Over the past decade great steps have been taken towards the level of advancement of safety on construction sites. This section covers materials and behavior that will help prevent as well as reduce the risk of accidents on construction site.
4.1 Smart helmet
Smart helmets were made with workplace safety in mind. The smart helmet is equipped with navigation technology which safely guides its user through a construction zone, it also alerts the wearer about potential hazards and gives advice on the proper safety equipment needed for the job ( Mineer , 2016). It is equipped with auxiliary tools which eliminates the use of hand held devices. This therefore enables its users to have …show more content…
Active cooling shirts/vests offer pre-cooling, continuous cooling and post-cooling to its wearer making the wearer more efficient, allowing their vital organs work properly and drastically reducing the risk of occupational heat stroke
(Engebretson, 2016). The wearer is also more comfortable and will require fewer breaks. 4.3 Modular construction
Although Modular construction has existed for decades, A survey ( Dale, 2007)was conducted back in 2007 which had modular construction at the top of the list as one of the most innovative thing that has benefited construction personals over the last 5 years. Modular construction improves site safety through a reduced need of workers at heights and in tight spaces. Most contractors find their work less hazardous when they work offsite (Fitch & Associate, 2011) and this is beneficial as it reduces onsite traffic which consequently reduces the risk of accidents.
Construction work is also uninterrupted by weather as the majority of work is done indoors. 4.4 Fall protection
Falling from height is the highest cause of death in the construction industry, nearly 40% of all workers’ deaths in 2014 were from falls. The work …show more content…
Currently, fall restraint is desired more than fall arrest on construction sites because it is safer and more cost effective.
4.5 Behavioral Safety
Workers behavior toward health and safety highly influence the safety measures of construction sites. People normally have unsafe behavior towards their job because they don’t usually encounter immediate consequence for performing their job unsafely. According to a research conducted in Hong Kong, workers admitted that they are content working in unsafe conditions if it increases their job benefits. They also attributed unsafe conditions to a lack of care towards their psychological wellbeing from their supervisors ( Rafiq & Fang , 2008). Responsible and safe behavior strengthens safety culture onsite due to increased trust and confidence between line managers and the workforce (BSMS, n.d.). Daily site briefings should be made for every contractor on site and workers should be given personal feedback on safety.
Although the above innovations have drastically prevented accidents on construction sites, accidents can still occur if workers do not use the equipment correctly or if the equipment is faulty. Regular check ups should be performed