High-risk industries like mining, construction, and oil & gas face significant safety challenges and strict regulatory compliance needs. Workplace accidents in these sectors remain frequent and costly – construction alone accounts for 20% of all U.S. workplace fatalities. The average cost of a single serious injury is estimated around $40,000, and a worker fatality costs around $1.39 million (in direct and indirect costs). For construction, this adds up to $11.5 billion in accident costs per year.

Beyond the human toll, these incidents incur downtime, liability, and compliance penalties. Large firms often operate across the U.S., Canada, and globally, adding complexity to safety management. Obra’s safety and compliance workflow platform is designed to tackle these challenges – streamlining safety processes, ensuring regulatory compliance, and turning “dark” safety data into actionable operational intelligence.

The construction industry remains one of the most hazardous workplaces, but 2024 is proving to be a turning point. New data and technologies are converging to dramatically improve safety on job sites. Despite decades of regulations and training, construction still accounts for a disproportionate share of workplace accidents and fatalities. In 2023, roughly one in five U.S. workplace deaths occurred in construction – a stark reminder of the risks builders face daily. In Canada, 872 construction fatalities were recorded in 2024, only a slight decrease from the prior year. These sobering figures underscore why a “zero compromise” approach to safety is needed. Fortunately, a wave of cutting-edge solutions – from AI-equipped gear to real-time monitoring platforms – is empowering construction firms to achieve unprecedented levels of field visibility, compliance, and operational intelligence. This post explores the current state of construction safety, the cost of inaction, and how OBRA’s technology is helping to build a safer future.

Mining is an industry of colossal scale and inherent danger – where operations span from deep underground tunnels to vast open pits and processing plants. Yet, the narrative of mining safety is gradually shifting from one of unavoidable tragedy to one of prevention and control. As we enter 2024, global mining safety data reveals record improvements alongside enduring challenges. For example, the U.S. mining sector recorded 28 fatalities in 2024, one of the lowest figures in history. South Africa’s mining industry saw fatalities fall to 42 in 2024 – the lowest ever on record, a 24% improvement over 2023. These milestones prove that systematic safety efforts and technology adoption can yield dramatic results, even in high-risk sectors. However, early 2025 reminders – such as a spike of 5 U.S. mining deaths in January alone – underscore that constant vigilance is required to sustain progress. This post examines the state of mining safety in 2024, explores how real-time operational intelligence is revolutionizing risk management, and highlights why OBRA’s sharp, data-driven approach is perfectly suited to help mining companies achieve the goal of Zero Harm.

The oil and gas industry operates at the extremes – from deepwater drilling rigs battered by ocean storms to vast refinery complexes handling volatile chemicals. With such inherently hazardous operations, safety has always been a central concern. Yet, 2024 marks a new chapter for oil & gas safety, defined by advanced data-driven strategies and a relentless push toward proactive risk management. Industry data reveals a complex picture: while total work hours have increased and some rates improved, the sector still experienced tragic incidents. Members of the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) reported 32 fatalities in 2024, a slight increase from the previous year.

However, thanks to a 26% surge in hours worked, the overall fatal accident rate actually dipped to 0.77 per million hours – a 6% improvement. In other words, the industry got busier but, proportionally, a bit safer. This paradox of “more activity, fewer accidents per activity” is a testament to stronger safety management, though every loss of life remains unacceptable. In this post, we explore how oil and gas companies are reimagining safety in 2024 through cutting-edge technology and culture shifts. We’ll see how OBRA’s field visibility and operational intelligence platform aligns perfectly with the needs of this high-risk sector, ensuring compliance and saving lives from the oilfield to the refinery.