Some health experts believe that all workplace hazards are avoidable. While this is true to some extent, people who work in the business of insuring against risk know the likelihood of accidents is also unavoidable. Every business has an occasional accident, even if it leads to no liabilities.
Construction is one industry that tends to suffer from high rates of accidents, injuries and deaths. Because of this, many technologies continue to emerge to help reduce the numbers drastically.
Safety in construction
Business Insider reports that the construction industry does not adequately prioritize safety. It shares that 58% of construction workers believe productivity takes priority over safety on worksites. Of the respondents to this survey, 51% also shared that management focused on doing only the bare minimum to ensure they did not run afoul of the law.
This has become such an issue that a whopping 47% of respondents felt fearful of reporting the safety issues they came across at work. Fear only serves to exacerbate the problem.
Available technologies
Business Insider also reported that there are existing technologies that could help save lives. Unfortunately, as the survey referenced above illustrates, many companies seem unwilling to make the necessary investments.
- Above-ground assignments: When workers complete assignments that require above-ground work, falls become especially dangerous. Aerial lifts, mobile anchor points and self-retracting lines might prove useful in these scenarios.
- Repair and maintenance: Workers often get into bad scrapes with machines on the job, such as getting entangled in machinery or getting struck by them. Power management systems, machinery cutoff light curtains and permit to work technologies often prove useful here.
- Workplace violence: All businesses are at risk of workplace violence. This might occur between colleagues, between customers or between customers and workers. Some recommended technologies include surveillance cameras, panic buttons and mobile apps that offer real-time response management options.
Businesses that have these and other technologies in place are often in the best position to protect their workers. However, before giving them a pass for a lower-risk tier, remember to double-check that workers have access to the tech and it is not just for show.