Construction is a dangerous profession. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), about 4,000 workers died during the pandemic’s start in 2020. Half of those came from the construction industry.
These fatalities are often a result of falls, electrocutions, and other accidents at construction sites. All workers must use proper safety precautions to avoid injury. Thankfully, technology is helping to make construction projects a lot safer. From apps that help workers avoid hazards to drones that inspect work sites, there are several ways that technology is making construction projects safer. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
Construction Hazard Alerting App
There’s an app for everything these days, including apps that help construction workers avoid hazards. The C-Hazard app is one such app. The Center for Construction Research and Training developed it. The app can detect threats and send alerts to workers’ devices in the area. This helps them avoid those hazards, thereby avoiding injury and fatality.
C-Hazard is just one example of how technology makes construction projects safer by helping workers avoid hazards. With this app (and others like it), workers can quickly and easily find information on potential risks, which allows them to stay safe on the job site.
Inspection Drones
Another way that technology is making construction projects safer is by helping inspectors do their jobs more efficiently and effectively. In the past, inspectors would have to go to worksites to inspect them physically. This was time-consuming and put inspectors at risk of injury on the job site.
Now, thanks to drones, inspectors can conduct inspections without Setting foot on the work site. Drones equipped with cameras can provide inspectors with a close-up view of the work site to look for potential safety hazards before anyone gets hurt.
Personnel Tracking Systems
Falls are one of the leading causes of death in the construction industry (according to OSHA), so construction companies need to do everything they can to prevent them from happening. One way that companies are doing this is by using personnel tracking systems.
With personnel tracking systems, managers can see where each worker is at all times. This helps them track who is supposed to be where and when, which minimizes the risk of falls because workers are less likely to be in areas where they shouldn’t be. Another way falls are prevented is by utilizing advanced rigging systems in projects.
Advanced Rigging
Advanced rigging may sound like something out of a science fiction movie, but it’s starting to be used in the construction industry. With advanced rigging systems, workers can move heavy objects with ease and safety.
This makes lifting equipment safer for workers and reduces the risk of falls, which helps keep projects on schedule and avoid costly delays. These systems often have robust synthetic web slings that fit cozily on construction workers. The benefits of these web slings are that they can hold a large load and are flexible and comfortable. Alongside these are various ropes and rigging hardware that can lift heavy machinery and carry workers.
VR Technology
Training is the first step in making construction projects safer, and VR technology has the potential to make training both more efficient and more effective. Using VR technology, workers can get hands-on experience without actually being on the job site.
Some construction companies are already using this technology in their training programs, and it is becoming increasingly popular in many industries. While traditional training methods still have their places, VR training may be one of the best ways to prepare workers for what they will face daily at worksites across the country.
DIM
Technology is improving when it comes to construction safety in many ways. DIM, or digital imaging and monitoring technology, is one of the most promising technologies.
With this software, workers can get real-time updates on the status of a project at any time. In addition to reducing delays and increasing efficiency, DIM helps keep workers safe by preventing hazards before they become dangerous.
When added alongside BIM (building information modeling) technology, DIM can be a potent tool for keeping construction projects safe. BIM creates a virtual construction project model, and DIM monitors the data in this model to ensure that everything is going according to plan.
Technology has come a long way in recent years, and it has positively impacted many industries—construction included. It’s now making construction projects a lot safer, from apps that help workers avoid hazards to drones that conduct inspections. And that’s good news for everyone involved in the construction industry!
