As of 2016, 10.3 million U.S. workers were employed in the construction industry.[1] However, the construction industry is sometimes considered the most dangerous industry due to the high rate of injuries and fatalities that occur on the job. For this reason, new technologies and methods are being implemented to improve the safety of construction sites.
Safety Concerns in the Construction Industry
The Industrial Safety and Hygiene News outlet reports that one in ten construction site workers are injured each year.[2] The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2017, there were 1,013 construction workers who died while performing their job.[3] It also reports that there are approximately 150,000 nonfatal construction worker injuries each year.[4] One in five workers who died on the job in 2017 were construction workers.[5] According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports the four most common causes of worker deaths and the number of fatalities that these causes represented in 2017 include:[6]
- Falls – 381
- Struck by object – 80
- Electrocutions – 71
- Caught-in/between – 50
The Center for Construction Research and Training also cites slips, trips, transportation incidents and contact with objects as leading causes of construction worker fatalities.[7]
Construction site injuries often involve injuries to workers’ backs and spines. These injuries are often expensive to treat and may long to long-term disability. Total costs for construction injuries exceed $11 billion a year.[8] Additionally, the Claims Journal reports that nearly one third of workers’ compensation claim payments are due to construction falls.[9] Since there are so many costs and consequences associated with construction site safety, employers are incentivized to develop ways to improve safety on job sites.
Methods and Technology to Combat Safety Concerns
Fortunately, the technology available today can effectively combat safety concerns at U.S. construction job sites. Some of the technological advances that may help make construction sites safer include:
Construction Site Sensors
There are a variety of sensor types currently available that can make construction sites safer. One type of sensor is an environmental sensor, which are mounted throughout a construction site to determine environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity, pressure, noise vibration, dust particles and organic compounds.[10] By corralling and aggregating this data, construction managers are able to better monitor the conditions on the site and take prompt corrective action if a hazard exists. Construction managers can also receive real-time alerts of a problem, such as a sudden rise in temperature. This allows for enhanced facility management and can help prevent foreseeable accidents.
Another type of construction sensor that can help reduce construction accidents is sensor wearables. Construction workers wear these sensors to keep track of their whereabouts and to collect and deliver important information. Some features of these wearables may include:
- Automatic headcount – The sensor may identify how many workers there are at any given time, which can help employers know if someone has been trapped under an underground site or other location.
- Location identification – The sensor may also show where workers are located, which can be imperative if there is a hazard or the worker became trapped somewhere.
- Evacuation alerts – Workers can receive instant alerts to evacuate a construction site that is not safe in order to prevent injuries. The sensor may include sound and flashing light alerts.
- Safety alerts – The sensors may also allow workers to notify their employers instantly of a job hazard, such as a fall risk or defective equipment.
- Fall detection – Because so many construction accidents involve falls, the manufacturers of these products may include features that detect falls and the distance of the fall. Workers may be able to push a button to alert their employer for their need for help.
These features are designed to help mitigate risks, identify possible safety concerns and improve construction safety.
Automation Processes
One way to reduce the number of construction site accidents is to decrease the human involvement in certain aspects of the job. Construction sites are often dangerous for people, resulting in the high amount of injuries, fatalities and associated costs. Some tools to automate processes may include:
AI and Machine Learning
Machine learning is the scientific study of algorithms and statistical models that computer systems use in order to complete specific tasks in an automated fashion based on the data that they have gathered and patterns that they recognize. It is a form of artificial intelligence. These processes can help make predictions, such as predicting if certain hazards could cause a fatality in the workplace, based on records from OSHA and other agencies.[11]
Machine-learning methods can also be used to recognize certain images that pose a hazard to workers. These processes may be able to predict certain events, such as bridge failure or safety risks based on images that drones collect.[12]
Robots
Another effective way to decrease the incidence of construction accidents is to have robots perform more dangerous tasks. For example, since the risk of falls on construction sites is so high, a robot may be used to complete a task that involves dropping down several floors so that a human does not have to be subjected to this risk. Robotic processes may also allow machinery to complete processes involving tools that can help prevent accidents stemming from electrocution or falling equipment.
Drones
Construction managers may use drones to surveil the workplace and deliver supplies. This can help deliver needed materials to workers so that they do not have to go to inconvenient or dangerous locations to gather the supplies. Additionally, drones can collect important data to identify potential hazards and identify unsafe worker behavior.
Automated Driving
With current estimates of having fully autonomous vehicles available for consumer purchase in 2021, it is not too far off to imagine a world in which autonomous vehicles can gather supplies and deliver them to construction sites.[13] This can help decrease the number of automotive accidents, which comprises a large portion of work-related accidents.
Autonomous Heavy Equipment
Many construction accidents are caused by the use of heavy equipment. If construction sites use heavy equipment that can complete work without human intervention, workers can potentially avoid the possibility of accidents caused by this equipment.
Augmented and Virtual Reality
Another recent advance in construction safety is the use of digitization of different aspects of the construction workflow.[14] Building information modeling involves aggregating data about a job site and providing a virtual model based on this information. 3-D printing may be used to help build these models.
Augmented reality creates a live, copied view of a physical environment Their elements are supplemented by computer-generated sensory input.[15] This helps to create a simulated 3-D model that construction managers and workers can use to test different hypothetical situations. Additionally, this technology can also incorporate computer vision and object information to create an interactive model that can be digitally manipulated. These methods can help construction stakeholders to assess risk, consider alternative construction methods and virtually walk through construction sites for people not on location. It can also help with the fabrication of construction materials.
What to Do if You Were Injured on an Unsafe Construction Site
If you were injured on a job site, it is important that you work with a qualified lawyer who can explain your rights to you. An attorney can determine if you may be able to file a workers’ compensation claim to receive medical treatment, the replacement of your wages and other benefits. Construction sites often involve many parties who are not the direct employers of other workers. In some situations, you may have a claim against a subcontractor, property owner or other third party. With this type of claim, you will usually have to show how the party’s negligence contributed to your accident. Your lawyer can investigate the factors that contributed to your accident and if the party failed to take advantage of the technological advances readily available to decrease construction accidents.
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/construction/statistics.html
[2] https://www.ishn.com/articles/103831-shocking-construction-injury-statistics
[3] https://www.bls.gov/iag/tgs/iag23.htm
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2491397/
[5] https://www.osha.gov/oshstats/commonstats.html
[6] https://www.osha.gov/oshstats/commonstats.html
[7] https://www.cpwr.com/chart-book-6th-edition-fatal-and-nonfatal-injuries-leading-causes-fatal-and-nonfatal-injuries
[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2491397/
[9] https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2018/05/04/284488.htm
[10] https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/06/pillar-technologies-is-making-construction-sites-safer-with-smart-sensors/
[11] https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/article/Rise-AI-and-Machine-Learning-Construction-2018
[12] https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/capital-projects-and-infrastructure/our-insights/artificial-intelligence-construction-technologys-next-frontier
[13] https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/05/09/first_autonomous_vehicles/
[14] https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/article/Rise-AI-and-Machine-Learning-Construction-2018
[15] https://www.autodesk.com/redshift/what-is-augmented-reality/
