Safety Shield
Safety Shield Global is determined to make construction sites safer with their innovative Thumbs Up system.
The Thumbs Up device is mounted to the side of machinery and uses artificial intelligence to alert when a tradesperson has stepped into an unsafe area. To date, hundreds of diggers have been piloted with the warning system, which allows the operator to give an all clear signal when it’s safe to approach.
When a tradesperson steps into an unsafe zone, an alarm is sounded in both the digger’s cab and around the site. Once the operator has brought the machinery to a stop, a green thumbs up is displayed, and colleagues can enter the perimeter.
The aim is to make moving around site safer, with zones monitored by automation.
Data is recorded and can be used to reduce risk on site in areas that are prone to cause injury and potential fatalities.
Modular lifts
Laing O’Rourke has teamed up with Kone to manufacture modular lifts. The lifts are constructed off-site in a controlled environment, reducing exposure to dust, vibration, and noise.
Once the lift has been delivered on site, the time it takes to install it is a game changer. Traditional methods can take at least one week per floor to construct. Add to that changes in the weather and sourcing materials from multiple vendors, and delays are common.
However, the modular lift can be dropped into the shaft and made operational within 90 minutes. Having a functional lift also means working in a fixed environment, which reduces risks when working from height. And because the shaft is fully assembled when it arrives on location, there are fewer deliveries and no need to store materials.
All this means a safer working environment for tradespeople and a building that can be watertight in a fraction of the time.
According to Laing O’Rourke, the modular lift system they’ve developed can be applied across all sectors.
Modular builds are becoming more common in the UK, with members of Make UK on track to produce 10,000 modular homes by 2025. Construction requires less labour, with structures, insulation, fixtures, and fittings installed in a controlled environment before arriving on site.
Tradesman Talk
What other AI systems are being used on construction sites? And do they make work safer?
And how will modular construction change the industry?
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Until next time, make sure it’s Tradesman Saver.
