Collisions between workers and vehicles are some of the most expensive incidents on a work site. Beyond the most important form of defense—having diligent and well-trained workers on-site—some contractors use digital solutions to prevent collisions. With the aim of anticipating and preventing collisions before they occur, software companies and equipment manufacturers offer a variety of tools for contractors.


Collision avoidance is becoming a big business. According to 2015 research by MarketsandMarkets, anticollision technology for the construction industry—as well as automotive, railway and aerospace—is likely to grow from $31.19 billion in 2014 to $50.38 billion by 2020—a rate of 7.74 percent between 2015 and 2020.

The most obvious reasons for this growth is demand. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), one out of five workplace fatalities occurs on a construction site. The law requires employers to provide their employees with safe and healthful workplaces. Low visibility is a known problem in the field.


Safety regulations have driven the market for collision-avoidance systems to reduce the rate of crashes and mitigate the effects of imminent collisions. A growing number of software companies are working on solutions to prevent accidents in the physical world with sensors and wireless alerts, and in the virtual world, where an accident can only be seen on a screen before it’s too late.


When multiple large pieces of equipment and scores of workers are in proximity within a defined and possibly restricted space, collisions are a risk. Even when they happen at low speed, they can cause serious injury to operators or site workers, require hours of labor to resolve or money to repair, and can result in thousands of dollars in lost productivity.


One option technology companies are offering is a system to help workers understand the obstacles in their environment. SK Navigator and SAP Technologies offer a solution to the construction industry that focuses on subcontractors, including electrical contractors. SK Navigator, based in the Middle East, reports that 90 percent of construction projects in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) use the SK Navigator technology, while the same products are still just beginning to sell in the United States. The system consists of sensors, ruggedized computers for vehicles and a mesh network to get sensor data to the software.


For the workers on the job, it means that the system is keeping an eye on safety. Each sensor is watching vehicle speeds, positioning, and, most important, what is in the vehicle’s proximity. The data is processed in the cloud and sent to the vehicle’s computer as well as to safety operators or project managers on-site or back in the office. The project owner or general contractor can set the perimeters. 


Typically, the technology watches for excessive speeds, the movement of a vehicle or person into an unauthorized area and the proximity of personnel and vehicles. If the problem looks critical, the vehicle driver can see and hear an alert from the onboard computer, and the alert can be loud enough to catch the attention of any pedestrian or vehicle on a collision course.


It is intended for “when the risk becomes critical, when we know that, if we do nothing, there will be an accident,” said Severin Kezeu, SK Navigator inventor and CEO.


There is one more level of security built in. The system takes control of the vehicle, shutting down the power. Once the system determines the risk has passed, the driver can again take control of the forklift, crane or other motorized system.


Users only need to install the sensors and a receiver, and the Wi-Fi system ensures the data reaches the server.


However, “the server is there for more insight to the manager. Even without the server, the system will still prevent a collision,” Kezeu said.


A growing number of software companies are working on solutions to prevent accidents in the physical world, with sensors and wireless alerts, and in the virtual world, where an accident can only be seen on a screen before it’s too late.

Future construction sites are likely to include more sensors and more control over worker movement.


The skies will be a greater part of the activity. Right now, cranes and drones are vying for space. Many drones already come with sensors to prevent air collisions, but Kezeu said the SK Navigator solution enables people and vehicle operators (such as crane drivers) to be alerted if a drone is in the vicinity.


Finally, the system analysis helps managers understand how vehicles are operated and where workers are spending their time. This data can be used to better train workers before a project or in weekly safety meetings on-site.


[SB]Another solution provider, Zebra Technologies Corp. based in Lincolnshire, Ill., uses a variety of technologies to identify the location of people and vehicles to prevent crashes. Some of its solutions employ ultrawide-band transmissions to pinpoint a vehicle’s location and the obstructions that lie in its path. This can also be achieved with active radio frequency identification (RFID), Bluetooth low energy and global positioning system (GPS) as part of its real-time location system (RTLS).


Projects using the technology typically request a solution designed for that site to ensure the right sensor technology is being used most effectively.


“Zebra offers its [ultra-wideband] technology for safety on construction sites, and, as we have in other verticals, we work with our customers to develop customized solutions on a regular basis,” said Eric Garland, sales director, Zebra Location Solutions. “Zebra’s RTLS, combined with other technologies [bar code/passive RFID], can create a hybrid approach to provide our customers with a more complete solution which best fits their particular needs.”


Built-in solutions


All collision-prevention systems rely on detailed and precise mathematical modeling and prediction, typically based on readings from vehicle-mounted sensor devices. By making the sensor part of the equipment, the installation becomes that much easier.


Equipment manufacturers have been developing their own solutions for years. The Detect onboard vehicle technology suite by Caterpillar, Peoria, Ill., gives operators better visibility, object-detection sensing and increased proximity awareness through satellite-location capabilities. Detect falls under a broad and integrated operations and mobile equipment management system, according to the company.


GPS company Trimble Navigation, Sunnyvale, Calif., also offers a solution specific to cranes on crowded construction sites. In this case, the collision-avoidance solution is offered in partnership with Wisconsin-based construction products company The Manitowoc Co. Inc. to increase crane-operator awareness of objects around the worker, ultimately to improve safety and productivity. Manitowoc’s Falcon system uses positioning technology such as GPS, wireless communications and a comprehensive suite of software to bring alerts and analytics-based data to the operator and to supervisors so that collisions don’t happen.


Collision Avoidance Systems, Orland Park, Ill., offers a Vehicle Reversing Aids system with voice-distance indicator, alerting drivers if they have come too close to another vehicle. The system uses stainless-steel sonar sensors to detect obstacles.


Safety-based apps


Mobile apps bring anticollision safety to users as well. HCSS Innovative software, for instance, offers integrated apps for Android and iOS devices. Its safety management app allows project managers to analyze risk across multiple jobs and crew members, organize inspection records and incident reports, and stay up to date with regulations. Contractors can track employees’ skills and certifications, including individuals working in restricted areas or operating heavy machinery and vehicles.


The HCSS app also uses GPS data to track equipment locations so that equipment from cable to excavators can be located quickly, ensuring nothing collides.


Should there be an incident on the job, many software options make it easy to track what occurred. An app can even be used to enable managers to get the reporting done right away on the job site.


Construction safety software, such as an EHS incident management system from Intelex, based in Toronto, makes submitting the right paperwork to the authorities easier. With the app, users record the incident itself and can then trend incidents including near-misses as well as actual collisions, and report them when necessary.


No technology can eliminate risks. Proper training and conscientious awareness on the part of machine operators is the first line of defense at any construction site. With that in mind, contractors should view such software-based systems as a tool rather than a singular solution to job site risks.