When it comes to construction, you can never be too safe. When it comes to infrastructure projects, they can present job site safety hazards and concerns that are different from those you’d typically find in a large building project.
But construction safety is changing and gradually improving. This is happening partly because construction companies are starting to leverage technology — both in the field and the back office — to reinforce job site safety practices. Multiple technologies show promising signs of effectiveness and adoption.
Site Sensors and Laser Scanning
Site or smart sensors have job site safety-improving functionality like those found in wearables. When placed throughout a job site, they monitor the work environment to protect personnel. These sensors can detect nuances in site conditions that humans can’t, such as:
- Changes in air quality that can cause respiratory issues
- Unsafe levels of toxic chemicals in the air can impact workers’ short- and long-term health
- Temperature changes signalling overheating or a fire
- Rising humidity can indicate a leak that needs to be repaired
Laser scanning is a type of surveying. Using light beams from a safe distance away, laser devices collect structural dimensions that will serve as the source data to create 3D models (BIM), reduce clashes or assemble as-builts for retrofits or repairs.
Without laser scanning, site crews would be susceptible to spending days or weeks physically capturing the same information in a potentially dangerous area — like a hazardous waste plant, an unstable structure, or a large-scale bridge — and therefore extending their exposure to a physically and/or environmentally unsafe area.
Field Technology Data for The Future
Some field technologies have corresponding software and/or apps that help track and collect data that can provide insights into the efficacy of current safety management and how to improve job site safety and preventive measures in the future. These insights can reveal:
- Ways to focus job site safety training
- How to improve compliance with OSHA regulations
- How frequently workers may need breaks to avoid fatigue
- How to enhance communication with on-site workers as safety risks surface
- What field technologies make the most investment sense
- How the field technologies have impacted injury and fatality rates over time
As they continue to evolve and more construction companies incorporate them into their overall job site safety management program, there is an undeniable promise for the safety impact of field technologies for infrastructure projects.
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