Health and Safety: How Tech is Revolutionising the Construction Industry

By
IntelligentHQ

Health and Safety: How Tech is Revolutionising the Construction Industry

Health and safety is a constant issue for all businesses, but especially so for the construction industry. Furthermore, the recent Covid-19 pandemic has given construction teams even more to consider, making it vital for companies to investigate ways to achieve digital Covid-19 compliance in construction.

For those employed on building sites, their physically demanding work involves dealing with hazardous materials and dangerous equipment every single day. Even when strict safety protocols are in place and everyone’s being as careful as possible, one small slip-up can lead to an injury.

Although most of these are non-fatal, last year, 43 construction workers in the UK lost their lives as the result of a serious workplace accident.

With these statistics in mind, it’s no big surprise that there’s been a major industry focus on developing technology to improve health and safety.

We’re finally starting to see some of these solutions make a positive impact on the safety of construction sites around the UK, but there’s still a lot more progress to be made. Here’s our pick of three new technologies set to further revolutionise the industry in the next few years. Take a look.

#1: software for streamlining inspections

Keeping equipment in fighting fit shape is essential for running a safe construction business, but proving that you’ve thoroughly checked over every piece of machinery to ensure it meets legal standards is time-consuming and difficult.

That’s where innovative lifting equipment inspection software from Motion Software comes into play. It’s designed to speed up the processes of inspecting your site and building comprehensive records of compliance, without sacrificing attention-to-detail.

Currently, 6000 inspectors around the world use it, so it’s already starting to make waves in construction and energy industries.

#2: minimising risks with VR

Want your staff to work safely, carefully and expertly even when you’re not there to oversee their every move? Then you need to give them thorough training on all aspects of their jobs, including risk management.

In the future, you’ll be able to give your team the skills to reduce accidents through immersive Virtual Reality (VR) safety training. By creating simulations of real workplaces and hazards, users can practise dealing with dangerous situations without fear of being harmed.

International construction firm Bechtel is already trialling a VR training programme, so it’s definitely an area to keep a close eye on.

#3: reducing accidents with wearable technology

Over the past few years, wearable technology has been creeping into our day-to-day lives in the form of Fitbits and Apple Watches. It’s not gone unnoticed by the construction industry, which is thinking about how similar tech could be used to reduce accidents.

We’re already seeing innovative, wearable health and safety products being used on sites around the world.

Among the most exciting of these are Red Point Positioning’s GPS-enabled safety vests (they alert workers when they’re entering a hazardous area) and Daqri’s Smart Helmets (their virtual visors display job information and warn wearers about rising temperatures).

These are just three of the most exciting new health and safety technologies starting to emerge in the construction industry. With research into other potential solutions to common risks still ongoing, they won’t be the last.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR