A recent article published in Dakota Safety breaks down how technology is shaping construction, and what we can expect moving forward in a number of areas.
Today the construction industry is embracing new, revolutionary technologies in the building side of things as well. Considered as the “final frontier” for technological breakthroughs, construction companies are joining the rest of the world in the new age of technology. And as an industry that added 282,000 new jobs just last year, there will be plenty of people to use the technology.
Increased Safety: Perhaps the most important thing to come from the rise of technology in the construction field is an increase in safety. The safety of the construction workers should always be the top priority, and thankfully new technology is making the workers safer than they’ve ever been. Here are five ways technology is making construction sites safer.
Centralized Safety Reports: Even today, most construction sites still use paper to file safety reports. This makes it extremely difficult for site managers to determine the best ways to make their sites safer since they have to dig through a mountain of paperwork. Fortunately, things are finally starting to change. More and more construction sites are entering their safety reports into computer databases. Now site managers have access to computer programs that monitor trends after gathering all the safety reports generated in a particular region. With this information at their disposal, site managers can make informed decisions that will ensure worker safety and help avoid safety issues that have repeated themselves in the past.
Drones: Ranging from surveillance to inspections, drones are being used on construction sites for a variety of reasons — the most important being to keep the sites as safe as possible.
By identifying potential hazards and performing quick worksite inspections, drones are making construction sites safer than they’ve ever been. They also ensure the safety of construction workers by allowing supervisors to monitor workers throughout the day.
Wearables: Wearable technology enables the tracking and monitoring of people working in hazardous environments, making them safer. Businesses across the globe are implementing wearables in their work environments because of the impact it can have on overall safety. With the help of wearables, businesses can detect things like gas, heat, a lack of movement by the workers, etc. If problems arise, nearby co-workers and management are notified immediately. This increases the chances of workers receiving immediate medical attention, which in turn leads to quicker recoveries and an increased chance of survival.
Mobile Technology: Technology that has been around for a number of years are finally starting to penetrate the construction field to make construction sites safer. Smartphones, combined with cloud technology and mobile apps, are entirely digitizing the safety processes. With smartphones, contractors no longer need to wait several weeks to get phone service to the construction site. Everyone is carrying around phone service in their pockets.
