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Construction site safety and security is the responsibility of every general contractor, as is safeguarding the well-being of workers. IoT tools are increasingly the answer to keeping unauthorized visitors off the site, keeping unauthorized workers off heavy equipment and speeding the response to accidents and emergencies.
Smart turnstiles, wearable devices and keypad ignition locks are among latest technology tools helping companies protect people and property by enhancing visibility and control.
Controlling site access
Safety and security begin with controlling access to the worksite. Ensuring that only authorized personnel can enter is critical to preventing theft and vandalism, minimizing liability and safeguarding workers and the public. But paper sign-in sheets take access management only so far, particularly at high-traffic sites.
Modular, easy-to-install smart turnstiles provide a physical barrier to entry as well as the ability to efficiently monitor who’s on site. When a person scans their smart badge, key fob or other credential, a reader in the turnstile unit authenticates the entrant and unlocks the gate.
User profiles associated with credentials can include basic information (name, badge number, company) as well as details such as trade or craft, worker role (crew leader, project manager, safety coordinator), operator certifications and emergency contacts.
Real-time entry and exit data can be quickly accessed and searched in the event of an emergency. The turnstiles are compatible with a variety of identity and access management software solutions.
Monitoring worker location
Wearables are revolutionizing efforts to increase the safety of workers on construction and industrial sites.
Wearable technology such as beacons, badges, and clips provide real-time employee and contractor location data that can be leveraged to enhance safety in multiple ways. For example, it increases managers’ awareness of personnel performing work in sensitive areas.
If an evacuation is necessary, managers can see on a cloud-based dashboard the location of all workers, including any workers who haven’t arrived at the muster point or have evacuated to the wrong muster point. This minimizes the need to send someone into a potentially hazardous environment to search for missing workers. Location data also reduces the time it takes first responders to locate any injured or potentially injured personnel.
Responding faster to emergencies via alerts
Wearables enable alerts that allow both managers and crew members to respond faster to safety incidents. For example, in the event of a fire, chemical spill, tornado or other serious safety threat, a manager may initiate an evacuation that sends an acoustic alert to every worker wearing a clip.
If a worker falls, a clip equipped with fall detection technology can send an automatic alert to a designated supervisor, who can respond immediately. A small but sudden change of elevation could indicate that a worker fainted—or that they jumped off a piece of equipment and need a reminder to maintain three points of contact.
If a worker gets injured or experiences a medical problem, they can press the emergency button to request help.
Keeping unauthorized users off heavy equipment
Operators who are not properly trained on safe use of rental equipment may pose significant safety issues. Equipment access management, or keypad ignition locks, available on heavy equipment from United Rentals, allow managers to limit equipment access to qualified and authorized workers. Managers can also monitor who uses the equipment and when. This data increases accountability in the event of an accident or damage to the machine.
To unlock the keypad ignition lock and start the engine, the operator must enter an assigned PIN or tap an RFID-enabled ID card. PINs can be assigned to individuals or groups in a cloud-based worksite management platform such as Total Control®.
Equipment access management not only blocks workers who lack the proper training or certification from using the equipment, it also prevents thieves and unauthorized personnel from “borrowing” it.
Digitally connecting people, equipment and information is the key to a future in which construction and industrial sites are safer, more secure and more productive. Connected worksites help companies reduce accidents and injury rates, improve evacuation and muster times and boost accountability. Given the technology available now through vendors such as United Rentals, that future is already here for companies that choose to embrace it.