ConstructConnect Blog

After five consecutive years of increases in the number of construction worker deaths, construction industry fatalities in private industry fell 2% from 2016 to 2017, according to the 2017 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released yesterday.

Every time you turn on the news, it seems like another natural disaster has struck in some part of the world. From major floods and hurricanes to earthquakes and tornadoes, natural disasters of all types are becoming increasingly common around the globe—including right here in the United States.

If the construction industry is anything—it’s consistent. For roughly 20 straight years, the industry has racked up the “least improved” award for having the lowest annual productivity gains globally of any industry. This means construction is still way less productive now than it was in 1995, according to a 2017 McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) study.

According to the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), more people than ever are choosing to work in the construction industry. In fact, the AGC has found that construction employment is at a 10-year high, with more than 280,000 new jobs added in the past year alone.

Netflix and Apple are not media companies. Tesla isn’t known as a manufacturer. They are tech companies.

“I can pull up by the curb. I can make it on the road. Goin' mobile. I can stop in any street and talk with people that we meet. Goin' mobile. Keep me movin'.” – The Who

The construction industry tops the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ list of most dangerous jobs. This is a fast-paced industry that requires the use of heavy equipment, and often, hazardous chemicals. To complete projects safely and efficiently, contractors need to be supported by employees who are skilled, knowledgeable, and sober.

Approaching the topic of workplace safety around heavy equipment might feel tiring to you if you've spent any number of years working in the construction field or any related line of work where equipment is present. Safety reminders are many and some stories of life-altering injury seem like they could have been prevented with common sense, but many more fall outside of what any reasonable human being might be prepared to expect. Falling into a complacent routine can also be more dangerous than simple ignorance in the first place considering it may lead to willing negligence.

General contractors and subcontractors are facing a mixed bag these days. On the one hand, they’re experiencing strong, even record demand with backlogs averaging over nine months. But the volatile nature of rising material prices, fueled by tariffs and trade tensions, has dampened some of this enthusiasm.

Fleet management has always been a data-driven industry. Assets generate an immense amount of information, but it wasn’t always possible to access it, let alone analyze it. In the past, fleet managers had to comb through handwritten logs and overstuffed filing cabinets to find the insights they needed to operate more efficiently. But now, thanks to innovative technology, there’s a mountain of information right at your fingertips. Easy access to data is reshaping the industry. Let’s take a look at how.