As we all know, the construction industry is one of the most difficult industries, with a much higher occurrence rate of serious fatalities. With every passing day, construction projects become more complex, and thus safety regulations must be more stringent.
In such a scenario, Building Information Modelling (BIM) plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of workers and the public. According to a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) study, “BIM can reduce construction-related fatalities by up to 70%”. This number makes it necessary for the construction industry to incorporate the distinct functions of BIM in their everyday business.
By embracing BIM, construction companies can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and, most importantly, ensure that their projects are built to the highest safety and quality standards. To achieve this, BIM’s presence in projects, facilitating identifying, evaluation, and management of potential safety hazards throughout the construction process, becomes quintessential.
Let us look at some ways in which BIM improves construction safety:
- Focus on innovation in safety: BIM allows designers and planners to create detailed 3D models of structures and buildings, which can be used to identify potential safety hazards and assess how they can be mitigated. It can lead to better-informed design decisions that consider safety concerns and have all stakeholders aligned.
- Enhanced Coordination and Communication: BIM allows for better coordination and communication among project stakeholders, including architects, engineers, contractors, and subcontractors. This can help ensure that safety concerns are addressed throughout the project and that designers, architects, project managers, and investors are working towards the same safety goals.
- Leveraging data to improve safety: BIM can monitor safety performance during the pre-construction and construction phases. By collecting data on safety incidents, near misses, and other safety-related data, BIM can help identify areas for improvement and track the effectiveness of safety measures implemented in past projects.
- Visualization and prediction: BIM enables virtual construction, where construction activities are simulated in a 3D environment before being implemented on the construction site. It can help anticipate obstructions, identify potential safety hazards, and determine the best action to minimize or eliminate them.
- Real time safety monitoring: A Dodge Data & Analytics study found that 64% of BIM contractors believe it improves safety on construction sites. BIM can be used to monitor safety on the construction site in real time. Sensors and cameras can be integrated into the BIM model, allowing safety professionals to track worker movements and identify potential safety hazards.
- Improved Training and Education: BIM can be used to develop training and educational materials that help workers understand safety procedures and protocols. By presenting to them the different elements of the project and the various stages of development, workers can better understand their individual and collective tasks, the risks associated with specific tasks, and how they can overcome the challenges.
- Reduction of rework: Using BIM, construction teams can avoid conflicts and plan better in the design phase. This can help reduce costly rework, delays, and safety issues that may arise from making changes during the construction phase. By reducing rework, construction teams can improve project efficiency and safety and deliver projects on time and within budget.
- Role of advanced technology within the BIM framework: Virtual and augmented reality technologies can create immersive 3D visualizations of construction projects, allowing designers and stakeholders to see and interact with the project before construction begins. This can help identify and address potential safety risks and design issues before construction begins. Similarly, drones, IoT, and sensors can capture aerial imagery of construction sites and collect data on site conditions, worker activity, and equipment usage. For example, sensors can detect hazardous conditions such as high temperatures or dangerous gas levels, alerting workers and supervisors to potential risks.
- Optimizing sequencing and site layout: BIM can be used to optimize site layout and sequencing, which can, in turn, help reduce safety risks. Using BIM, the construction team can plan the most efficient and safe way to complete the project, including the layout of access routes, cranes, and other equipment.
Overall, BIM can help improve construction safety by providing a comprehensive view of the construction project, facilitating better communication and collaboration among project stakeholders, and enabling real-time safety monitoring and analysis. Looking at the future of BIM, we expect to see active integration of advanced technologies and tools into the BIM framework, further enhancing its ability to improve construction safety.
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