We’re all connected through technology. Wherever we are– at home, work, or while having a vacation, we greatly rely on technology to send us relevant information, monitor what’s happening around us and send us alerts.
Even the construction industry is now relying on technology, and here’s how IoT is revolutionizing construction safety.
1. Worker Safety Is Guaranteed
In the construction industry, IoT has been proven to be an excellent tool capable of improving worker safety. Every year, a lot of construction workers die while on duty, and this isn’t surprising at all. There are a lot of fatalities happening here, such as electrocution, fall, and being struck by moving and falling objects.
Smart clothing, such as safety vests are equipped with electronic sensors, construction vehicles, location beacons, and even GPS trackers. Wearable technology is also excellent as they can warn workers if there are any live wires, and the location of dangerous substances if there’s some in the area.
This, together with BIM could ensure that potential conflicts can be spotted and resolved right away.
2. Saving Construction Dollars
In construction projects, scheduling labor and materials delivery can be quite expensive and time-consuming. Fortunately, with the help of IoT, it’s possible to save as much as $160 billion to $930 billion every year on construction sites and other work sites.
If executed correctly, potential savings of up to several billions of dollars is actually possible. Let’s also not forget that in the future, cities would be able to track the exact movement of vehicles and people through mobile computing devices, as well as vehicle sensors. This kind of data can be beneficial for everyone.
It’s also worth noting that the real-time data that connected safety programs provide could encourage a lot of savings because everything will also be analyzed correctly. Also, when each worker is connected to each other, hazards will be reported right when they’re noticed. Connected job sites would also make it possible to formulate plans ideal for increasing overall safety.
3. Equipment Monitoring
For construction managers, it’s essential that they can maintain a count of the materials and building tools needed for the project. With IoT technology, they will be able to tell the number of workers currently working on the job site, as well as the number of physical goods available before it runs low.
Sensors mounted on construction equipment is also a great way to ensure that the projects would be completed promptly. This would dramatically reduce the time needed for searching misplaced tools, and it would also minimize the cost involved in repair and maintenance.
4. Safety Across Generations
Last, but definitely not least, connected safety strategies can report problems in real time. Through this, workers would feel a sense of ownership not only with the safety strategy but the safety of the workers as well.
It also doesn’t matter if those who are involved are “digital natives” or not, technology is something that would make them feel more empowered, and it would also encourage them to report if something unusual is happening in the job site.