A team of researchers at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) have developed an app that shows potential dangers at building sites. According to a BBC article, the app contains a database of potentially hazardous scenarios using photos and video that architects and designers can use to improve their plans.
Users click on photos of hazards, and are given the option to “eliminate,” “reduce,” and “inform” problems instead of relying on contractor controls. According to the article, a test of the app showed that architects using it were able to identify more than three times the number of hazards as those without it.
The job safety research was funded with $125,592 from the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). According to IOSH, up to half of the construction accidents in the United Kingdom have a connection to the building’s design.
Similarly, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) works to ensure safe conditions in the workforce.
"Architects and civil engineers can identify hazards and come up with better controls when developing and reviewing designs,” Mary Ogungbeje, a researcher at IOSH, told BBC. “Ultimately, this will reduce injuries and save lives."
Source: BBC
