Most construction professionals would agree that safety is one of those topics that we have to discuss and is a high priority for business owners and managers. Unfortunately, in the construction industry accidents are quite common, and this could either lead to injuries, or worse, fatalities. That’s why the is a need for WHS NSW or Workplace Health and Safety NSW courses to ensure management and business owners are on top of safety procedures, hazard detection and mitigation.
For that reason, manufacturers continue to look for ways on how to keep the workers safe at all cost. This is where new construction technologies become very important.
Site Safety
Aside from keeping the workers safe, it’s essential to alert the public that they should stay away from the work zone. With technology, informing the motoring public has become more comfortable, and that means these motorists would be able to make good driving decisions as well– which would lessen the occurrence of accidents.
It’s also worth noting that even though traffic cones and barricades didn’t really change that much, additional safety devices have been utilized to improve worker safety. A lot of highway work zones have jersey waterfilled barriers to keep cars out of the work zone. The good thing about traffic barricades is that they’re very easy to set up and can even be filled with water to ensure stability.
Ensure That the Workers Are Safe
As a rule of thumb, even before you allow the workers to enter the job site, you must ensure that they’re properly trained and most importantly, they are wearing smart PPE that would make them visible, especially when traveling in public. Likewise, waterfilled barriers should be installed where it’s needed to protect the workers from motorists.
The good thing about new technologies is that most of them could help contractors stay safe while doing their task. The problem with wearables is that, sometimes, wearers don’t really feel enthusiastic to wear them, but this could be resolved by making their wearables more interesting.
For example, for safety vests, construction companies could add smart technologies that would increase worker safety through health monitoring systems and GPS.
One great example of this would be the “InZoneAlert” vest that utilizes GPS tracking, as well as short-range communication to send alerts to the worker and driver whenever something unusual is detected.
The Use of Truck Mounted Attenuators for Safety
TMAs are energy absorbing devices that could be attached to the rear of trucks, and they serve as the barrier between traffic and workers. This can be very useful, especially when drivers lose control as their first hit would be the TMA, which would absorb most of the impact, protecting the driver from injury and even death.
Smarter Work Zones
The trend toward smart work zones continues to grow every year, and research shows that it has helped in lowering the rate of fatalities that happen within the construction site. Included in smart work zones is the use of IoT, cloud-based technology, BIM, and even 3D printing.
Technology Improves Safety
There’s no denying that technology really improves workplace safety, as long as it’s properly used. Through construction technology, everything would be monitored in real time, and integral information can easily be transmitted to those who are in charge. That means workers will always be protected even when they’re working on dangerous tasks.
Author Bio
Chris Giarratana is a freelance copywriter and Digital Marketing Consultant who works with small business and nonprofits. He helps drive conversions and boost sales through SEO marketing, freelance copywriting, and PPC management.
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