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There is no doubt that modern construction plays a vital role in shaping better urban environments. However, on its workplace with bustling workers and complex mechanical, construction site is inherently risky. Numerous dangers, ranging from falls, struck-by-object incidents, to equipment-related accidents, happen on construction sites. These accidents are often due to the reasons such as poor communications, the complexity of coordinating heavy machinery and staff.

On a global scale, construction industry has caused a large number of injuries. 2023 has witnessed about one fifth USA workplace deaths occurred on construction sites, reached to 1,075 fatalities, according to the released Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The high-level of fatality highlights an urgent need for innovative solution to create a safer construction site.

Under such background, Internet of Things (IoT) solutions have emerged as a transformative tool to offer real-time monitoring aiming at risk mitigation. By integrating smart sensors, wearable devices, and gateways, IoT solutions contribute to create a more comprehensive safety net. This article explores how IoT technologies enhance construction site safety in three critical dimensions: worker protection, danger zone management, and also asset security.

Worker Protection: First Line of Defense

To begin with, the personnel safety could be the top priority on any construction sites. There are many tasks on the construction site that require working at height, such as setting up scaffolding, roof construction, etc. Falls from height are one of the most common and serious hazards in jobsite accidents. According to the data from Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 40 percent of fatal events come from falls, slips and trips. Traditional safety measures, including periodic trainings and inspections, often fail to tackle unpredictable variables. This is where IoT solutions take into role.

IoT bridges the gap by equipping workers with connected devices such as smart or wearable tags. These tags, like H7 Helmet Tag and H7 Lite Helmet Tag, attached on the worker helmets, are able to work in both indoor and outdoor situations. Both of them use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to track the real-time locations. Fitted with embedded 3-axis accelerometers, these smart tags are able to detect whether the worker gets a fall and also send falling alarms. H7 Lite Tag, with big SOS button, is always ready to be triggered when facing any emergencies. These signals are then transmitted to gateway for reducing response times from hours to minutes.

Danger Zone Management: Redefining Environmental Safety

Construction sites are obviously unstable environments where hazards like structure collapses may escalate rapidly. IoT solutions provide intelligent management to prevent these risks in advance. Strategically placing these smart IoT sensors, the construction site offers a dynamic map of potential danger.

IoT-powered geofencing uses LoRaWAN or GPS to create virtual boundaries around dangerous areas. Unauthorized entry will trigger alerts to both workers and supervisors. For instance, the MKGW2-LW gateway is able to get real-time location information from the panic buttons (LW004-PB) or smart badges (LW006-SB or LW010-CT) worn by workers. When employees equipped with these smart devices get close to the danger zone, the gateway will receive information and trigger an alert to inform. Another easier method could be the adoption of a cellular badge, which seamlessly integrates cellular network with GPS, Wi-Fi, and also BLE positioning, enabling direct information transmission to the server and eliminating the needs for an additional gateway. In such methods, IoT solution acts as an alarm to avoid potential incidents to the fullest extent.

Tool Management: Key to Asset Protection

Beyond personnel safety, construction projects also face financial losses from equipment theft, which will heavily influence projects. IoT solutions play an important role in safeguarding construction assets, from commonly used drills to large cement mixers, ensuring them securely monitored and managed.

Integrating smart tags or GPS trackers on tools or equipment, real-time location information will become much more visible to authorized personnel. Such technology not only allows for immediate identifications of assets’ exact locations, but also makes prompt responses easier when facing unauthorized movements. In this way, IoT solution significantly reduces theft risks and further enhances asset security.

Attaching smart trackers, such as LW001-BG Pro GPS Tracker or the smaller LW008-MT Mini GPS Tracker and LW011-MT Mini Tracker, on large machines or equipment, it becomes much easier to monitor the real-time information and the status of these assets. The detailed data collected by these trackers will be transmitted to the server via outdoor gateways. Similarly, BLE smart tags, such as M2 Asset Tag or M6 Industrial Tag, attached to smaller tools including drills or bump cutters, show tool location information via a BLE gateway onto server. Such integration makes visible asset information possible, thereby providing a relatively clear overview to enhance asset security and management.

Revolutionizing Safety in Construction: MOKOSMART is on the way

In such industry where every second and every decision counts, IoT stands as a guardian of both personnel safety and project success. By integrating real-time data collection, IoT is on the way to build a more proactive risk management system. Even though challenges like implementation costs still remain, the value of IoT solutions in terms of saving lives, preventing accidents would be remarkable.

The integration of IoT solutions in construction site represents a great leap towards a smarter and safer environment for workers. As construction site continues to develop, the trend to embrace IoT technologies gradually becomes a necessity to drive a more efficient construction ecosystem.

MOKOSMART, a leading IoT hardware manufacturer, always take personnel and asset safety into great consideration. Realizing the critical needs for robust safety measures on construction sites, we have introduced tailored solutions benefits both workers and assets safety. Don’t hesitate to message us right now for more detailed info about our innovative solutions!