The Safety Headquarters concludes 2024 with the success of the Stars Program
Apr 6, 2025
By: Attorney Shikma Levi Ezra
A workforce crisis, security constraints, and countless other challenges. 2024 was not an easy year for the construction industry, but the "engine of the economy" continues to race and also records quite a few achievements and successes.
Below is a brief overview of the quarterly report of the Safety Headquarters - the Safety Stars Program, which was recently published and deals not only with the last three months of the year but also constitutes a summary for 2024. The association explains that the report is published in order to implement several key goals:
· Reflect information for managers and decision- makers - present managers and decision-makers with a comprehensive overview of the main activities and tasks carried out by the Association's Safety Headquarters during 2024 and in the fourth quarter in particular, while addressing the challenges following "Iron Swords."
· Provide an up-to-date snapshot – Provide an up-to-date snapshot designed to assist in drawing conclusions, formulating recommendations for improvement, and ongoing monitoring of relevant data. The report's authors emphasize that through systematic measurement of data, it is possible to assess the effectiveness of existing processes and identify weaknesses that require additional response.
· Outline plans for the future to 2025 – provide ideas and explanations for the future.
The report's opening highlights the momentum in the construction industry, which is reflected in the sky dotted with cranes and in new towers being inaugurated every morning. Add to this the enormous challenge of restoring the destruction in the north and south that lies before Israeli construction companies, and the urban renewal that continues to take root in the urban space.
By: Attorney Shikma Levi Ezra
A workforce crisis, security constraints, and countless other challenges. 2024 was not an easy year for the construction industry, but the "engine of the economy" continues to race and also records quite a few achievements and successes.
Below is a brief overview of the quarterly report of the Safety Headquarters - the Safety Stars Program, which was recently published and deals not only with the last three months of the year but also constitutes a summary for 2024. The association explains that the report is published in order to implement several key goals:
· Reflect information for managers and decision- makers - present managers and decision-makers with a comprehensive overview of the main activities and tasks carried out by the Association's Safety Headquarters during 2024 and in the fourth quarter in particular, while addressing the challenges following "Iron Swords."
· Provide an up-to-date snapshot – Provide an up-to-date snapshot designed to assist in drawing conclusions, formulating recommendations for improvement, and ongoing monitoring of relevant data. The report's authors emphasize that through systematic measurement of data, it is possible to assess the effectiveness of existing processes and identify weaknesses that require additional response.
· Outline plans for the future to 2025 – provide ideas and explanations for the future.
The report's opening highlights the momentum in the construction industry, which is reflected in the sky dotted with cranes and in new towers being inaugurated every morning. Add to this the enormous challenge of restoring the destruction in the north and south that lies before Israeli construction companies, and the urban renewal that continues to take root in the urban space.
Decline in work accidents – a welcome trend
The Contractors Association notes positively the decrease in the number of work accidents in 2024, which was the safest year for construction workers in Israel in the last five years (except for 2022, which was an even more favorable exception).
The report extols the slogan " Excellence is a culture that strives for zero errors " and emphasizes that mistakes on construction sites, including "small and honest ones," can come with an "unbearable price tag."
The report's editors note that dealing with safety regulations on construction sites was an essential part of the Safety Headquarters' activities in 2024. This includes frequent participation in Knesset discussions - both in the State Audit Committee and the Labor Committee. This is with the aim (as stated in the report): " to regulate the issues of responsibility and authority of workers, managers, entrepreneurs, executors and other functionaries in the construction industry ."
In this regard, we note that in recent years there has been a growing trend towards updating the "liability hierarchy" for accidents on construction sites, including beyond the three main factors currently in place: the construction contractor, the client, and the construction manager. This phenomenon also has implications for liability for incidents at the tort level, and as a result, the validity and strength of construction insurance.
The Contractors Association notes positively the decrease in the number of work accidents in 2024, which was the safest year for construction workers in Israel in the last five years (except for 2022, which was an even more favorable exception).
The report extols the slogan " Excellence is a culture that strives for zero errors " and emphasizes that mistakes on construction sites, including "small and honest ones," can come with an "unbearable price tag."
The report's editors note that dealing with safety regulations on construction sites was an essential part of the Safety Headquarters' activities in 2024. This includes frequent participation in Knesset discussions - both in the State Audit Committee and the Labor Committee. This is with the aim (as stated in the report): " to regulate the issues of responsibility and authority of workers, managers, entrepreneurs, executors and other functionaries in the construction industry ."
In this regard, we note that in recent years there has been a growing trend towards updating the "liability hierarchy" for accidents on construction sites, including beyond the three main factors currently in place: the construction contractor, the client, and the construction manager. This phenomenon also has implications for liability for incidents at the tort level, and as a result, the validity and strength of construction insurance.
One of the main topics in the report is the "Safety Stars Program" of the Israel Builders Contractors Association. A program designed to bring about a profound cultural change in the construction and infrastructure industry in Israel, with a focus on improving the level of safety on work sites.
The program offers a holistic framework that leads participating companies to high efficiency and excellence, through the implementation of the Safety Star specification. This is to create a uniform standard that aims to embed a safety culture in the construction industry. Companies are certified on tracks that range from one star to five stars (gradually), and companies that take part in the project are perceived as attractive to entrepreneurs and the public.
The Safety Stars program was launched in 2020 at the initiative of the Joint Safety Headquarters of the Israel Builders Contractors Association and the Construction Workers' Federation, with the support of the National Insurance Fund and the Foundation for the Encouragement and Development of the Construction Industry in Israel. As of today, approximately 196 construction companies in Israel are participating in the program: 32 of them hold a 5-star rating, 41 a 1-star rating, and an additional 35 with ratings of 2 to 4 stars.
The Star Program is gaining real momentum.
Last year, the Safety Headquarters of the Contractors Association began allowing leading 5-star companies ("star companies") to self-certify subcontractors and small contractors who work with them, on the path to receiving the first star. A certification stage called "gold stars."
The association believes that the move is indicative of the trust the industry has in the Safety Stars program and its values. The construction sites of companies in the Stars program are the safest in Israel. For example, about 4 out of 5 fatal accidents on construction sites in 2024 occurred on sites of companies that are not part of the program. In other words, joining the Stars program may ensure that the contracting company significantly reduces the risk to its employees on sites, with all that this implies.
From an insurance perspective, this is a critical web of advantages - less compensation for damages, maintaining a clean reputation with insurance companies, and a significant decrease in the resources required to handle insurance procedures for work accidents. In light of the current complex landscape of the construction insurance industry, which is experiencing real difficulties due to policy changes among reinsurers abroad, any trend toward reducing accidents on sites is welcome.
The report highlights the enormous efforts invested in the past year in changing the management culture of safety on construction sites in Israel, which were expressed in various ways on the ground:
· An increase of approximately 20% in the number of companies certified for safety stars.
· As of December 2024, there were approximately 64 companies in the process of being certified for First Star.
· Focusing on the MASHAV – command and control readiness, including intervention plans to streamline and improve readiness for carrying out construction work.
· Foreign workers – The Safety Headquarters assisted in the absorption of foreign workers in the construction industry in Israel, including the recruitment of construction companies and manpower corporations (foreign workers) and the establishment of threshold conditions in the form of a practical safety workshop for each foreign worker.
Another interesting statistic is that approximately 14% of work accidents in the construction industry occur during renovation work, which is quite a significant proportion. The most dangerous areas in the construction industry are, of course, working at height (approximately 54% of accidents) and falling heavy objects (14%).
"Starred" sites are the safest in Israel
Plans for 2025
· Establishing the status of the Stars Program - Continuing to strengthen the Safety Stars Program as a leader in the construction industry. Including accompanying companies in the certification renewal process and expanding the adoption of safety standards in companies already certified for the program. Integrating contractors into the "Golden Star" model to expand the scope of participating companies.
· Promoting legislation and regulation - accompanying legislative processes and safety regulations, with an emphasis on defining responsibilities and authorities at construction sites and the obligation to undergo safety workshops for employees.
· Practical workshops - updating and implementing a model for practical workshops led by the Safety Headquarters, including encouraging life-saving technologies and encouraging innovation to increase safety on construction sites.
· Updating the accident investigation model – moving to a new model of safety incident analysis, focusing on preparedness, control and monitoring (MSHV).
· Strengthening the status of safety assistants – improving the training of safety assistants who have a more significant role on construction sites.
· Safety organization of construction sites – creating a safer environment through early planning to prevent unexpected events.
· Increasing awareness and outreach – promoting educational activities to create a cultural change in the field of safety in the construction industry.
" The Star Program works ," says Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Ben-Reuven, head of the safety headquarters at the Israel Builders Contractors Association, in the report. " It drastically reduces safety incidents and accidents on sites. It improves the efficiency and profitability of the company and brings the contractor to a much better and higher quality place ."
· Establishing the status of the Stars Program - Continuing to strengthen the Safety Stars Program as a leader in the construction industry. Including accompanying companies in the certification renewal process and expanding the adoption of safety standards in companies already certified for the program. Integrating contractors into the "Golden Star" model to expand the scope of participating companies.
· Promoting legislation and regulation - accompanying legislative processes and safety regulations, with an emphasis on defining responsibilities and authorities at construction sites and the obligation to undergo safety workshops for employees.
· Practical workshops - updating and implementing a model for practical workshops led by the Safety Headquarters, including encouraging life-saving technologies and encouraging innovation to increase safety on construction sites.
· Updating the accident investigation model – moving to a new model of safety incident analysis, focusing on preparedness, control and monitoring (MSHV).
· Strengthening the status of safety assistants – improving the training of safety assistants who have a more significant role on construction sites.
· Safety organization of construction sites – creating a safer environment through early planning to prevent unexpected events.
· Increasing awareness and outreach – promoting educational activities to create a cultural change in the field of safety in the construction industry.
" The Star Program works ," says Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Ben-Reuven, head of the safety headquarters at the Israel Builders Contractors Association, in the report. " It drastically reduces safety incidents and accidents on sites. It improves the efficiency and profitability of the company and brings the contractor to a much better and higher quality place ."
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