It’s essential that business owners make the health and safety of their employees a priority. Whatever the industry, employers have a duty of care to their workforce.

However, one sector that is particularly high risk is construction. This is a hazardous industry to work in that consistently sees the highest injury and fatality levels.

Employers in this sector need to take additional steps to look out for the health and safety of those working onsite, as well as protecting their construction firm. One way this is possible is through the introduction of AI. But how is this advanced technology reimagining safety on the job site? Read on to find out.

Construction risks: the stats

Of the 123 fatalities that occurred in in the workplace last year, construction had the highest number of incidents and working at a height caused the most deaths, according HSE statistics. The HSE also records construction as having a higher-than-average workplace injury rate compared to other industries.

As well as working at a height being a significant cause of accidents and, in some cases, fatalities on a constriction site, other common causes of accidents in this sector include:

• Falls from scaffolding and ladders
• Unsecured objects and equipment falling
• Faulty equipment
• Poor training
• Heavy equipment
• Poor planning and site management
• Noise hazards

This is not an exhaustive list, however, these are some of the most common issues that create a hazardous working environment for employees. Many accidents caused by these issues can lead to personal injury claims being made by workers who have been hurt at work.  

How is AI improving safety onsite?

While there are traditional methods for keeping workers safe, utilising some forward-thinking tech could potentially make a huge difference, keeping employees safe and reduce health and safety problems on site.

AI tech could help via remote monitoring systems. These use machine learning and IoT sensors to discover patterns and faults in the patterns that could indicate hazards onsite, along with identifying potential accidents and security breaches.

For example, checklists and workforces can be monitored using AI. This means that managing multiple sites is easier as site owners can receive data to discover who is working on each job. This is especially useful when monitoring employee numbers who are showing signs of Covid, for example.

PPE is another area that can be closely monitored using AI. Remote monitoring can flag any teams that aren’t PPE-compliant and automate training or even ordering new supplies of personal protective wear.

AI and traditional health and safety procedures

While AI is a great option, it can work seamlessly with traditional methods too. Automating reminders for training, for example, is a step forwards and will ensure everyone on site knows what training they need to do in order to upskill.

Additionally, regular site assessments can be done seamlessly when combined with online tools. Risks can be highlighted and addressed quickly.

So, if you run a construction site, it’s worth looking into AI and machine learning tools to make health and safety easy and effective.