Safety is a moving target in the construction industry. Roughly 100 years ago, safety simply wasn’t a priority in the construction industry—but all of that began to change in the 1970s when OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Admin.) entered the equation and businesses quickly began to realize an unsafe jobsite could potentially cost a lot of money.
Worker deaths in America are down from about 38 worker deaths a day in 1970 to 15 a day in 2019—so some progress, but there is still work to be done. But one death is still one too many. In the past decade or so, we have seen a new wave emerge as it relates to safety in construction. The rise of new technologies brings new opportunities.
The Rise of Technologies
The evolution of safety technology in the construction industry looks a little like this: handwritten safety forms and filing cabinets to digital data collection systems and checklist. The next wave will most certainly include AI (artificial intelligence). Much like we are hearing that AI will aid in curing cancer, AI will most likely come to the aid to help prevent construction deaths on the jobsite.
The value here is teams can automate safety tasks, do realtime incident reporting, complete digital checklists, and quickly communicate safety concerns. Teams can also use technology for vehicles and equipment to monitor incidents related to machinery.
Here’s an example: Speedshield offers Optix, which is a cloud-based digital platform that gives users a view of every AiVA-equipped asset. The platform’s analytics present near-miss data with contextual insights and visualizations, highlighting not only the frequency of incidents, but the conditions in which they occur, such as problem vehicles, times of day, or operator activity levels.
While this is only one instance there are a host of other emerging technologies that demonstrate how AI is rising to the rescue when it comes to safety in the construction. But there are still many challenges the industry will face.
Challenges Still Lie Ahead
Many workers still don’t believe businesses value safety as a matter of great importance. A recent report from Brady found 57% of employees across all industries believe their company prioritizes profits over safety. More than half lack full trust in leadership, 61% say their employers are unprepared for an active shooter, and one in three feel unsafe due to coworkers.
The truth is most workers don’t feel safe at work—in any industry, and I would suspect the numbers are probably even higher when we look specifically at construction. Safety is a key value for many workers and often they want to know that it is a core value for their employer as well. This is why embedding safety into the fabric of the culture of a construction company is so critical.
What Comes Next
What steps can we then take to improve safety across the company, attract more workers, and ensure everyone gets home safely to their families every night?
It starts with culture, and that culture often begins at the top. From there, safety must be embedded into all layers of the culture to thrive in the construction industry. Key to this is trust.
Safety programs and training are also essential. These have been central to the construction industry for decades and they are beginning to pay off. OSHA suggests for every dollar spent on safety programs, construction companies save about $4 to $6. Start training early and make sure the programs are ongoing, because as we know processes, technologies, and equipment are constantly changing.
Leverage technology to the fullest. As I mentioned earlier, technology is evolving rapidly. There is a huge opportunity to use the new technology to create a safer jobsite. From PPE (personal protective equipment), to mobile technology, to AI, there is so much to explore these days.
Without a clear safety mission, a company risks more than compliance—it risks losing its talent because employees feel sidelines, trust erodes, and performance weakens. Employees cannot thrive in an environment ruled by fear. When safety is a priority, people thrive, feel protected, and empowered.
How can we continue to ensure safety in the construction industry? What ways are you shining a light on safety?
Want to tweet about this article? Use hashtags #construction #IoT #sustainability #AI #5G #cloud #edge #futureofwork #infrastructure #safety