Highway construction sites present significant safety challenges to workers and the traveling public. Technologies have been developed to reduce work zone risk, but current options are often a significant expense that relies on prebuilt infrastructure or other upfront setups. This project developed a safety warning system that integrated advanced analytical algorithms with a low-cost and easily scalable sensor network consisting of wearable alert units for workers, collision detection devices for heavy equipment and intrusion detection sensors for traffic cones.
Continue reading Using Sensors to Improve Work Zone SafetyTag Archives: wearable technology
Wearable technology for highway worker’s safety
This article was originally posted on Catalyst, January 2023.
Wearable technology could improve work-zone safety, but are highway workers on board?
Despite ongoing safety efforts, highway maintenance and operations workers have dangerous jobs. According to the Federal Highway Administration, an average of 135 highway workers loses their lives each year because of traffic incursions and limited space for maneuvering. Wearable technology embedded in work gear offers the promise of preventing injuries and deaths—and is already being used successfully in other construction fields. The big question: Would highway workers accept this technology?
Continue reading Wearable technology for highway worker’s safety
