As Hensel Phelps looks for better ways to improve on all things safety, the multinational contractor is piloting technology solutions like Edify, an app designed to create safety-minded culture within construction companies.<\/p>\n
Every morning, Hensel Phelps workers log in and answer a seemingly simple question: Why do you want to be safe today?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their answers are generally thoughtful, sometimes poignant. They post pictures of their families or mention an anniversary dinner with their spouse that night.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re not just filling it out to fill it out,\u201d said Thai Nguyen, chief innovation officer for the Greeley, Colorado, firm. \u201cIt gets them to think: What am I doing today? What is important to me? Getting that engagement and commitment moving forward goes a long way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thai Nguyen
\nCourtesy of Hensel Phelps<\/p>\n
While Hensel Phelps\u2019 investment in safety technology is all about \u201cgetting that individual home safe that day,\u201d Nguyen said, Edify does a lot more than that. The platform\u2019s use of AI to analyze reams of data collected from the field also tracks and improves productivity.\u00a0 <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s symbiotic,\u201d Nguyen said.<\/p>\n
Construction is a notoriously dangerous industry, accounting for 6% of the overall workforce in the U.S., but about 20% of worker deaths, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2020, 1,008 construction workers suffered fatal work injuries<\/a> \u2014 more than any other worker segment.<\/p>\n While that percentage is still too high, the industry\u2019s increased use of advanced technologies, including wearables, sensors, AI tools and extended-reality platforms, is driving improvement, experts say.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jerry N. Shupe \u201cSafety tech provides better data to make decisions and drives efficiency to achieve safer projects,\u201d said Jerry N. Shupe, Hensel Phelps\u2019 corporate director of safety and health.\u00a0<\/p>\n Digital and mobile tools and software are starting to see widespread adoption, said Casey Banks, managing risk control consultant for construction at insurance company Travelers, because they not only help drive efficiency and safety on the jobsite but also easily integrate into a company\u2019s existing risk-management programs.<\/p>\n A sampling of safety-related tech products for construction contractors and their workers:<\/p>\n AlertMedia<\/strong> lets workers in isolated or high-risk situations signal for help using their mobile devices.<\/p>\n
\nCourtesy of Hensel Phelps<\/p>\nSafety Tech Solutions<\/h4>\n