The secret to a safer worksite is easier than you think – lower your risk with technology.

Construction sites have a high proportion of injuries and fatalities. Burns from harmful materials, electric shock, slips, falls, and being struck by large equipment are just some of the safety risks on construction sites. 

Technology plays a crucial role in assisting project and site managers in taking predictive action and safeguarding the workforce. 

Cloud-based applications are interconnecting project sites from equipment data, automated compliance to tracking personnel onsite. 

Safety data and observations from smart devices empower companies to predict risks, make prudent decisions, and disseminate safety documentation.  

A powerful tool to mitigate risks on the worksite and ensure compliance.

Four ways technology transforms construction sites.

1. Digitising Health & Safety 

Ensuring safety process management stems from document controls and education. Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS), Safety Data Sheets (SDS), inspection reports, risk assessments, accident injury logbooks are just some of the documents required onsite. 

Mobile applications have now streamlined paper-based protocols and record keeping, which means that you can store more documents in a quicker time. 

Process safety is the combination of multiple sources of internal and external expertise. The digitisation of assorted information creates a database for safety. 

A construction company’s safety culture is driven by the reliability and availability of safety procedures. 

Compliance is made simple by streamlining induction, electronic records of training certificates and automated notifications. 

You’re able to revolutionise your team’s engagement in safety training by deploying consistent and effective training materials. Reinforcing the training cycle reduces complacency to the way tasks are usually performed and equips inexperienced workers with critical knowledge. 

Technology can streamline training and share best practices by reducing errors in hazard conditions. 

Project managers and site managers can ensure the site is safe via compliance tracking and make sure the construction site is always up-to-date with the latest practices. 

2. Wearable Technology 

With hundreds of workers on site from architects, engineers, project managers, site forepersons, plant operators and various trades, tracking who is onsite in real-time was a logistical nightmare.

Wearable technology now provides visibility to who is onsite, where they are located, and the proximity to risk. 

Automatic attendance checks simplify communicating real-time alerts and simplify evacuating a site in an emergency. Wearable devices are connected by a wireless network and transmit data to collect, store and receive information which are all being used to create a safer construction site. 

Smart wearables can track a workers movement, detecting if a worker falls or trips on the site. 

With large project sites previously, if a worker became unconscious due to a fall, they may not be found for hours, increasing the severity of the injury. Wearable technology can detect and report the incident ensuring the worker receives almost immediate assistance. 

Safety incidents are dramatically reduced by smart wearables, which is one way technology enforces a culture of safety. 

3. Safety Database & Trends 

Workers, site superintendents and contractors are all participating in the generation of observation and environmental data. The data from safety incidents and Jobsite trends provides valuable correlations and trends. 

Safety databases can extrapolate insights to identify poor safety habits and unsafe behaviours. 

Large data sets show that accidents are more likely to occur when workers rush to finish a project on time or at noon when afternoon fatigue reduces concentration. Robust data sets allow you to review previous events and put in place preventative actions. Mobile applications enable all workers to be involved in the safety conversation, recording data every day to each week. 

The documentation process is now embedded in reliable observations of onsite behaviour, making effective behaviour intervention possible. 

4. Data in Action

Building information modelling (BIM) provides visibility across the entire building life-cycle. It is a highly collaborative process that allows architects, engineers, and construction professionals to create, share and manage digital information. 

This collaborative model of sharing data allows for risk assessment before construction. 

Project Managers can assess previous roadblocks to improve project delivery, reduce risks via offsite prefabrication and preassembly. Reviewing previous incidents allows for ‘prevention through design’ approaches. 

BIM is the amalgamation of data generated from the worker experience, equipment used, site conditions and project size. 

Digital solutions are the key to maximising safety!

Building a culture of safety requires interconnected systems which generate, store and disseminate data. Safety is a continuous process that continues past the project’s completion. 

Data can be the basis of preventing a future injury, improving productivity and cost-efficiency. 

For more ways to keep your workforce safe through data, reach out to the team at Thrive Technologies on 1300 868 474.

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