How to Strengthen Worker Safety & Prevent Falls on Construction Sites with Fall Detection by Kwant

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Construction is a very rewarding industry but also has its fair share of safety risks. In 2021, nearly 1 in 5 workplace deaths occurred in the construction industry and just over one-third of construction-related deaths were due to falls, slips, and trips. 

Our construction workforce consists of roughly 5% of the U.S. labor force, yet 18% of worker deaths in the United states are in construction. The difference in numbers shows the need for continued improvements toward safety. 

Construction sites are very dynamic, and because falls, slips, and trips happen so often, there needs to be a powerful solution in place to support worker safety. Fall detection solutions like Kwant are becoming a reliable tool to support worker safety on construction sites for many reasons. In this article, we’ll go over how fall detection is being used to support construction safety and some of the benefits that come with the technology. 

Factors that contribute to falls in workplace

• Working in high places
• Unstable surfaces
• Falling objects
• Lack of proper safety equipment
• Fatigue and lack of focus

Understanding fall detection in a workplace

Fall detection uses sensor technology to detect when a person falls or trips within a workplace. This form of technology is commonly used with wearable devices such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, and smart badges to monitor the event of a fall. 

Generally, when a person falls, their body experiences a sudden / rapid change in motion and direction. Fall detection solutions like Kwant can catch these movements under or over 6ft.

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There are two primary categories of fall detection systems: active and passive. Active systems employ sensors to detect falls in real-time, while passive systems utilize algorithms to analyze sensor data, such as accelerometer data, to identify patterns that suggest a fall.

The construction industry along with many others including manufacturing are starting to use this technology to support worker safety and reduce risks on jobsites. Fall detention solutions are becoming increasingly popular because they can save lives. Kwant’s smart badges include fall detection and are known to decrease fall-related injuries for owners and general contractors. When a worker falls, management receives an instant notification of the time, location, and personnel/company injured.

Proactive and reactive safety with fall detection 

Fall detection systems are commonly used within construction sites that require workers to build in high places, typically vertical projects. Because construction sites can be very loud, there needs to be a proactive and reactive safety solution in place that can work around the noise.

If a construction worker happens to fall from a high location, would anyone hear or see? We cannot rely on just people being distracted and hope they see or hear if an incident occurs. What happens when a worker falls on floor two versus floor six? Would anyone know? This is where fall detection solutions come into play.

Top proactive and reactive safety benefits with fall detection:

• Helps identify incident location 
• Helps identify near-misses
• Helps identify hazardous areas 
• Improves incident response rate
• Detects falls up to and over 6ft 

Additional benefits to fall detection technology:

• Strengthens workplace safety culture 
• Reduces injury rate
• Increases productivity
• Increases performance
• Helps run audits
• Enhances support with compliance
• Lowers insurance costs
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Embracing technology for a safer future

Safety will always remain paramount in construction and Kwant’s smart badges with fall detection provide a simple and comprehensive solution to saving lives from falls, slips, and trips. By embracing innovative solutions like Kwant, construction companies can drastically reduce risk and improve safety outcomes for workers. 

Kwant’s smart badges include fall detection, SOS alerting, near-miss alerts, and restrict hazardous zones. The smart badges provide a proactive and reactive safety net built for construction workers and management. 

Want to learn more about fall detection and how you can use this technology for your project? Schedule a time here.