The impact of Technology on health and safety on Construction Sites
From wearing hard hats and his-vis jackets to strict training requirements for the use of heavy machinery, there have been a whole range of different measures that have been put in place to improve safety on construction sites over the years.
Nevertheless, the very nature of the construction industry means that it will always pose a certain level of threat to health and safety and there are always ways that current protocols can be improved.
One of the biggest changes to the construction industry in recent times in the introduction of different security technologies, all designed to keep people safe an minimise risk.
Investing in such technologies as a construction business can be a great way to attract new staff, improve productivity, achieve accreditations that will help you to attract business, and more importantly to keep your people out of harm’s way.
In this article, we will look at some of the biggest ways in which technology is influencing the modern construction industry in the UK, giving you a better understanding of what options available to you and the benefits of investing in each.
Smartwatches
Many construction companies are investing in wearable devices such as smartwatches for their on-site workers.
These devices monitor vital information such as heart rate, respiration rate and stress as well as containing a GPS device so the worker’s location can be identified immediately.
You can use the information from such devices to track movement on your site, ensure help is on hand instantly in the event of a medical emergency and to ensure that the site has been fully deserted in the event of an evacuation.
Drones
Drones provide a unique overview of your entire construction site and allow you to spot safety hazards that might not be noticeable from ground level.
They can also be used to optimise your site activity and find ways to move heavy equipment or materials in a manner that will not put any staff in danger.
Biometric Access Control
With fingerprint or retinal scanners in place, you can control exactly who is able to get into your site at any point.
These technologies are far more secure than keycards or even ID cards that can be stolen or replicated by an experienced criminal.
You can programme these access gates to only grant access to certain people at certain times for ultimate control over your security.
CCTV Towers
Your eyes and ears on the ground when you can’t be there, a CCTV tower is the ultimate surveillance tool for any construction site.
These machines are normally rented from a local professional security firm and require no mains electricity to operate meaning you can place it wherever on your site you choose.
You can access the live stream from the tower at any time from your mobile phone and if required can arrange an alarm monitoring service so that a security team or the police will automatically be deployed to the site if an intruder is spotted or a similar emergency situation occurs.