New York City – the Big Apple, the Empire State, and the land of skyscrapers, is witnessing an uptick in construction injuries and fatalities in recent years. According to the New York City Department of Buildings’ annual Construction Safety report, there were 505 injuries and 9 fatalities in 2021, and in 2022 the numbers increased to 554 injuries and 11 fatalities.
In 2020, which was when the COVID-19 pandemic strangled the world and there was a slump in construction activities, 502 injuries, and 8 fatalities were reported.
These numbers though are nowhere close to that of 2018 which saw 759 injuries and 13 fatalities, and 2019 with 594 injuries and 14 fatalities.
Why is there an increase in construction injuries and deaths?
The construction sector is recovering from its COVID-induced slump, and we are seeing a surge in construction activity. The annual Construction Safety Report states that there’s an increase in the initial construction and initial new building permits being issued in New York City.
The number of initial construction permits issued rose by 11%, from 93,200 in 2021 to 103,551 in 2022. The number of initial new building permits also saw a remarkable spike, increasing by 112% from 1,683 in 2021 to 3,746 in 2022.
Given the heavy machinery and working at heights, construction sites are inherently accident-prone environments. So naturally, with an increase in construction activity, there is bound to be an increase in constriction injuries and fatalities. The report also highlights this point. “There continues to be a correlation between the overall amount of citywide construction activity and the number of worksite incidents and injuries, which indicates that more construction activity brings with it the risk of more incidents,” it says.
What is causing these construction injuries and fatalities?
Falls are the biggest reason behind construction injuries and deaths. Workers are frequently required to work at elevated heights, be it for façade inspections or structural analysis. This can be dangerous if they are not properly secured. Furthermore, the use of inadequate safety equipment or failure to follow safety procedures increases the risk of falls.
Other common causes of construction injuries and fatalities include-
- Electrocutions
- Accidents involving heavy machinery
- Vehicle accidents
- Ladder malfunctions
- Struck by falling objects / falling overhead materials
Employers and workers must take appropriate safety measures to reduce the risk of these types of accidents. How? By conducting safety training exercises, providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) like harnesses and lanyards, inspecting, and maintaining machinery, and enforcing safety standards.
There’s only so much the employer can do. Workers need to be vigilant, follow safety procedures, and report any potential hazards or safety violations. By working together, employers and workers can create a culture of safety that protects everyone involved in the construction industry. Furthermore, Construction site hazards need to be identified and addressed promptly.
In the report, DOB Acting Commissioner Kazimir Vilenchik voiced his concern regarding increasing injuries and fatalities on construction sites. “Keeping New Yorkers aware of the state of the construction industry in our City is a critical component of our mission to improve public safety. For the second year in a row, worker injuries and fatalities at building construction sites have increased. While these incidents are occurring much less frequently than in years past, we are ringing the alarm that this year’s report highlights a new trend that must be reversed,” he said.
Leverage technology to make construction sites safer and mitigate construction injuries
Yes, there are safety checks, training programs, and increasing awareness to avoid construction injuries and fatalities. But there is a way to make construction even safer.
Modern technology, albeit still in its early stages of adoption in the construction industry, can revolutionize the way construction projects are planned, executed, and managed. Advancements in technologies such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), remote sensing, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) like drones, Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Artificial Intelligence can help identify potential hazards and safety risks before construction even begins.
Drones for façade inspections
In New York, it is mandatory to conduct façade inspections every five years for buildings higher than six stories. The problem is that façade inspections are done by humans as flying drones is illegal in NYC. But there is legislation that wants to bring drones for façade inspections. Drones will not only improve the efficiency and speed at which inspection is done, but they will also eliminate the risk of human workers having to physically inspect facades, and hazardous or hard-to-reach areas, thus reducing the risk of injury or fatalities.
Safety Management Software
Employers can also use safety management software to improve safety on construction sites. Such software can be used for identifying potential hazards with machinery, inventory tracking (making sure there are adequate PPEs and other safety-related items in place), and recording past incidents for better decision-making in the future.
Use AI and remote sensing tools to boost safety
There have been significant developments in Artificial Intelligence. It not only optimizes operations for industries, but it also helps us in making work environments safer. The construction industry can greatly benefit from AI. It can be used for real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, better quality control, optimized scheduling of processes, better resource management, and more.
There’s a report by Research Dive which states that the market size of AI in construction will reach USD 8,545 million by 2031. As of 2021, the number stands at USD 496.40 million.
There’s also the scope to integrate remote sensing tools like LiDAR with AI to enhance on-site safety. LiDAR is already being looked at as a viable tool for surveillance and threat detection in and around building perimeters. LiDAR comes with benefits like high sensing accuracy and range, high speed, better directionality than other remote sensing tools, mesh network capabilities, 3D depth perception, and the ability to assign a unique ID to each scanned object. It can be used for zone monitoring, intrusion detection, façade surveillance, worker monitoring, and more.
Reality Capture tools – Express scanning for the AEC industry
Real-time monitoring will help in keeping track of the workers and allow employers or administrators to take quick action in the event of a mishap. By leveraging these technological advancements, construction companies can further enhance their safety programs and ensure that workers are protected from unnecessary risks and hazards.
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