With many facets of construction being high-risk, safety is notably the top priority for every project manager, contractor, and laborer. Large-scale and small developments alike must maintain a level of safety in order to prevent accidents and ensure project success. Technology has the ability to play a role in safety; drones have become an essential tool in improving construction safety by enabling innovative solutions to frequently monitor sites, identify potential hazards, and protect workers.
At Arch Aerial, we specialize in these drone services that support the entire construction industry, offering safety benefits that can streamline site management, reduce risks, and implement safety measures. Drones are revolutionizing how we monitor construction sites, utilizing their efficiency, real-time data collection, and overall risk-management for site operators.
Improving Site Monitoring and Surveillance
One of the very significant ways drones can monitor construction site safety is through their ability to monitor and survey sites from a higher vantage point. Traditionally, project managers and supervisors rely on manual site visits to visualize progress, monitor worker safety, and identify hazards. This process is time-consuming, and requires the site manager to physically explore the entire site. Drones are introducing major efficiency improvement into this space, while giving a more detailed look at all data points.
Drones equipped with high-resolution cameras can provide a bird’s-eye view of the whole site, allowing managers to see the site from upwards of 400 ft into the air in real-time. This gives project managers the ability to identify safety hazards, and potential risks immediately, such as unprotected edges, harmful obstacles, or any other hazardous conditions. Drones also allow for consistent and frequent site inspections without the need to halt working operations, keeping the projects on schedule.
Hazard Identification and Risk Mitigation
Construction sites are filled with major hazards such as heavy machinery, working at tall heights, electrical risks, and massive mobile machinery moving heavy material. For the laborers themselves, these hazards are a frequent concern. Drones can be used to identify and monitor these risks, helping reduce the likelihood of accidents and injuries.
Having the ability to capture high-resolution images and video footage, drones have the upper-hand at immediately identifying hazardous areas that may be difficult to see from the ground. This data can quickly communicate to project managers, who can then act to preserve worker protections.
Additionally, drones have the ability to monitor heavy machinery. By conducting aerial inspections of taller structures like cranes as well as scaffolding, drones can spot safety issues posing as a potential threat. This proactive capability minimizes equipment risks and project delays.
Safety in Hazardous Locations
Numerous parts of construction projects involve potentially hazardous scenarios like tall buildings, deep excavations, or remote areas. These environments always have a likelihood of dangerous conditions. Drones can go places where it would be a hazard for a person to conduct an inspection.
For example, on high-rise construction projects, drones can be used to inspect rooftops, scaffolding, and other high aspects of buildings. This reduces the risks of falls that lead to injuries and fatalities in the construction industry.
There are a plethora of hard-to-reach areas on a variety of sites, such as deep excavation sites, underground structures, or locations with unstable earthworks. Being performed safely in the air, the drone allows the pilot and other inspectors to be located out of harm’s way. By minimizing the need for workers in these areas, drones improve overall safety conditions.can gather:
Real-Time Data for Enhanced Decision-Making
The real-time effectiveness can give project managers and safety personnel instant access to effective decision-making. The ability to capture up-to-date, high-quality images and videos allows construction teams to make informed decisions with time on their side.
As an example, drones can monitor ongoing activities as they are happening and assess worker behavior in certain situations, to ensure compliance with safety protocols. They can detect unsafe practices, such as laborers without proper protective gear and laborers operating in restricted areas. Construction managers cna respond immediately to safety violations and implement corrective measures for the benefit of the project site and company.
Better Communication and Training
Drones also play a role in improving communication and training on construction sites. Safety briefings are essential to ensure protocols and keep workers informed. However, these meetings lack visual context, which prevent a full comprehension of direction.
Utilizing drone footage in safety training allows workers to visualize specific pieces of a construction site, as well as the full encompassed picture. It is important to give workers a clearer understanding of specific areas like scaffolding, exposed wires, and temporarily visible obstacles.
Giving real-time footage in safety briefings can provide current conditions in the most up-to-date fashion possible for entire teams to see real-time evolving hazards as they are happening.
Reducing Liability and Enhancing Compliance
Safety issues on construction sites are not only dangerous, but can prove detrimental from a legal perspective. Drones can identify areas that are deemed major liabilities for companies that not only protect the workforce, but entire company operations.
Drone data is compliant with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and other industry standards. Using drones for accurate inspections and safety audits, companies can maintain invaluable safety checks, while referencing the history of the job site.
Conclusion
Drones are transforming the way construction companies approach safety. By enhancing site monitoring, identifying hazards, reducing risks, improving communication, drones play a crucial role in making sites generally safer for workers. At Arch Aerial, we are proud to provide innovative drone solutions that support the industry in achieving its safety goals.
As drone technology continues to evolve, the role of drones will only expand. By integrating drones into daily operations, construction companies can not only improve safety and efficiency, but reduce cost and deliver better outcomes.
If you’re ready to elevate the safety of your projects using drone technology, reach out to learn how our services can help you monitor and protect your worksite effectively.