is by replacing a portion of the cement with materials such as fly ash and slag. This newer formulation is increasingly being used by contractors and subcontractors.”

Contractual requirements from upstream parties and pledges from trade organizations also are helping to drive progress on net-zero construction practices, Pavelko and Edsey add.

Construction trends in 2024

The closing article, “Where Do We Go From Here?” identifies key trends and dynamics that will impact construction in 2024, including the ripple effects of inflation, severe weather, technology advancement and legalization of marijuana.

Zurich is developing a pilot that uses new technology to detect impairment risks in real time, including impairment caused by marijuana use, alcohol use or fatigue — something traditional testing methods are not able to detect.

“We understand the realities of the year 2023,” Pavelko said, “and so we need to be thoughtful and strategic and find innovative ways to keep people safe.”

The path forward

Commenting on recent conversations with brokers and customers, Kinzer said she is encouraged by the energy around addressing risks, particularly as 2024 is shaping up to be a year of continued investments in major manufacturing and infrastructure projects in the U.S. Read more about that here.

“Risk awareness is high,” Kinzer said, “and I’m happy to say all stakeholders share a strong commitment to supporting innovative approaches to safety on jobsites, in auto fleets and beyond. Our Zurich teams are excited to help provide risk management support for our customers’ endeavors in the year ahead and well beyond.”

Read Construction Insights