The construction industry is well-known for having a high rate of work-related injuries and accidents. There are just so many things that can go wrong at a construction site. This makes safety one of the top priorities for any construction manager. Accidents and injuries can delay schedules and cause budget problems. Fortunately, modern technologies are here to help out in protecting workers. Here are some ways they can help ensure people are safe on a construction site.
Improved Communication
One of the best ways to avoid accidents is by communicating clearly between teams. Depending on the size of the project, there might be several teams working on site. When someone notices something wrong, they should immediately notify everyone on-site. Radios can help a lot with that. They are very dependable and work in various conditions.
Besides communicating on-site, there will also be a need to communicate and disseminate safety protocols. Your teams can be quickly updated through project management software. They can check the updates with their tablets or smartphones while you send them from your office. This ensures that everyone is on the same page on safety protocols and any project changes.
Accurate Measurements
It is very important to have accurate measurements on-site. Besides ensuring that the construction project is following its specifications, accurate measurements can help keep your workers safe. This is especially important when it comes to heavy materials. Overloading can cause a collapse of structures and deadly accidents. Your people must know how much weight your structure can bear and know what they are loading up.
For example, using an accurate truck weight scale should tell your employees whether the elevator’s next load can be handled in a single go or if it needs to be divided into smaller batches.
Better Training
When it comes to safety, one of the more effective means to ensure it is through proper training. Technology can make this easier and more effective. The problem with current safety training is that they are too uniform and boring. You want your workers to retain the information about safety protocols.
With digital education tools, you can automatically customize training modules depending on the worker’s experience so that they don’t get taught what they already know. Additionally, automatic testing ensures that you know exactly how familiar your people are with safety protocols.
One of the more impressive innovations is the use of virtual reality training programs. The big problem with most safety training is that they can’t give your workers a true hands-on experience. This is where virtual reality training can change things for your construction workers. With it, workers can feel like they face the actual situation and learn what to do by acting it out. This is much more effective than reading about it in a manual.
Constant Monitoring
Monitoring the condition of the worksite is important. You need to know if there are dangerous areas that your workers need to avoid. Additionally, you also need an idea of how the project is progressing. In the past, this would be done with a visual inspection, which was a slow process.
Nowadays, drone technology is the tool of choice. With several drones flying all over your worksite, the images they collect can be combined to create a 3D image of the site. This can be done in minutes as the data is analyzed. The unique perspective that they have allows you to see dangerous areas to warn your people as quickly as possible.
High-tech Safety Gear
Construction workers have their helmets and safety boots, but modern safety will require more than that. Wearable devices have performed well in the field and have dropped the incident of accidents by 82 percent. For example, smartwatches and glasses worn by workers can increase the visibility of the worksite greatly.
A lot of accidents happen because people don’t see things. Besides that, wearable devices can keep track of workers. If something does happen to them, they can alert managers about their condition. They can also provide quick reminders to workers about safety protocols, especially in dangerous areas.
Keeping workers safe should be a primary goal of any construction company. They are the backbone of any operation. If they know that management is doing their best to keep them safe, workers will be more confident. Proper implementation of safety protocols and using the latest technologies can help lower the incidence of accidents.