Efficiency and Safety Remain the Top Construction Trends in 2022!

Construction Industry Trends Construction Safety

April 29, 2022

Efficiency and Safety Remain the Top Construction Trends in 2022!

Contractors Machinery

As our nation is taking its first breaths after Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, the construction industry reflects on how these strange two years have drastically affected current construction trends. Stricter safety regulations, rising supply costs (up 17% in 2021!), and continued shortage of workers has made 2022 a uniquely competitive market.

Increased health and safety regulations are here to stay, as contractors have implemented new methods to meet cleanliness and safety standards, ultimately increasing union presence. This year the companies that have invested in quality protective gear and technology are the ones who are getting the bids. Robotic transport equipment has solved the problem of both safety and labor shortages. Everything from protective headsets to Wi-Fi safety alerts has been implemented so that OSHA is happy and the customer gets his job done on time.

Face-to-face contact has been replaced by “smart” contracts, which allow both the customer and the contractor to review and track progress of jobs more efficiently and safely. Regulations are followed closely and deadlines are met on time, all by tracking building supply and labor progress online. Drones, AR (Augmented Reality), and online modeling have met the challenges of labor shortage as well.

Another construction trend for 2022 that’s on the upswing are prefab and modular buildings, with many international builders hoping to spend just 25% of their energy on on-site construction by 2025. The prefab trend increased dramatically with social distancing regulations, but it is continuing as an economical and comfortable option for builders.

As the construction industry adjusts to a post-pandemic generation, it is thinking “green” and efficient from every angle. Building designs must be energy smart and multi-functional. (Think gardens on rooftops and self-sustaining environmental resources.)

“Smart” employees are being redefined as well in 2022! A college education was commonly thought to be a “plus” in most industries, but construction companies are increasingly hiring hands-on experience and skill, despite lack of a college education. These days of labor shortages have opened opportunities for skilled laborers and forced businesses to focus on training like never before.

Unfortunately, increases of cost have had to be passed on to the consumer as a result of many of the necessary changes in the construction industry. But the result has forced some trends for this business that are here to stay through 2022 and far beyond.

Improving safety concerns for the construction industry.

Construction Safety Uncategorized

January 4, 2022

Improving Construction Workers Safety

Construction, construction equipment, construction industry, construction injuries, excavation safety, osha, safety equipment

Contractors Machinery

Despite construction workers making up just six percent of our nation’s workforce, they continue to claim over 20 percent of our nation’s worker deaths! It’s more imperative than ever that construction companies make an effective Site-Specific Safety Plan their #1 resolution heading in to 2022!

According to the National Institutes of Health, construction injuries cost the U.S. more than $11.5 billion a year. An estimated $5 billion is attributed to construction site deaths. These injuries and deaths occur not only with employees, but site visitors and the general public as well. We can continue to improve these statistics by ensuring that construction sites implement a Site-Specific Safety Plan that incorporates proper training, regulation, and equipment.

Training

Proper safety education is an investment that no business can afford to skimp. Does each one of your crew members understand the three points of contact that drastically reduce the number of falls? Are they fully schooled in every piece of equipment, like cranes and aerial lifts to avoid collisions and falling objects? Have you established thorough on-site communication, like hand signals?

Regulation

We all know that regulations only protect our workers if they are followed. OSHA regulations often seem cumbersome and costly, but they are implemented for the benefit of our industry, and NOT following them can be much more costly to your construction company. More than 130,000 construction works miss work due to injuries yearly, obviously decreasing productivity. Ignoring OSHA guidelines is not only a tragic mistake in terms of potential injury and death to our workers, the penalties accrued by ignoring these regulations are an unnecessary loss to our industry, costing anywhere from $14,000 to $135,000 for violations.

Equipment

Safety equipment is a critical investment for every employee. High visibility clothing, hard hats, and ear protection must be mandated, as well as gloves, eye and face protection, in addition to protective and slip-resistant footwear. Machinery safety must be enforced as well, with cable protectors, wheel chocks, and warning whips utilized every time and serving as only the start of equipment safety.

OSHA estimates that for every dollar invested in one, your company will save between four and six dollars in unnecessary losses. And we all know that we can never attach a dollar value to the emotional toll of injuries and death on a job site.

Perhaps the greatest risk to any construction site is to assume that contractors have been fully trained by former employers. Let’s make a dent in the number of on-site tragedies in 2022 by starting from scratch and ensuring the safety of an industry that is so vital to the growth and prosperity of our nation.

Technology advances in the construction industry are on the rise.

Contractors

October 8, 2021

Technology Advances in the Construction Industry

CASE ProCare, construction industry, construction management software, contractors, excavation safety, smart wearables

Contractors Machinery

Whether or not one contracted the Coronavirus in 2020, virtually everyone has been impacted in one or way or a thousand. The construction industry is no exception. With complaints of increased costs of materials and lack of workers, the business had to get creative to cut costs in the future. Technology has entered into the field at a faster rate than ever before, and here are a few of the changes that will aid in a healthy rebound for the industry:

Virtual everything. The creation of mobile construction apps allows contractors to collaborate “on-site” virtually, accomplishing real-time inspections, accurate measurements from phone cameras, and public meetings without having to leave their own offices. Over 81% of construction companies are now using mobile devices to increase efficiency.

Smart advanced wearables. From safety helmets all the way down to steel-toed boots, smart technology is being implemented into safety-required wearables. This technology does everything from monitor fatigue and collision to contact tracing. Smart technology is now available in helmets, headsets, glasses, vests, watches, gloves boots…83% of contractors believe this new technology will drastically improve site safety.

Drone use. Not only used for aerial photography anymore, drones aid in mapping large areas and providing real-time data that accelerates construction decisions and helps streamline the entire process. Use of drone technology in the industry continues to increase over 200% yearly.

Construction Management Software Solutions. Construction goods rose five percent over three years (ending in 2020) and interest rates are now rising. Excellent Construction Management Software Solutions are essential to manage inventory, budgets, documents…virtually every aspect of the construction business. Each software package differs slightly, so prospective owners are encouraged to explore carefully in order to best meet their business needs.

Contractor’s Machinery offers ProCare, the most comprehensive planned maintenance and heavy machine support in the industry. Click here to learn more about ProCare, which comes standard on all new heavy equipment orders.

A year of “shut-down” did anything but shut down the progress in the construction business. Now is the time to consider the technological advances in this cutting-edge industry!

Excavation and trench safety tips and best equipment for the job

Contractors Heavy Equipment Landscaping Equipment

January 29, 2021

Excavation and Trench Safety

case full size excavators, case midi-excavators, case mini excavators, case skid steer loaders, CASE trench equipment, excavation safety, Heavy Equipment, landscape equipment, Toro trench equipment, toro walk-behind trenchers, trench safety

Contractors Machinery

Trench fatalities and injuries pose serious risk in construction, so trench safety must be a top-priority at any jobsite. Statistics from the Bureau of Labor show that an average of 25 workers are tragically killed in trench-related accidents each year, with cave-ins being responsible for 75% of these unfortunate, but preventable deaths. Trench collapses cause hundreds of worker injuries each year, all equally preventable.

With our Contractor’s Machinery, Inc. CASE and TORO trench equipment, you can avoid the dangers of collapses and other trench-related worksite incidents.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), here are some other proven and effective ways of preventing hazards during trench and excavation related work:

Slope it: Sloping and benching – Slope or bench trench walls by cutting back the wall at an angle inclined away from the excavation. With this protective system, workers can prevent a cave-in and save lives.
Shore it: Hydraulic Shoring – Shore trench walls by installing aluminum hydraulic or other types of supports to prevent soil movement or cave-in.
Shield it: Protective Shielding – Shield trench walls by using trench boxes or other types of supports to prevent soil cave-ins.

Designing a protective system like the suggestions listed above can be complex because you must consider many factors: soil classification, depth of cut, water content of soil, changes in weather or climate, surcharge loads and other operations in the area. If you have any questions about any of our products and what equipment is best to maintain trench safety, feel free to reach out to us. We’re here to help!

Recommended CASE and TORO equipment for excavation and trench projects:

CASE SKID STEER LOADERS

CASE skid steers have powered jobsites throughout the world for more than 50 years. Always intuitive. Always easy to operate. Control options, lift geometries, size classes and horsepower ranges for every type of owner and application. From simple to fully loaded, CASE is your home for skid steer loaders.

TORO WALK-BEHIND TRENCHERS

Toro TRX walk-behind trenchers are now more efficient and powerful than ever. We’ve improved our lineup with two new models that combine the groundbreaking maneuverability the TRX walk-behind trencher is known for with even better performance and serviceability.

CASE MINI EXCAVATORS

CASE mini excavators are the most operator-friendly with a lineup of seven Tier 4 Final models that range from 1.7 to 7 metric tons.

CASE MIDI-EXCAVATORS

The optimized system on these smaller but mighty midi excavators produces 9% more hydraulic power and 3% more breakout force than previous generations. Better digging power and superior responsiveness.

CASE FULL SIZE EXCAVATORS

Powered by a Tier 4 Final engine, CASE full size excavators provide up to 8% better fuel efficiency. A rugged new arm design and the new electronically controlled hydraulic pump help increase cycle times by as much as 12% and deliver up to 6% greater breakout force. Even the undercarriage is tougher, and the redesigned cab offers adjustable comfort like never before. Whether your business is pipeline construction, aggregate production or road building, the CASE D Series Excavator sets a new standard for performance and profitability.

Material Handler and Larger sizes available up to 178,000 lb.

Digging one of these for your next project? Request a free quote.

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