How Can Smart Technology Ensure Safer Construction Sites?
As the construction sector continues to thrive, site safety has become a priority. The significant dangers that construction workers face are electrocutions, falls, being hit by a sharp object, amongst other reasons. Most accidents are those that involve people falling from high heights.
Therefore, contractors must make sure that all aspects of safety and health have been considered before they commence any project. Over the past decade, technology has improved our lives, including making construction sites safer.
Smart construction technology is nowadays used to enhance the safety of stakeholders and site workers in various ways.
More reliable construction sites lead to increased productivity and profits. With increased site safety, contractors can lower their repair expenses, insurance premiums, and save time, which translates to higher revenues.
These are the Top 5 Smart Technologies that will ensure Safer Construction Sites in 2019& beyond.
Use Exoskeletons to Limit Bodily Strains
Site workers usually experience Musco-skeletal disorders and physical strains. These fatalities occur due to lifting heavy objects or tools over a long period.
Exoskeleton reduces the stress-and-strain on-site workers by offering support to heavy objects and improving their posture.
There are two main variations of exoskeletons; unpowered and powered. Unpowered variants redistribute the load thus making lifting more comfortable. Exoskeletons know how to distribute the weight to strengthen muscles while relieving the weaker ones.
They are usually applied in the manufacturing industry where repetitive tasks are widespread. Exoskeleton technology can make construction sites safer by supporting the arms of workers when they are performing repetitive jobs.
Mobile Technology
Yes, a simple device such as a smartphone can make your construction site safer. Smartphones, together with mobile apps and cloud technology, are regularly making digitizing site safety processes. With mobile technology, safety approvals and checklists are completed in real-time.
For instance, an employee who needs to perform some tasks at a high height needs to get a permit before he commences the job. To obtain a license, he has to go through the safety process checklists before he is given the nod to complete the project.
The digitization of site safety processes boosts productivity, real-time detection of accidents or conflicting issues, and smarter output.
Driverless Trucks
You might have or not known, but today driverless cars have become a reality. The first one was unveiled by the Royal Truck Company Inc. in 2015.
By performing tasks prone to risks like installing traffic signals, inspecting blacktopping roads or bridges, the driverless trucks make labor-intensive tasks safer.
Wireless Sensors in Safety Cones to Protect Site Worker
Contractors are using smart safety cones to reduce the rising numbers of highway deaths and injuries. They help to keep the workers safer when they are working on road improvement and rebuilding projects.
If the safety cone detects any impact from a straying vehicle, it relays the information to a site alarm, which makes everybody aware of oncoming dangers.
Drones for Site Surveys
Most people wrongly think that drones are only used for recreational purposes or in war-zones. However, nowadays, they are used to simplify the labor-intensive site inspection process.
Drones are used to monitor site workers to make sure that they are safe as they continue working. Since they take videos and photos in real time, contractors can keep track of the changing working conditions.
For instance, the drone can record pressure readings, temperature, and wind speed to make sure that employees are working under safe conditions.
By using drones, tasks can be completed to the same standard, without causing significant safety risks. They reduce the time required to collect data, especially in large projects. Drones help in the collection, analysis, and sharing of high-value data resulting in quality decision making.
Final Verdict
The smart technologies discussed above have continued to make construction sites efficient and safer. They have been employed to minimize accidents and to take construction safety a notch higher!
It is crucial for contractors to adopt these smart technologies to enhance site safety of their workers and other stakeholders. By doing so, they will improve their productivity, save time, and boost their revenue. This post has provided information about the five smart technologies that are making construction sites safer today.
Author Bio
Chris Giarratana is the co-founder of StrategyBeam, an Orlando marketing agency, where he works with small businesses and nonprofits to achieve their goals. He helps drive conversions and boost sales through SEO marketing, Google AdWords management, and copywriting services.
