For many construction companies, safety conversations begin and end with one number—experience modification rate (EMR)—and for good reason. Your EMR directly affects workers' compensation costs and can influence your ability to win work.
Here's the thing, though: If your construction company falls under DOT oversight, there's another metric you must pay attention to: CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability).
Your company's CSA score can affect insurance premiums, trigger federal intervention, and disrupt operations in ways that hit just as hard as a poor EMR.
Below, we discuss:
What EMR and CSA actually measure
Where the two metrics overlap
How both EMR and CSA scores can impact insurance costs, reputation, and operational risk
What construction companies can do to proactively manage CSA performance
What Is EMR? What Is CSA?
At its core, EMR is an insurance risk multiplier. It reflects how your workers' compensation claims compare to industry averages. A lower EMR signals fewer incidents and stronger internal controls. A higher EMR suggests elevated risk and, as a result, higher workers' compensation premiums.
The CSA program is a federal safety performance measurement system administered by the FMCSA. It evaluates companies that operate qualifying commercial vehicles using real-world safety data, including inspections, violations, and crash involvement.
A company's CSA score is based on performance that's tracked across seven safety categories known as BASICs (Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories). Categories include unsafe driving, hours-of-service compliance, and controlled substances and alcohol, among others. Just like EMR, a low CSA score is better than a higher score.
Unlike EMR, CSA data is regulatory, not insurance-derived. But poor CSA performance can increase insurance costs, trigger audits, and result in federal intervention.
Bottom line: If EMR tells insurers how safely you manage your workforce, CSA tells federal regulators—and often insurers—how safely you manage your fleet.
Where EMR and CSA Scores Overlap
While EMR and CSA scores originate from different systems, they often reflect the same underlying reality: your company's safety culture.
EMR and CSA scores reflect organizational discipline (or lack thereof).
Frequent workers' compensation claims and repeated roadside violations rarely happen in isolation. They're often symptoms of the same root issues: insufficient training, inconsistent enforcement of policies, or gaps in oversight.
➡️INSIGHT: Strong safety leadership tends to improve both EMR and CSA performance.
EMR and CSA scores influence insurance costs.
EMR directly affects workers' compensation premiums. CSA performance can influence commercial auto liability premiums and underwriters' assessment of overall fleet risk.
➡️INSIGHT: Higher risk profiles in either system typically translate into higher operating costs.
EMRs and CSA scores can affect business opportunities.
Even though EMRs aren't published publicly, if your construction company has a low one, you can promote it to help attract top talent. You can do the same with a low CSA score.
➡️INSIGHT: Keep in mind that five of the seven BASICs are publicly available online in the FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (SMS), which means those numbers (for better or worse) can be viewed by insurers, brokers, and partners.
EMR and CSA scores can trigger operational disruption.
A high EMR can limit your ability to win work, especially when general contractors typically require a rate below 1.0 for prequalification.
Elevated CSA percentiles can carry even more immediate consequences. Poor performance may increase the likelihood of DOT audits, intervention letters, or targeted enforcement. Serious violations can lead to out-of-service orders, sidelining vehicles, and delaying projects.
➡️INSIGHT: In both cases, safety performance doesn't just affect costs—it can interrupt operations.
Managing What You Can Control: CSA Compliance
If your company operates qualifying commercial vehicles, your CSA performance is continuously updated based on real-world safety data. That means small compliance gaps can compound quickly.
Companies that actively manage CSA performance typically focus on:
Identifying violation trends before they escalate
Training drivers on high-risk behaviors, such as unsafe driving or hours-of-service violations
Maintaining documentation to prepare for audits
Correcting inaccurate data when appropriate
Without regular oversight, issues can go unnoticed until a warning letter or compliance review arrives. The good news? FMCSA data isn't static. With consistent CSA monitoring and corrective action, construction companies can improve their standing and reduce regulatory risk.
Proactive Monitoring Starts with the Right Tools
The challenge for many construction companies that operate DOT-regulated vehicles is how to monitor not only your CSA performance, but also individual inspections, violations, and incidents. Without a system in place, violations and compliance gaps can go unnoticed until they trigger federal attention.
Foley helps construction companies centralize and monitor their DOT compliance responsibilities, including:
With better oversight comes fewer surprises and a stronger safety profile that supports both operational stability and long-term growth. Request a demo of Foley's platform today and learn how we can help your construction company remain compliant.