How to Keep Workers Safe and Improve Job Site Metrics with Wearable Technology
Wearables have
become a fashionable topic in the construction industry. But it's not all just
talk. Every day, wearables are promoting health, safety, connectivity,
productivity, and accuracy on job sites.
A number of
employee monitoring systems have been introduced to the construction industry
with the aim of making employees safer.
Dash cams are
being installed into truck cabs, not to record traffic, but to record the
activities of the driver. Truck companies want to make sure drivers are
checking their mirrors and aren't using their phones when behind the wheel.
The Spot-R fall
alert and emergency evacuation system from Triax Technologies monitors
employees' movements to alert safety personnel if the device changes elevation
quickly, indicating a fall. And, it alerts workers of an emergency evacuation.
The Scan-Link RFID
tags monitor employees' locations and alerts equipment operators of employees
who are located behind the machine.
Some smart watches
detect vibration; that technology is used to monitor the ramifications to the
body from using power equipment for a long time. Alerts tell the end-user when
power tool use exceeds what the body can safely perform, and this is to prevent
hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS).
Smart helmets
monitor several health elements, such as fatigue, heart rate, and stress, so
workers and management can modify worker's activities in ways that promote
employee health and job site safety and productivity.