Have you ever seen the hustle and bustle of people, machinery, and equipment at construction sites?
If yes, then you know that health and safety threats lurk everywhere! You see towering machinery, buzzing tools, unpredictable material movements, and workers everywhere!
Worker safety isn’t a one-day task – it’s a 24/7 priority! Monitoring construction sites around the clock is essential, but the real impact comes from taking swift action based on those observations.
Our blog is a one-stop solution for all your health and safety monitoring questions regarding the Canadian construction industry!
It also discusses how remote video monitoring can help your construction site become safer through swift detection and quick action!
Let’s begin by understanding what health and safety monitoring is:
What is health and safety monitoring at construction sites?
Health and safety monitoring goes beyond simply observing workers. It’s a comprehensive system that ensures that you maintain a safe environment by proactively identifying and addressing hazards.
You may use health and safety monitoring checklists and tools to assess various aspects, including the condition of critical machinery, valuable assets, and critical infrastructure.
There are two main health and safety monitoring types: reactive and active.
- Reactive monitoring focuses on responding to incidents after they occur.
- Active monitoring on the other hand, is proactive. You may use CCTV monitoring systems to detect potential hazards before they cause accidents. Examples of active tracking include:
- Regular inspections of machinery and infrastructure for wear and tear.
- Environmental monitoring for air quality, noise levels, or exposure to hazardous materials.
- Data analysis of safety incidents to identify trends and areas for improvement.
A well-defined health and safety monitoring plan outlines the specific procedures and systems used for monitoring. This plan should include details on:
- The types of hazards to be monitored.
- The frequency of inspections and monitoring activities.
- The roles and responsibilities of personnel involved in monitoring.
- Procedures for reporting and investigating safety incidents.
Why is health and safety monitoring important?
Health and safety monitoring is not just the placement of CCTV cameras to observe the workers but also the machinery, the assets, and the entire infrastructure!
Worker safety monitoring isn’t just about following regulations; it’s a strategic investment in your project’s success. Here’s why:
Boosts productivity:
Safe workers are healthy and motivated workers. By minimizing accidents and injuries, you reduce the downtime of the entire project. The workers are more present and focused, eventually increasing productivity.
Reduces costs:
Accidents can be costly. Health and safety violations increase project delays, rework costs, and potential lawsuits. Active monitoring helps identify and mitigate potential hazards before they cause extensive damage to equipment, materials, or, worse, worker injuries.
Improves material efficiency:
When workers feel safe and supported, they’re more likely to handle materials with care. Reduced accidents minimize material waste or damage from improper handling.
Ensures timely completion:
Consistent safety monitoring helps projects stay on schedule by minimizing disruptions caused by accidents and injuries.
Enhances company reputation:
A strong safety record demonstrates your commitment to a responsible and ethical approach to construction. A timely construction skyrockets your company’s goodwill.
Common hazards of the construction industry:
The construction industry faces the highest number of fatal incidents. These remote construction sites face significant risks, with accidental poisoning being one of the greatest.
Let’s explore other common construction site hazards:
1. Falls from Height:
Second on the list are falls from heights. Workers often face this risk when working on unfinished structures or elevated surfaces such as roofs, scaffolds, ladders, and platforms.
They may face serious injuries or death, including broken bones, spinal cord damage, and head trauma.
2. Electrical Hazards:
Exposed wiring, faulty equipment, and working around power lines can lead to electrical shocks, burns, cardiac arrest, and even electrocution.
3. Struck-by Hazards:
Falling objects (tools and materials), moving vehicles, and unguarded machinery can result in injuries ranging from bruises and cuts to serious crush injuries and even death.
4. Slips, Trips, and Falls:
Uneven surfaces, poor housekeeping, spills, and improper footwear may result in sprains, strains, broken bones, and head injuries.
5. Fire and Explosion Hazards:
The most dangerous construction site hazards, which can nullify all safety efforts, include flammable materials, improper storage of chemicals, and welding and cutting operations. These may result in burns, property damage, and loss of life.
Canadian construction standards and regulations helping improve safety:
Government Agencies:
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS): A national institute providing resources, training, and guidance on health and safety in all workplaces, including construction.
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC): The federal government department responsible for workplace health and safety regulations. ESDC offers information and resources specific to construction safety.
Industry Associations:
The Canadian Construction Association (CCA): The national voice of the Canadian construction industry, the CCA offers safety resources, training programs, and advocacy for safety best practices.Â
Non-Profit Organizations:
The Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA): A non-profit organization focused on safety in civil infrastructure construction. IHSA offers safety training programs and resources.
Health and safety monitoring devices:
Technology plays a role in safety monitoring, with specific devices for various situations:
- Air Quality Monitors: Track air quality for potential hazards like dust, fumes, or harmful gasses.
- Noise Monitoring Devices: Measure noise levels to ensure compliance with regulations and prevent hearing damage.
- Vibration Monitors: Used in heavy machinery applications to detect potential equipment malfunctions.
- CCTV Surveillance Systems: Monitor work areas remotely to identify unsafe behavior or security breaches.
Health and Safety Monitoring Techniques:
Health and safety monitoring techniques should be modern and provide the best possible protection.
However, their effectiveness depends on factors such as project size, complexity, and the specific hazards you aim to protect against.
1. Regular Inspections:
Advantages:
Regular inspection by health and safety teams on construction sites are the best way to identify the construction site hazards.
By proactively identifying problem areas, such as workers not wearing safety helmets, you ensure compliance with safety regulations and company protocols, and you avoid fines and penalties.
Disadvantages:
- These inspections can be time-consuming and may halt the construction for long periods.
- These inspections may be subjective to the inspector’s experience and thoroughness.
- There’s a good chance that hazards could be missed between inspections.
2. Safety Checklists:
Advantages:
These checklists standardize the overall construction process. The entire construction project becomes consistent if every single task is as per the checklist.
These checklists are like road maps for workers and give them all the safety points to keep in mind. This checklist could also serve as a record of completed inspections!
Disadvantages:
- This checklist may become hard to follow especially for a large project.
- Some unforeseen hazards that are not on the checklist may be overlooked.
- You would need to train the workers to understand checklist items.
3. Incident Reporting:
Advantages:
When every single incident is recorded, the construction site managers have valuable data on the types of accidents that have already occurred, and they would be better able to identify trends and areas needing improvement in safety protocols.
Disadvantages:
- Underreporting can occur due to fear of disciplinary action or blame.
- Focusing solely on reported incidents may cause near misses or potential hazards.
- Requires a robust system to investigate and address reported incidents.
4. Wearable Technology:
Advantages:
Some innovative technologies are revolutionizing construction workers’ safety by enhancing productivity and efficiency.
- Smart hard hats equipped with sensors can assist in navigation.
- Smart watches and smart sunglasses display critical instructions and even help to stay in contact with workers from remote locations.
- There are many other labour tracking and equipment tracking software available on the market for the monitoring of worker health and safety and alerting supervisors to potential dangers or unsafe behaviors.
Disadvantages:
- It can be expensive to implement and maintain for a large workforce.
- Privacy concerns may arise regarding worker data collection and monitoring.
- Relies on technology functioning properly and workers wearing the devices consistently.
The power of live video monitoring in construction site health and safety:
The best way to monitor the health and safety of construction sites is through live video monitoring. Traditional health and safety monitoring often focuses heavily on worker observation through CCTV cameras.
While this is important, a truly comprehensive approach extends beyond just people. It encompasses the holistic health and safety of the entire work environment, including the assets and infrastructure.
Here’s why monitoring assets and infrastructure is crucial:
- Predictive Maintenance: By actively monitoring equipment and infrastructure for signs of wear and tear, potential failures can be identified before they occur. This allows for preventative maintenance, reducing the risk of accidents and costly downtime.
- Environmental Awareness: Monitoring can detect environmental hazards such as leaks, spills, or excessive noise levels. Early detection allows for swift response, protecting workers and the surrounding environment.
- Security: Security cameras with AI can deter theft and vandalism of valuable assets. Additionally, remote monitoring enables a wider view of the workplace, allowing for quicker response to security incidents.
However, relying solely on traditional CCTV for asset and infrastructure monitoring has limitations:
- Limited Scope: Fixed cameras may not capture all areas of concern, leaving blind spots.
- Continuous Monitoring Constraint: Constant human monitoring of video feeds is impractical and expensive.
Remote video monitoring bridges this gap. By connecting your CCTV cameras to a top-notch remote video monitoring center you get a real-time view of the work environment.
CCTV cameras equipped with advanced video analytics and artificial intelligence technology can detect anomalies such as loitering, intruders, and smoke or fire.
The big deal? As soon as the cameras detect an anomaly, the alarm is triggered at the live video monitoring center; the remote operators access the live video feeds and immediately intervene and take hold of the situation, acting in accordance with the pre-established SOPs by each client.
By combining traditional CCTV with the power of remote video monitoring, organizations can achieve a more comprehensive health and safety monitoring system.
How advanced video analytics enhances health and safety monitoring?
Proactive Hazard Identification:
Strategic placement of a camera with a wide field of view (like 360°) allows you to monitor large areas of the unfinished structure, identifying potential hazards.
And when they are topped up with AI capabilities, you can spot unsafe work practices in progress, such as workers not wearing masks or not wearing PPE.
For example, in areas with heavy vehicle traffic, traffic flow analysis AI can monitor flow patterns and identify potential congestion points, helping prevent accidents and improve overall site safety.
The camera AI detects a worker tripping and falling from a height. The alarm is triggered at the monitoring center. Help can be dispatched immediately, potentially minimizing the severity of the injury.
Enhanced Intrusion Detection:
Cameras strategically placed around the perimeter offer constant vigilance against unauthorized access, deterring theft and vandalism while ensuring only authorized personnel are on-site.
Detection and tracking AI can identify people, vehicles, and other objects in a video feed, alerting security personnel to potential hazards like unauthorized personnel in restricted areas.
Fire Safety and Emergency Response:
The smoke and fire detection AI can rapidly detect smoke or fire outbreaks, triggering alarms and enabling a faster response time.
Live video can detect smoke or flames much faster than traditional fire alarms, allowing for a quicker response to potential fire hazards.
Remote operators can assess the situation, identify evacuation routes, and monitor the progress of emergency personnel on-site.
Improving Worker Compliance with Lone Worker Policies:
Lone worker safety is paramount in Canada, and adhering to established policies is crucial. Live video monitoring can become a valuable tool in ensuring compliance.
It acts as a virtual check-in system for lone workers, providing peace of mind for both them and their supervisors.
Moreover, lone worker alarm response is an essential service offered by several security operations centers. When a lone worker device is triggered by a fall, lack of movement for a predefined period, or air toxicity, an alarm sounds at the control center.
Diligent operators then follow the established protocol to ensure the worker receives timely assistance.
Time-lapse:
Time-lapse provides insight into the overall construction evolution as well as many minor details like:
- Worker Behavior: Observe patterns of unsafe work practices like improper lifting techniques, failure to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), or working at unsafe heights.
- Site Management: Assess traffic flow of vehicles and pedestrians, identify potential congestion points, and ensure proper signage and barricades are in place.
- Accident Reconstruction: Review the video footage to understand the sequence of events leading to an accident, aiding in root cause analysis and preventing future occurrences.
- Worksite Layout Issues: Identify flaws in the initial site layout that could create safety hazards, such as blind spots for traffic or congested walkways.
Practical tips for health and safety monitoring:
Pre-Shift:
- Daily Toolbox Talks: Conduct short, focused talks before each shift, highlighting the day’s specific hazards and safety protocols.
- PPE Inspections: Ensure all workers have the correct Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for their tasks and that it’s in good condition.
- Work Area Inspections: Before work starts, inspect the work area for potential hazards like trip hazards, unstable materials, or faulty equipment.
- Weather Monitoring: Be aware of weather forecasts and adjust work plans if necessary, especially for extreme temperatures or high winds.
Real-Time Monitoring:
- Work Permit System: Implement a permit system for high-risk tasks, ensuring proper planning, supervision, and hazard control.
- Two-Person Rule: Consider a two-person rule for dangerous tasks, ensuring someone can provide assistance or raise an alarm if needed.
- Worker Buddy System: Implement a buddy system where workers look out for each other’s safety throughout the shift.
Technology Solutions:
- Drone Inspections: Leverage drones for aerial inspections of hard-to-reach areas or high-risk structures, minimizing worker exposure.
- Real-Time Communication: Utilize walkie-talkies or other communication tools for clear and immediate communication of safety concerns.
Conclusion:
Safety monitoring goes beyond simply observing the workplace. It’s a continuous process of actively evaluating conditions to identify and address potential hazards before they cause accidents or injuries.
Effective health and safety monitoring utilizes real-time data and advanced technology like remote video monitoring to identify hazards before accidents occur, creating a safer work environment for everyone.
Inquire with us today about our specialized security solutions for construction sites.
