The average construction worker has a 75% likelihood of sustaining a disabling injury over a 45-year career, Safety & Health Magazine reports. Additionally, 4,674 worker fatalities occur on average every year in the construction industry, per OSHA. Fortunately, innovative wearable technology promises to make jobsites safer and boost productivity.
RFID tags
RFID (radio frequency identification) tags like ScanLink are placed in hardhats and safety vests in combination with mobile-equipment mounted sensors. When equipment is put in reserve, the sensors detect nearby tagged workers and sound an alarm. In turn. both the operator and ground crew are alerted. RFID tags can significantly reduce the risk of jobsite accidents, including crane accidents, which are a serious problem in the construction industry. The most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals there were a total of 297 crane-related deaths between 2011-2017. A crane accident attorney can help injured workers determine whether their accident was caused by someone else’s negligence. If so, compensation for injury and financial losses can be pursued.
Safer work environments
“After using ScanLink, ground workers start moving away from the mobile equipment because they don’t want to set off the alarm. They begin circling around machines in a safer way,” says Johnathan Fava, president, ScanLink. “Object detection technologies, such as radar or ultrasonic, pick up everything,” he explains. Unlike these technologies, ScanLink’s alarm ensures safety without compromising productivity. “Each time the alarm goes off, the operator has to pause and assess the situation, which slows down productivity. Or, the operator starts ignoring the alarm because it keeps alerting them to the same object, and this creates risk. ScanLink groundworker tags only go off when it detects a human”.
Spot-r clip
The Spot-r clip by Triax attaches to workers’ belts and has an alarm button that reports unsafe working conditions or injuries to site supervisors. It also senses falls in real time, tracks workers, and sounds a high-decibel alarm for site evacuations (it’s decreased evacuation times by 72%). “The Spot-r system is used for real-time response and assistance as well as training. It records several unsafe activities, and this data could be used to coach workers who create risk on your jobsite,” says Ian Ouelette, vice president, Triax Technologies.
Maintaining jobsite safety is a top priority for construction managers. With wearable technology, it’s now possible to minimize risk, improve safety, and boost productivity all in one.