A word on… on-site safety
Paul Worsley, Chief Services Officer at Kingdom Systems, discusses how construction sites can improve their health and safety processes through technology and AI.
Construction remains the highest risk industrial sector in the UK. In the last 12 months, one in seven construction workers suffered from work-related injuries. Also, construction-related injuries cost the industry over £1 billion, with 2.6 million working days lost as a result each year.
These figures are simply too significant to ignore. If the construction industry fails to improve our measures, thousands of businesses will continue to deal with health and safety incidents that could be avoided if we take advantage of the newest technology on the market. It’s clear that by doing more to improve health and safety processes across sites, firms won’t just be protecting staff, but they’ll be protecting their future growth too.
For instance, security systems already play a crucial role in managing construction sites, helping to combat the theft of tools and deter trespassers. But we should be considering other uses for these systems and ways to use already in-place infrastructures to their full potential.
In reality, this means implementing artificial intelligence (AI) for health and safety purposes at pace. AI systems have the potential to create simple and effective solutions to our problems, solutions that are reinforced by real and relevant data.
What this means in practice
The implementation of AI, and data-led safety management approaches, is certainly new and relatively novel to an industry defined by bricks and mortar, but they have the potential to bolster compliance and decrease the risk of injury to teams. When we assess implementing technology through this lens, we should welcome it with open arms.
New technology doesn’t necessarily mean you have to redesign an entire infrastructure either, redefining the usage of tools on hand means firms can start making effective changes to health and safety today.
For example, temporary CCTV towers were traditionally relied upon for anti-theft purposes, but employing a dual purpose here can be a real resource for firms seeking to improve compliance.
The same speakers used to deter thieves on CCTV towers can deter workers and subcontractors from cutting corners on health and safety. If workers are aware they’re being watched, they’re much less likely to engage in risky behaviour. This real-time hazard detection and monitoring can also alert staff to the need to wear hard hats, high-visibility clothing, or even when loitering in areas on-site could present a danger.
When accidents do happen, CCTV towers and AI can help firms to understand how and why. The high-grade images and video tapings supplied by CCTV will provide a clear record of the accident, which trained AI agents can then analyse to identify patterns across incidents.
AI can highlight exactly when and where accidents are more likely to happen – think areas of high risk or specific times of day. From this, firms can put predictive risk management strategies into place that are backed up by real data, and wholly relevant to their site.
Why we need to adapt
It’s clear that this industry needs to improve our health and safety processes. With new technology, standards are quickly raising. Soon, adopting AI and technology will be necessary to meet the demands of modern construction.
Temporary CCTV towers and integrated AI can reduce construction site injuries up to 85%. These new tools and systems will become the expected norm, and sites that fail to keep up with change will fall behind.
As well as managing injury and preventing workplace accidents, utilising AI and technology helps our sites stay safer, more resilient and more profitable. Now more than ever, it’s crucial to remain competitive and ahead of the curve as the industry evolves.
