The construction industry faces significant occupational safety and health challenges due to its complex and high-risk nature. Leading safety indicators (LSIs) function as proactive tools, enabling hazard identification and control before accidents occur. The high rate of occupational accidents in Iran highlights the critical need to evaluate how effectively the safety regulatory system addresses these indicators.

This study quantitatively assesses the effectiveness of 12 key safety regulations across 19 LSIs using a hybrid methodology integrating the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Delphi technique. Perspectives from 10 official labor safety inspectors were collected through two Delphi rounds, evaluating two parameters: content coverage and practical effectiveness. Relative weights for indicators and regulations were calculated via AHP, while Importance–Performance Analysis (IPA) was employed to classify indicators and identify improvement priorities.

Findings indicate an overall effectiveness index of 46.61 out of 100 for the safety regulatory system, revealing a substantial gap between current conditions and desired performance. Analysis shows a regulatory emphasis on foundational indicators (e.g., management commitment, weight: 0.209) but insufficient attention to cultural, motivational, and behavioral factors (e.g., incentives and rewards, weight: 0.008). These results reveal a structural imbalance and underscore the need for targeted revisions focusing on cultural and motivational dimensions. This applied model provides a scientific framework for prioritizing and reforming safety regulations based on LSIs to support policymakers and regulatory authorities.