Investing In Construction Safety, An Ethical & Lucrative Decision

NEW YORK - Oct. 7, 2020 - PRLog -- Unlike most industries, safety in construction industry is extremely important as exposure to dangerous conditions are a part of everyday work in construction projects. Due to this, safety cannot be ignored if accidents and hazards are to be eliminated. The types of risks, major and minor, include working at heights, slipping and falling, material handling, collapsing materials, high power lines, etc. Accidents in construction sites can lead unplanned major expenses.

Construction Safety Costs Vs Accident Costs

It is true that many activities can be completed faster with less or without safety protocols, but the decision to ignore safety is neither ethical nor smart from a business point of view. Safety equipment in construction sites include PPE, safety helmets, protective footwear, ear muffs, safety goggles and gloves.

As mentioned above, implementing safety protocols and investing in safety equipment might seem expensive at first but when compared to the cost associated with accidents and risks, they are close to nothing.

·         According to OSHA, US companies pay over $1 billion per week for worker compensation. Considering the full impact of project site injuries and fatalities, the cost would be around $151 billion per year for the US economy.

·         The US Bureau of labor Statistics reported 2.8 million work injuries and illness, and 5,147 fatalities in 2018 alone.

Many organizations all around the world conducted a study comparing prevention costs with accident costs and the following were the results:

·         The US National Safety Council surveyed financial managers and more than 60% said that 1$ invested in safety measures saved $2 in accident consequences.

·         The European Commission reached to a similar results stating that €1 invested in safety yields up to €2.18.

·         The UK study found that £1 invested in safety yields £3 in accident prevention.

Can Construction Technology Improve Safety?

Construction technology or Contech (https://www.ny-engineers.com/blog/contech-promising-solut...) is promising field and is estimated to evolve into a multibillion dollar industry by 2030. Contech is known to improve a wide range of activities in construction sites, including accident prevention. Below are a few ways that construction technology is making project sites safer:

·         Wearable tech can notify workers in an audio-visual way when they step into a high risk area. Considering the current COVID-19 pandemic, wearables can help enforce safety measures like social distancing, body temperature, etc.

·         Drones, aka Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), can be used to perform site inspections, gather information, supervision and damage assessment.

·         Exoskeletons can reduce strain and assist worker lift and use heavy tools for longer duration. Exoskeleton is showing promise in construction to improving safety and improving the efficiency or workers.

·         Construction robots can be used for simple tasks that result in Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) in workers, and difficult task that require heavy lifting and higher precision.