Construction, being the backbone of development, stands as one of the most dynamic and dangerous work environments. With heavy machineries, heights and ever-changing conditions construction remains a high-risk industry. In recent years, the sector started prioritizing worker safety, with companies seeking smarter ways to protect their teams.
With the rapid evolution of the construction industry, wearable tech emerged as a promising solution for reducing injuries, improving response time and boosting the overall efficiency of your site. This blog delves into the way common construction safety wearables like smart helmets, vests and others are transforming worker safety. Whether you are a construction professional or have interested in various technologies, the blog is for you.
What Is Wearable Technology in Construction?
First, let’s understand the concept of wearable technology. Wearable technology refers to any kind of electronic device worn by the users. Often, the devices have different forms, including jewellery, clothing and elements of clothing, medical devices and accessories. The wearable safety device for the construction industry is a form of personal protective equipment (PPE) integrating construction safety technology combined with innovation, making construction work safer and more efficient for the user. The devices most include hard hats, high vis-vest, and gloves, keeping the workers safe from falling off objects, flying debris and other hazards common in the construction industry.
Types of Wearable Devices for Construction Workers
Wearable devices for construction site safety is changing the industry in certain ways that remained unimaginable. One can divide these devices into three categories- visual, tactical and sensory.
Visual Wearables
These include devices such as smart helmets and smart glasses, offering information and real-time visualizations to the construction workers about the current environment. You can reproduce the images from the factory to the remote viewers, enabling faster decision-making and reducing error. With this technology, you can achieve greater collaboration, helping managers and workers to work together to achieve goals.
Tactical Wearables
Devices like exoskeletons and bionic suits boost the wearer’s strength and endurance, reducing the risk of fractures. The devices further help boost employees’ morale, as they make the work easier and less physically demanding. The exoskeletons pave the way for welcoming robots into the construction sites, bringing more change to the industry.
Sensing Wearables
These devices analyse data from a construction site to identify and warn the construction teams of potential hazards. You can avail of them as clip-on wearables, wristbands, badges, biosensors and more. They can sense location, potential impact and other vital signs, providing critical information and helping the teams take accurate action. The sensing wearable devices are a quicker way of collecting and analysing the data from the construction site as compared to the conventional processes.
Common Wearable Devices in the Construction Industry
Wearables are never one-size-fits-all. Each of the devices discussed here fits into the construction industry by addressing a particular problem, thereby offering user-friendly solution.
Smart Helmets
It is one of the most prominent wearable devices in the construction industry. The smart helmets for construction workers come with cameras, sensors and communication capabilities. You can leverage real-time data about your workers’ location, activities and other vital signs. The integrated camera captures images and videos, aiding remote viewing and on-site inspections for the supervisors. Some smart helmets also feature augmented reality (AR) displays, sharing essential information, including blueprints and safety guidelines directly into the worker’s field of view.
Exoskeletons
The use of wearable gadgets in construction like exoskeletons offers your employees physical support. These tools increase a worker’s strength and reduce the physical stress that comes with jobs like lifting large and heavy objects or running powerful machinery. Manufacturers make these devices ergonomic and pleasant, allowing workers to wear them for longer without any discomfort.
The use of exoskeletons lowers the physical strain on your workers, avoiding musculoskeletal injuries and tiredness. Moreover, the device boosts productivity and long-term health.
Smart Hard Hats
These new construction safety monitoring wearables offer workers additional safety and functionality on the site. Equipped with advanced technology like sensors, cameras and communication systems, the wearable will enhance your team’s productivity. One of the key features of smart, hard hats involves their ability to detect and alert the site workers to potential hazards.
The equipped sensors detect dangerous noise levels, gases and other safety issues, alerting the wearer through auditory and visual signals. The feature is helpful in construction, mining and oil and gas industries, where the workers frequently get exposed to hazards, limiting their ability to hear and see.
Smart Glasses
Often called augmented reality (AR) glasses, these devices help workers by sharing immediate visualisations of the objects in their physical surroundings. When workers use these glasses, they can visualise the building designs, receive on-site coaching and see structures concealed within the walls and floors. Furthermore, construction crews can use this wearable device to communicate effectively while increasing accuracy and reducing mistakes. They can use these glasses in various projects, especially for recording and streaming videos.
Smart Boots
Smart boots come with in-built pressure detection sensors that help in detecting falls or shocks sustained by your workers and call for help. Several models come with location sensing, helping workers track their whereabouts accurately. With all these features, these GPS-tracking wearables for construction require regular charging. The best part is that the presence of technology at the heel of the boost keeps them charged even during the walks, making them last longer than normal charging.
Besides the advanced technology, the smart boots improve on comfort and efficiency features. Many models come with padded insoles and breathable linings, reducing fatigue and keeping the feet comfortable during a shift. Do your workers require maintaining better stability on different surfaces? Opt for smart boots that come with non-slip soles offering better traction and stability on various surfaces.
Key Benefits of Wearables on Construction Sites
Enhanced Safety
While safety remains a top priority in the construction industry, wearable technology like smart vests for construction safety improves your workers’ safety. With the use of smart wearables, you can monitor your workers’ vital signs, detect fatigue and stress and alert them when they are in a potentially hazardous situation. It will help prevent accidents, reduce injuries and save lives on construction sites.
Real-time Data Collection
With wearable tech for construction worker safety, you can enable the collection of real-time data related to workers’ activities, equipment usage and job progress. You can use the data to identify inefficiencies, optimize processes and make informed decisions, enhancing overall productivity and project management.
Boosts Productivity
Wearable devices streamline various tasks, helping workers with quick access to information and data. For instance, if your workers are using smart glasses, you can share with them various documents including blueprints, schematics and other instructions, allowing them to access critical information hand-free while working. You will notice improved efficiency, reduced errors and faster completion of tasks.
Employee Health and Well-being
Undoubtedly, construction work is physically demanding, leading the workers to potential health issues. Wearable sensors in construction monitor physical exertion, posture and other health metrics, alerting your workers about the potential strain and helping them with chronic health problems.
Training and Skill Development
Wearable devices serve as valuable training tools for new professionals. They offer virtual reality and augmented reality simulations, offering immersive, hands-on training experiences. With this, you can help the new professionals gain skills more quickly and effectively, ensuring higher-quality work.
Challenges of Wearable Technology in Construction
Despite numerous benefits, wearable technology in construction comes with challenges that require careful attention.
Cost and ROI
The expense of purchasing and maintaining wearable technology is a primary challenge. Although the technology has numerous advantages, the initial cost is high. To justify the cost, you must remain careful and assess the return on investment.
Data Security and Privacy
When you use wearable technology in construction, the gadgets gather private information, such as worker biometrics and location data. You must safeguard the data against theft and other misuse. Besides, project managers and supervisors must implement strict data security protocols, ensuring to follow privacy laws.
Calibration and Maintenance
For effective and accurate functioning, the wearables in construction require proper calibration and routine maintenance. If have fail to maintain the device, you are likely to experience inaccurate data or lower efficiency.
Training and User Acceptance
The introduction of new technology involves training the staff about its use. Some workers might not be happy with the changes. To bring change, you as a project manager might require organizing training sessions, considering user-friendly designs into account.
Future of Wearable Technology in Construction
The use of construction worker safety technology has the potential to transform how the industry organizes, carries out and manages its projects. With the evolution of various trends and achievements, wearable technology in construction continues to advance rapidly. Some of these include:
Integration with Building Information Modelling (BIM)
To combine real-time data from variables into project models, wearable technology in construction progressively interfaces with the BIM system. With the connection, you can make accurate predictive analysis and project management, improving decision-making and project results.
AI and Machine Learning Integration
Wearables use machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) to automate tasks and deliver predictive insights. The use of AI and ML offer your workers better hazards detection, resource allocation and preventative safety measures, reducing accidents and increasing overall project efficiency.
Customization and Personalization
Over time, wearables will become more and more adapted to the requirements and preferences of specific workplaces, boosting user acceptance and happiness. Professionals working in the construction sector has the freedom of choosing the wearables most suited to their roles and responsibilities.
Conclusion
The wearable technology is transforming the construction industry, bringing a new era of efficiency, safety and productivity. Advancing technology and solving challenges will enhance the industry. Wearables will make your construction process data-driven, focusing more on the workers and their safety. The innovation promises a future, improving the world and building methods.
Brick & Bolt, a leading construction firm in India understands the overwhelming effort that goes into building your dream home. Therefore, they offer an end-to-end design-to-build service, ensuring a seamless experience from planning to project delivery. The organization uses advanced technology in supervision and the overall construction process. With Brick & Bolt’s tech-driven platform, you can enable real-time tracking, seamless communication, quality checks and regular updates at every stage.
Hemali Patel