Construction Law
Exploring Strategies to Achieve Zero-Accident Job Sites in the Future Part 1
Accidents are commonplace on construction sites. Your employees work around heavy machinery, sharp tools, and countless other hazards on a day-to-day basis, so their safety is always top of mind. Workplace injuries are costly and throw projects off schedule, so you want to avoid them at all costs. Fortunately, the development of new strategies and technologies are helping the construction industry move toward zero-accident job sites.
In this two-part article, the Tallahassee construction lawyers at Cotney Construction Law will explore strategies that can help contractors achieve zero-accident job sites in the near future.
New Strategies for a Growing Industry
The global population is expected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050. The construction industry is expected to match this growth side-by-side, with PwC forecasting an 85 percent increase in the volume of worldwide construction output over the next dozen years. If this statistic seems inflated or unrealistic, consider the fact that 12 years ago the iPhone had not been released and Twitter only had a handful of users. The world has changed immeasurably, and human ingenuity has been the driving force for those changes. Our personal and professional lives have been transformed by innovation, and the growing construction industry is no different. An era of safer, smarter, and faster construction is on the horizon, but it’s up to contractors to incorporate these new strategies and adapt for the future.
Streamlining Construction with Data
Number crunching serves a vital function in nearly every industry. Our daily interactions give us small-picture insights into the construction industry, but data can help contractors see the bigger picture. By translating work into quantifiable data, you can unearth things you never knew about your job sites. When you develop a better understanding of your employees through data, you can improve efficiency, mitigate time wasted, and ensure workplace safety.
Productivity in the construction industry increases marginally each year, with a relatively consistent 1 percent annual growth charted over the last 20 years. Comparatively, manufacturing has grown by an average of 3.6 percent over that same period. What is the source of this disparity? Whereas manufacturing is a predictable, data-driven environment, construction has failed to leverage technology with similar results. If the construction industry can standardize processes in the same way manufacturing has, project costs will plummet, productivity will soar, and workers will be safer. If our industry continues to view each construction project as unique, it will be impossible to create secure processes that eliminate negative externalities.
As we will discuss in part two, the construction industry is slated for significant advancements in the near future. As contractors determine the perfect marriage of workers, machines, and computers, project sites will become secure for workers who once flinched at the idea of coming to work.
If you would like to speak with a Tallahassee construction lawyer, please contact us today.
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.