Making Safety STCKY: A CISI Best Practice

In construction, the smallest decision can make the biggest difference. Safety isn’t just about policies or equipment—it’s about awareness, mindfulness, and action in every moment. That’s where STCKY comes in. STCKY, which stands for “Stuff That Can Kill You,” is a simple but powerful concept that reminds workers to always look out for the most serious hazards on the job site. By focusing attention on what can cause life-altering injuries or fatalities, workers are better equipped to protect themselves and their teammates.

Thanks to the collaboration of the Construction Industry Safety Initiative (CISI), STCKY has become a foundational best practice across leading construction firms.

 

What Is STCKY?

Every job site has risks—but not all risks are equal. STCKY encourages workers to pause and identify the critical hazards that could cause the most severe harm, such as:

• Falls from heights
• Contact with electricity
• Being struck by moving equipment
• Caught-in or caught-between incidents
• Stored energy releases

By identifying these hazards first, workers can make sure the proper controls are in place before work begins.

 

CISI Partners Are Driving Adoption

Through CISI’s collaboration, STCKY has been shared and adopted across dozens of companies as a core safety practice. Together, partners have:

• Embedded STCKY into pre-task planning and job hazard analyses, making it a daily focus before work starts.
• Used STCKY as a discussion point during toolbox talks and safety stand-downs, helping teams zero in on the highest risks.
• Created visual reminders and training materials to reinforce the practice on job sites.
• Shared results and lessons learned across firms, creating consistency and elevating the standard of safety across the industry.

 

Building a Safety Mindset

STCKY isn’t just a checklist—it’s a mindset. It teaches craft workers and leaders alike to think critically about what’s most important: going home safe every day. By focusing on life-threatening risks first, teams can ensure the right protections are in place, no matter the task.

This shared focus has helped CISI partners strengthen their safety cultures, empowering workers to stop and speak up when they see uncontrolled STCKY hazards.

 

A Lasting Impact

By making STCKY a key foundation of their safety best practices, CISI partners are leading an industry-wide cultural shift. They’ve turned a simple phrase into a powerful tool—one that helps keep safety front and center, every single day.

Because at the end of the day, safety comes down to this: identify the Stuff That Can Kill You and take action to control it.