In the past couple of years, construction work safety has increasingly gained widespread attention owing to the health and safety risks it poses for the workers. This is because the construction industry usually has a workplace in which worker injuries are relatively common.
This has put construction companies under heavy pressure to take responsibility and to ensure the safety of their workers. Fortunately, construction tech is one of the ways through which these companies can ensure worker safety and health. In this article, we are going to look at how construction technology is improving worker safety.
Without further ado, here are the 5 ways how emerging technology is improving safety on construction sites;
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Drones
Use of drones on construction sites has dramatically increased in recent years. Construction companies are now using drones to monitor and inspect construction sites more comprehensively.
This has made the job sites much safer since potential hazards can be easily identified and rectified before an accident occurs. The drones can also be used to monitor the employees and to ensure they are working safely.
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Smart Site Sensors
Smart site sensors can be deployed throughout construction sites to detect and monitor different things such as; noise levels, pressure, increasing temperatures, humidity, and dust particulates to help limit exposure to the workers.
Companies can use these smart site sensors to immediately alert the workers when they’re at risk from permissible exposure levels.
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Smart Traffic Cones
Traffic cones are generally used to make drivers aware of work zones so that they can approach with caution. However, today modern technology has brought forth smart traffic cones which can be used to alert workers when a car or vehicle is approaching.
The alarms of the bright traffic cone will sound when it’s struck, and this will inform the workers to move to a much safer location.
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Wearables
Today, wearable technology is becoming more and more common in the construction industry. Wearables can be of great help to construction workers carrying out dangerous jobs since they can be tracked and monitored.
The wearables can be used to detect red flags such as heat or gas, and automatically alert the nearby by co-workers or emergency services for help.
This will in turn greatly reduce the time that’s required to get the necessary medical attention, thus considerably increasing chances of recovery and survival. Wearables which can monitor vital signs such as heart rate, respiration rate, and skin temperature can also be used to improve worker safety. Such wearables can be used to control workers and can help predict accidents even before they occur.
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Advanced Tools
Slips and falls are among the biggest exposures on most construction sites. There are plenty of objects which clutter up the construction site walking area, and it can seem as if every place a worker walks into has tons of extension cords, debris, rocks, and such other materials just waiting for them to trip on.
Fortunately, modern technological advancement has brought about battery powered tools which can help reduce the need for using the extension cords on construction sites. By eliminating the need for extension cords, the workplace will be less cluttered, and workers will enjoy enhanced safety.