Upholding construction fleet safety is essential for reducing accidents, increasing productivity and establishing best practices. Actions can range from using sensors for better construction fleet management to holding periodic training sessions about emerging issues. Making all sites and actions safer is also a practical way to reduce risks and build client trust.
Install tech for better visibility and construction fleet safety
The large size and heaviness of construction equipment make these machines dangerous for people nearby who do not see them in time. Similarly, emergencies could result from operators not noticing individuals on the ground, especially when backing up or turning corners. Sometimes, attached accessories create blind spots — a widespread problem with tower cranes.
However, complementing technologies can reduce many of these risks. For example, backup cameras allow operators to see the surroundings from multiple angles when turning their head to look proves insufficient.
Some companies use artificial intelligence (AI) to differentiate between people and other hazards. One option can detect individuals up to 20 meters away, providing real-time insights. Such warnings allow operators to react in time, preventing accidents.
You could also improve visibility by having people wear connected safety vests that light up or vibrate within specific distances from heavy construction equipment. The wearer receives haptic feedback that alerts them to the danger, while the operator has a much better chance of seeing someone due to their illuminated vest.
Assess and reduce equipment-related site risks
Site managers must understand and mitigate all construction fleet safety threats. The typical approach involves asking four main questions about all identified dangers:
- Which risks exist across the construction site?
- How would they impact the affected parties?
- How likely are they to occur?
- What can be done to minimize these identified threats?
You should determine those things for all dangers, but what could your process look like for equipment safety issues? Rollovers are significant risks, causing 35% of all fatalities in the construction industry.
These events can seriously injure or kill those involved. They are also more likely to occur in overloaded vehicles or those within uneven weight distribution. Strong winds and high speeds further increase the danger. However, supervisors can manage the risks by providing driver training, ensuring appropriate vehicle payloads and rescheduling activities during extremely windy conditions.
You can also supplement site and equipment assessments with video monitoring technologies. Construction leaders increasingly use options such as drones to monitor construction sites and alert the appropriate parties about identified issues. Supervisors cannot be everywhere at once, but aerial vehicles show them equipment-related risks they might otherwise miss.
Use a specialized platform for construction fleet management
Maintaining construction fleet safety can become challenging as companies acquire more vehicles used across multiple sites or at various times of the day. However, construction fleet management platforms address many issues by providing centralized places for authorized users to see all equipment and operator-related activities.
Setting aside time to learn about a chosen platform’s features is the most practical way to utilize them for safer operations. Most solutions allow activating geofencing that tells you when someone takes equipment beyond a specified boundary. Others only turn on once someone uses an ID badge or other device confirming they have permission to operate the machinery.
Many management platforms also allow you to access details about specific assets, such as the number of operating hours for a bulldozer in a given week or when to schedule its next maintenance appointment.
If you see equipment that is more energy-intensive than others, consider whether the cause is likely the asset’s age, operating conditions or operator habits. One large fleet used an average of 30,000 liters of diesel weekly but reduced the amount by 20% through better idle time management.
Consider improving construction fleet management by ensuring only a few pieces of equipment operate in a small space. Such circumstances could increase the chances of collisions or other accidents. When you cannot avoid those situations, have more supervisors nearby to check that everyone follows the correct safety procedures.
Consider the role of operator behavior
Driver actions also impact construction fleet safety. Establishing expectations, providing ongoing training, and discussing potentially dangerous habits or trends are critical for maintaining operator safety.
One of the largest construction fleets in the United Kingdom conducted a 2023 study to learn how driver behaviors contribute to safe sites and operations. The research involved a comprehensive literature review of papers on operator safety in construction and adjacent industries with fleets.
The results revealed these factors that can make operations less safe:
- Stress-related performance issues
- Insufficient opportunities to keep skills sharp
- Distractions and attention lapses
Some of these issues span beyond construction sites. An equipment operator may be having problems in their personal life but does not feel comfortable disclosing them to supervisors. The extra stress could negatively impact their work performance.
Construction site leaders might not budget for appropriate training and development opportunities. In that case, operators may not stay current on what they need to know to operate fleet vehicles safely.
Attention lapses and distractions can stem from the work site and beyond. A colleague on the ground distracting an equipment operator to tell them about a trivial matter could cause an attention lapse that leads to an accident. Alternatively, someone who did not sleep well the night before could be tired, making attention lapses more severe and likely.
Better construction fleet management starts by creating an environment where operators can be open with superiors about aspects that could interfere with safe practices. Supervisors should also meet periodically with employees to discuss what they are doing well and how they can improve.
Create a safety culture
Besides applying these strategies, reinforce that everyone working for your construction company must treat safety as a way of life that influences them whenever they sit behind the wheel to operate machinery or do any other site task. That way, following safe practices becomes second nature. Workers who see that the company takes safety seriously will realize the necessity of doing the same.
