In the past, construction work was considered a dangerous line of work with a considerably shorter life-span than average. However, as technology and humanity progressed over the years, construction jobs have become less and less dangerous, although there is always an element of danger working on tall buildings with heavy machinery and live electricity. Most industrialized nations have passed a Construction Safety Act to ensure the safety of their country's construction workers. Although all of these acts differ in wording, the idea of each is the same.

In general, a Construction Safety Act functions as a way to keep construction sites safe. Construction sites are dangerous for construction workers, but they are also dangerous for foreman, architects, engineers, and even passerby. Because of the nature of the machinery used in construction, many governments feel that a tightly-regulated construction industry is a safer construction industry.

Cleanliness is one of the things that the construction site acts focus upon. In the past, construction sites were dangerous places, with people everywhere and all the supplies and rubbish in utter chaos. Most construction acts focus on keeping everything neat as one of the main ways to keep construction sites safe.

In addition to keeping construction sites neat and relatively clutter-free, a Construction Safety Act will require all individuals on the construction site to wear proper protective gear. Depending on the site and the type of construction going on, this could mean as little as a hard hat, or as much as full protective gear, if the site has been shown to have dangerous chemicals. It is the responsibility of the upper management on the site to enforce proper safety procedures. In many countries, if proper procedure is not followed, the consequences are severe.

Proper emergency procedures are another thing that is required by a Construction Safety Act. Sometimes, despite the best efforts and best intentions of everyone on the site, things go wrong. When an emergency occurs, it is vital to have a plan in place for every eventuality. These plans have to be created and logged beforehand, so that if anything does go wrong, everyone on the construction site has the chance to escape safely.

Construction Safety Act do not eradicate accidents and injuries on construction sites, nor are they meant to. These acts are meant instead to minimize the likelihood of accidents, and, if an accident does happen, minimize the amount of damage that the accident does to people and the site.