How the Digital Age has Revolutionized Construction Safety

Posted by jennifer in Sep, 2020

The technology that comes with the digital age has made significant changes to the world of construction safety, in recent years we have seen many developments towards making what can be a dangerous environment much safer for its workers. Safety is a number one priority within a manual occupation such as construction, and with so many health and safety guidelines it is vital every necessary step is taken in order to reduce security issues and avoid any accidents or injuries. There are many ways in which new technology has allowed for developments in construction site safety, helping workers work with peace of mind that they are as safe as they possibly can be.

Security

The safety of a construction site and its workers is heavily reliant upon the security precautions that are present on-site and how effective they are. In order to ensure maximum safety, any construction site should be fully equipped with CCTV recording equipment and a strong locking system to secure the work environment. Many safety issues within construction come from trespassers and people who shouldn’t be there, and those who are not equipped with the necessary safety gear.

In order to prevent security threats, it would be recommended that you take advantage of the new and improved security equipment that is currently on the market, high-quality camera recording equipment that can easily be installed, to help watch the perimeter of the site and avoid trespassers breaking in unnoticed. Another great security tech gadget would have to be the high-quality lock systems that are also available, these devices provide authorized staff with key cards that have to be scanned upon entry. This not only ensures everyone who is on-site should be there but also allows you to know precisely how many staff are present in the case of an emergency.

Equipment

Another factor that has seen technological improvements when it comes to safety would have to be the recent safety precautions implemented within the equipment used on site. A common cause of accidents and injury within the construction work would be when power tools and other equipment are in use. Any good construction worker will know the value of a tool’s proper use, it is when tools are not used in the correct way that the risk of injury is increased so ensuring equipment is used correctly is of paramount importance.

Recent technology has seen further developments in safety precautions within power tools, with safety locks and guards being implemented in the majority of power tools newer models, you will now only be able to use the tool once the lock has been deactivated and the guard has been attached. This ensures that the user knows the tool is ready for use and that they should pay attention to what they are doing.

Personal Safety Gear

Another element of construction site safety that has seen technological improvement would have to be the safety gear provided to site workers. In recent years we have seen hard helmets becoming increasingly sturdier and more durable to help better protect the workforce. As well as hats, steel toe boots have also been improved for extra protection and high visibility jackets with LED lighting have also been released to increase workers’ visibility on-site to avoid any incidents. In particular with welding, a good welding hood is important for safety, and thanks to recent developments in the materials used to create this kind of protective gear, high-density lightweight metal has been implemented to ensure construction workers are protected from the highest available standard.