Benefits of Mobile Technology for Construction
Nearly everyone on a construction site uses a smartphone. So why not turn that mobile technology into a construction tool? While not suitable for hammering nails or cutting pipe, iPhones and Android phones have apps for the construction job site or wherever you need to keep on top of a project. These apps range from helping to keep individual workers safe, after completing their OSHA safety training, to increasing overall efficiency through better project management.
Construction managers and executives are always on the go, rushing from the site to the office to the airport for a client meeting in another state. Most of the current construction management software includes apps to access information and input new information from almost anywhere. Make sure your organization is taking full advantage of them.
By harnessing mobile technology for construction, managers can now bring in anyone into a project for instant updates and to review plans and reports, all in real time. Mobile technology also works the other way around. As we mentioned in a previous blog, if the team on the 26th floor runs into a problem, they can instantly contact the people in the construction shed, plus off-site engineers and architects to share the problem. They can even shoot a photo onsite or stream a live video so everyone can see the issue right then.
Getting personal with mobile technology in construction.
Mobile technology works great in the construction field for project management. You can make better decisions faster because you have incredible amounts of information available right on your phone. But mobile technology also can be used to help construction workers stay safe. Recently, we typed in “construction safety app” into the iPhone app store*. Immediately, we found all kinds of apps – many of them free – covering everything from OSHA Safety Regulations Audits to the Safety Compass which says it “…uses intuitive augmented reality and interactive mapping to communicate hazard information to users in the field.”
A few other apps we found in the App Store include OSHA’s Heat Safety Tool from the CDC. This free app features “…real-time heat index and hourly forecasts, specific to your locations…”
The EMS.SDS-GHS app, free from SFS Chemical Safety, Inc. helps you “…find and display GHS compliant chemical labels and Safety Data Sheets for safety and regulatory compliance, even when you’re in the field or on-the-go.”
The Noise Dosimeter NIOSH & OSHA is a free sound-level meter app. “This Precise Noise Dosimeter will help you to avoid harmful noise levels and prevent hearing loss.” This app earned a 4.6-star rating, too! Mobile technology is now a powerful tool in the construction business.
Find out which of your current cloud-based solutions and software apps include an app component (most of them do). And dig around on the App Store and Google Play to find relevant apps for the various members of your team. *List is based on available product information, not independent testing. OSHAcampus.com does not vouch for the validity of the product’s claims.
