By Steve Latham, UFG Risk Control Technical Manager
 
Every May, Construction Safety Week brings together safety advocates, risk management professionals and leaders in the construction industry to raise awareness about the importance of jobsite safety. As the campaign slogan says, we’re “all in together” to build a workplace culture that holds safety efforts to high standards.
 
One of those high standards is hazard recognition, or the ability to identify high-energy hazards on the jobsite. When workers know how to recognize dangerous situations, and how to respond, serious injuries may be avoided.
 
Related reading: How to create safer construction crews in 4 simple steps

According to an article in the “Journal of the American Society of Safety Professionals,” employees only recognize about 45% of jobsite dangers. That means more than half of potential hazards may go unnoticed without proper training.   An energy wheel is a simple and effective hazard recognition tool that some studies show can boost recognition by 30%.

What is a high-energy hazard?

When you hear “high energy,” high-voltage electricity may be one of the first things that comes to mind. But it’s important to understand that high-energy hazards include more than electrical threats alone. Stored energy (potential) and kinetic energy (movement) can also create dangerous risks.
 
A few examples of high-energy hazards on a construction site may include:

• Chemical fire
• Electrical shock
• Falls from heights
• Momentum from falling objects
• Moving machinery or heavy equipment that may pinch, crush or roll

Some risks are easy to identify, such as a worn machine part or exposed wiring. But other energy-based hazards are hidden, and that’s where the energy wheel comes in. 

What is an energy wheel for construction?

An energy wheel helps reinforce the different elements of energy-related hazards, expanding hazard awareness to include things that pose a hidden safety risk. 
 
These energy-based threats include:

• Biological (look for things that are living organisms)
• Chemical (look for things that can harm health)
• Electrical (look for things powered by electricity)
• Gravity (look for things that can fall)
• Mechanical (look for things that rotate or turn)
• Motion (look for things that move)
• Pressure (look for things powered by force)
• Radiation (look for things that can damage skin cells)
• Sound (look for things that make noise)
• Temperature (look for things that can burn or freeze)

Each high-energy hazard has a place around the wheel with an associated icon. This visual creates a clear educational tool that encourages broader thinking and quicker recognition of potential dangers. 

Download an energy wheel example.

How can an energy wheel be used for toolbox talks?

Use the energy wheel as a hazard recognition tool. Consider teaching your construction teams about the hidden risks of high-energy threats by using the wheel to develop your daily job hazard analysis (JHA) or by dedicating a morning toolbox talk to understanding the energy wheel. 
 
Talk with your people about the categories on the energy wheel and how they apply to the jobsite. Ask them to think about the work they’ll be doing that day. What energy exposures do they anticipate? Discuss how they can address those exposures.
 
A few trade-specific examples:

• Roofers could be exposed to threats under the electrical or gravity categories
• Site-preparation workers may be exposed to risks under the mechanical, motion, sound or biological categories
• Masonry workers could be exposed to dangers under the chemical or gravity categories

Educating workers about the hidden threats of high-energy hazards using an energy wheel may go a long way in helping them make it home safely at the end of each shift.
 
Your insurance carrier’s risk control team may offer great training resources, too. At UFG Risk Control, for example, we welcome our construction policyholders to turn to us for holistic consultative services, which include thought leadership solutions for a wide variety of risk-focused topics and access to digital resources that support safety, business resiliency and sustainability.

Respect safety all year long

Construction Safety Week 2026 creates an intentional opportunity to reflect on your construction company’s risk management strategies but, remember, maintaining a culture of safety on the jobsite is something to respect all year long. If you’re a UFG policyholder, be sure to reach out to your UFG Risk Control consultant for a helpful consultation.