Construction Law
Biometrics and the Construction Industry
If you are in the construction industry, you understand that technology has always been a part of work on the jobsite. While the industry didn’t always utilize technology at the level of other industries, contractors have always been seeking a better way to do their jobs. In recent years, new technological advances such as drones, robots, and virtual reality are beginning to appear on construction sites and enhance nearly every process. Along with these technologies, comes a new, innovative way to solve an old problem.
Construction sites are fast-moving workplaces with a large number of people. However, it’s not always the same group of people each day. Subcontractors flow in and out for specific jobs, even on small projects. Security on a jobsite can be an issue. Keeping track of workers, especially for payroll purposes can be an issue as well. Both issues can be solved with the use of biometric technology.
What is Biometrics?
Biometrics is the use of physical or behavioral attributes to identify human beings. Common ways that biometrics is used to recognize people is through facial recognition, fingerprints, and voice recognition.
On construction sites, biometrics are currently being used in a couple of ways:
Fingerprint Readers
When workers are hired, they are fingerprinted during their orientation. That fingerprint is entered into a database of employees for a particular site. When the employee comes to work, she puts her finger on a reader and is granted access to the site.
Facial Recognition
To enter the jobsite, workers will take a picture of themselves at a camera station or on their phone and submit it to payroll with a timestamp. This will also be done each time a worker leaves.
Benefits of Biometrics
Our Florida construction lawyers have been on construction sites throughout the state and have identified a number of ways in which these sites can be enhanced by using biometrics, including:
- Access control: Biometrics allows you to grant and restrict access to construction sites in a more effective way. Workers no longer need badges, just their fingerprint. Through your software system, you can grant access to certain areas on certain days and deny access to other areas.
- Reduce wage fraud: On sites that use cards, the practice of “buddy punching” happens often. People simply pass their cards around. However, nothing is more unique than your fingerprint and face. Using this method makes time tracking much more effective.
To request a consultation with a Florida construction lawyer, please call us today at 813.579.3278 or submit our contact request form.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.