Hard hats. Steel-toe boots. Safety vests. These rules are enforced because they are simple, visible and easy to document. A supervisor can drive past a site, spot a missing hard hat, and issue a warning on the spot. It creates the appearance of safety without requiring real operational change. The more complicated rules are another story.

Construction companies like to say they take safety seriously. They point to thick manuals, mandatory trainings, posted rules and written warnings issued to subcontractors. On paper, the jobsite looks orderly, compliant and well managed.