Could New Technology Help Prevent Construction Site Injuries?
The construction industry has long led the nation in resulting in the highest number of workers dying on the job due to the presence of dangerous worksite conditions. Flash fires, crashes, falls, etc.; all cause devastating injuries and sometimes even death for many each year.
However, new developments in artificial intelligence may now be able to keep the workplace accident-free. Specifically, one Boston-based company is developing an algorithm that could reportedly compute “risk ratings” for projects by analyzing photos from the construction sites, scanning them for safety hazards, and correlating the images with accident records. The data produced from this algorithm would then be communicated to building owners and subcontractors and allow those in the industry to work faster and more safely in an industry that has historically been slow to adopt advanced analytics and ‘change the way things are done.’
If this development truly does hold some answers to the issue of construction site injuries, are construction companies obligated to rely on them?
Artificial Intelligence Could Boost Productivity & Reduces Injury
What could possibly make this technological development more appealing could be the promise of not only making the industry safer for workers, but also boost its productivity rates. The “worker-safety predictor” takes more than 700,000 images from 360 projects, uploads them to a cloud-based platform, and runs image recognition algorithms to identify whether workers are wearing gloves, goggles, hard hats, safety vests, etc. The hope is that, one day, emerging technology will be able to recognize hazardous zones in job sites and record whether workers are present so as to prevent injuries.
Some Public Works Departments Relying On Drones
Meanwhile, as another sign of technological advancement, some public works departments are now reportedly using drones in an effort to speed up construction site inspections. Similarly to those in the industry getting behind new advances in artificial intelligence, some are now purporting that using drones for this purpose can reduce human casualties and injuries, save lives, reduce risks, and increase efficiency.
OSHA Injury and Illness Prevention Programs
Thirty-four states already require or encourage employers to implement injury and illness prevention programs to try and find and fix workplace hazards before workers can potentially get hurt. Under the OSH Act, employers must furnish a place of employment which is free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause serious physical harm or death to their employees.
Florida Construction Injury Attorneys
If you have been injured on a construction site or suffered from a wrongful death in the family due to negligence, you should speak with one of our experienced construction injury attorneys right away in order to ensure that your rights and options are protected. Our attorneys fight aggressively for our injured clients—contact us at Friedland & Associates today to find out more.
Resources:
technologyreview.com/s/611141/ai-could-help-the-construction-industry-work-faster-and-keep-its-workforce-accident-free/
osha.gov/dsg/InjuryIllnessPreventionProgramsWhitePaper.html
