Energy-Based Safety: A Scientific Approach to Preventing Serious Injuries and Fatalities (SIFs)

by Matthew R. Hallowell

Overview

For the past two decades, workplace safety has improved in reducing minor injuries, yet the rate of serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs) has remained unchanged. Research has revealed that the hazards causing minor injuries are not the same as those leading to fatalities, making traditional safety approaches insufficient. Energy-Based Safety: A Scientific Approach to Preventing Serious Injuries and Fatalities (SIFs) presents a science-backed strategy for SIF prevention, built on four core principles that emphasize the role of hazardous energy, the power of effective controls, and the critical influence of workers in shaping safety outcomes.

This book is a useful resource for those committed to saving lives and delivering change in workplace safety through new ways of injury prevention. Divided into two parts, it firstly explores the research behind EBS and investigates each principle with evidence, case studies, and practical insights from real-world implementation. The second part focuses on incorporating EBS into existing safety practices, from design and work planning to incident learning and performance measurement.

Through reading this book, readers will gain practicable tools and methods to enhance safety programs, making SIF prevention effective and sustainable in their workplace Written for safety professionals, Energy-Based Safety: A Scientific Approach to Preventing Serious Injuries and Fatalities (SIFs) is an enlightening read for industry leaders in occupational health and safety and practitioners responsible for workplace safety and occupational risk.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781041076339
Publisher:	CRC Press
Publication date:	09/26/2025
Pages:	210
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Matthew Hallowell is a President’s Teaching Scholar and K. Stanton Lewis Professor of Construction Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, USA. He is the Founder and Executive Director of the Construction Safety Research Alliance and Safety Function, LLC, advising major industry groups and Fortune 500 companies. He has over 150 publications and nine best paper awards to his name and is a leading voice in worker safety. He delivers over 20 keynotes annually and his work extends to podcasts, media appearances, and online training.

Table of Contents

1. Addressing the SIF Plateau. 2. Introduction to Energy-Based Safety (EBS). 3. Recognizing Hazards using the Energy Wheel. 4. High-Energy Hazards: How to Find the Stuff That Kills You (STKY) 5. Direct and Alternative Controls 6. Human Factors of Energy Control. 7. Design and Pre-Work Planning. 8. Pre-job Safety Briefs and Management of Last-Minute Change. 9. Safety Walks and Leadership Engagement 10. Measuring and Monitoring Safety with High-Energy Control Assessments (HECA^TM). 11. Safety Classification and Learning (SCL) Model. 12. Ten Steps for EBS Integration and Ten Lessons Learned. Glossary. Appendices.