The system uses proximity sensors in vests, helmets and other devices that are linked to the machinery operating on site. When a hazardous situation is detected, the system triggers a triple alert — physical, visual and acoustic — to avoid an accident.
The goal is to eliminate the risk of workers being hit by heavy machinery, one of the main causes of injuries on construction sites.
The project is part of Ferrovial’s Safety, Health, Wellbeing Innovation Lab, an innovation programme aimed at improving the safety of employees through the use of new technology. It was first tested in the US by Ferrovial’s construction subsidiary Webber.
Following the successful first trial, pilot projects were rolled out on the Club del Mar expansion project in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, and on the Oporto Metro extension in Portugal.
The devices were supplied by GKD Technologies, an English company based in Wimborne, Dorset.
Ferrovial said that it is “firmly committed to innovation and technology, particularly in applications to improve the safety of both workers and users of the company’s infrastructures. Health and safety are core features of the company’s strategy, with prevention as a key element”.
The company is a pursuing a number of other initiatives to improve safety through technology. It provides training courses on how to operate in risky situations using virtual reality goggles and the Infraverse – its own version of the so-called metaverse.
This makes it possible to replicate dangerous situations and give trainees the necessary safety knowledge to respond correctly to the risks associated with specific operations.
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
