
134: SIF Prevention and High Energy Control Assessments
From The Accidental Safety Pro by HSI
November 26, 2025 · 1h 1m · Episode 134
About this episode
Dr. Elif Erkal discusses SIF prevention and High Energy Control Assessments in the context of construction safety.
SIFs, HECA, and ROI, oh my! In this episode, we welcome Dr. Elif Erkal, the Associate Director of Research and Strategy at the Construction Safety Research Alliance (CSRA) at the University of Colorado Boulder. With an extensive background in civil engineering, consulting, construction management, and academic research, Dr. Erkal specializes in safety, performance measurement, predictive analytics, and project risk management. She shares insights into CSRA's unique collaborative efforts between academia and industry to advance serious injury and fatality (SIF) prevention, and explains the development of High Energy Control Assessments (HECA). She details how HECA approaches safety performance measurement, which identifies high energy hazards and assesses direct controls, offering a more actionable safety performance assessment than traditional metrics. Dr. Erkal also touches on CSRA's other research initiatives, including decluttering safety management systems and demonstrating the ROI of safety programs, emphasizing the need for data-driven solutions in safety management. Power to Prevent SIF [https://www.eei.org/issues-and-policy/power-to-prevent-sif] Communities of Practice…
People in this episode
Guest: Dr. Elif Erkal
Topics covered
- SIF prevention
- High Energy Control Assessments
- safety performance measurement
- data-driven solutions
- construction safety
- predictive analytics
Keywords
- SIFs
- HECA
- safety management
- performance measurement
- predictive analytics
- construction safety
- risk management
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Construction Safety Research Alliance, University of Colorado Boulder, CSRA
Books & works: Power to Prevent SIF, CSRA Safety in the Boardroom EFILE_EE.pdf
More episodes of The Accidental Safety Pro
- 140: Safety Unscripted Pt. 2: Your Questions, Expert Answers · May 27, 2026 · 1h 0m
- 139: How a Life Rebuilt Became a Career in Safety · April 29, 2026 · 1h 1m
- 138: Think Inside the Box · March 25, 2026 · 49 min
- 137: Why Psychological Safety Is A Critical Leadership Skill · February 25, 2026 · 54 min
- Bonus Episode! Safety Unscripted: Your Questions, Expert Answers · February 11, 2026 · 1h 0m
- 136: AI and EHS Software · January 28, 2026 · 1h 2m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Accidental Safety Pro podcast page.