Page 76 - Occupational Health & Safety, July 2017

CONSTRUCTION SAFETY
Innovating for a Safer Workforce
Companies can address an aging construction industry with sophisticated technology.
BY PETER BIGWOOD
falling debris, and toxic air. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration reported 874 construc- tion workers were killed in 2014—20.5 percent of all private-industry deaths. The leading causes were falls, followed by electrocution, being struck by an object, and being caught in or between objects. In the mean- time, there were 201,000 cases of work-related inju- ries and illnesses in construction, 10,300 in foundries, and 6,500 in mining, not including oil and gas. Of all those, about 80,000 resulted in days away from work.
While experienced workers suffer less frequent in- juries than their younger counterparts, the Epidemio- logic Reviews reports they’re more severe and costly and require more time away from work. An Ameri- can Journal of Industrial Medicine study followed, showing that expense claims for those 65 and older were about triple those of their 18- to 24-year-old co- workers. The high price tag is largely due to lost wages paid to workers for days away from work, disabilities, and physical limitations. In addition, employers incur extra costs when hiring and training new workers to replace injured or retiring employees.
Technology for Safety and Productivity
The risk of many of these injuries could be reduced if the worker had a way to do the work while avoid- ing hazards. That’s why contractors, foundries, and mining operations are turning to remote-controlled equipment. The machines allow workers to operate them and monitor their work from a safe distance in applications such as crushing concrete on demoli- tion sites, tearing out refractory in a foundry, break- ing rock in mining, and excavating in tunneling. This keeps operators away from hazards and improves productivity by virtually eliminating physical strain and fatigue. Many remote-controlled demolition machines are electric powered, able to run with zero emissions in confined spaces.
These features reduce a number of costs for con- tractors. Carl Jones, vice president of the Coring & Cutting Group, a collective of concrete sawing, drill- ing, and breaking contractors with 25 locations across 12 states, said they’ve used remote-controlled saws and remote-controlled demolition machines for pre- cision demolition for about 15 years. He said they reduced injuries and improved profits by making the switch. A combination of factors—including the new equipment, a drop in surgery costs, and more compet- itive insurance markets—lowered annual demolition workers’ compensation claims by about 50 percent. The group of companies also saves about $40,000 to $50,000 a year, or around 25 percent, in injury costs since the switch.
Jones said the most common claims had been
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Much of the incoming millennial work- force doesn’t want to take the time to brew a cup of coffee when they could just use a coffee pod. Where before they
would need to hail a cab, they now press a button on their phone and a car comes directly to them. And why go to a restaurant when food can be ordered by just sending a pizza symbol on Twitter? This tech-sav- vy generation craves efficient tools to achieve the fast- est results in whatever they do. While some of it may seem lazy and self-serving, it’s a theme that has hard- work industries, such as construction, foundries, and mining, changing their ways.
At the same time, the existing workforce is aging. Nearly half of all workers will be 55 or older by 2018, reports the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Construc- tion industry jobs are expected to grow by 19 percent between 2008 and 2018. That combination drives a pressing need to recruit more young workers to fill the gaps left by retirees. Add in the increasing burden of workers’ compensation claims due to workplace injuries, and employers are scrambling to find ways to cope. Not surprisingly, technology may point to a better way.
A History of Accidents
Safety is the first issue to address. Manual labor in construction, demolition, foundries, and mines has long included pneumatic tools, such as rivet busters and paving breakers, with heavy vibrations that can lead to injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, nerve damage, and hand-arm vibration syndrome, after pro- longed use. Workers are also constantly at risk of falls,
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