Industrial building construction is a high-stakes business. Every day, workers face hazards that can change lives in seconds. These risks lead to thousands of serious injuries and fatalities each year, disrupting lives and delaying projects.
Every incident disrupts lives, delays projects, and costs businesses. Fortunately, the vast majority of these injuries are avoidable. The best safety programs combine proven protocols, a strong safety culture, and real-time visibility—often powered by technology.
In this guide, we’ll break down the top 4 injuries most likely to occur in industrial building construction and what you can do to mitigate them. We’ll focus on how video AI platforms, like Spot AI, can enable your team to spot risks, enforce protocols, and keep people safe.
The cost of safety negligence in industrial building construction
The financial consequences of safety failures in industrial building construction are substantial—and avoidable. Penalties for serious safety violations regularly reach tens of thousands of dollars, not to mention the indirect costs of injury, lost productivity, and reputational damage.
Let’s look at the numbers:
Anticipatory safety is both good ethics and good business. Video AI platforms help safety teams spot hazards that can lead to fines, making compliance a daily reality rather than a box to check.
The top 4 mitigatable injuries in industrial building construction
1. Struck-by incidents (objects, equipment, and vehicles)
Scenario: A worker walks under a suspended load to retrieve a tool. A loose bolt drops from above, striking his head through a hard hat.
Root causes and impact: Struck-by incidents are a leading cause of injury and death in construction. Causes include dropped tools, moving vehicles in tight spaces, poor signage, and missing exclusion zones. Pedestrian-vehicle collisions are especially common when spotters aren’t used or visibility is poor.
How video intelligence helps: Video AI flags when workers enter exclusion zones under cranes or loads. Real-time alerts can warn operators when people are in a vehicle's path, helping to avoid collisions. Cameras also aid in enforcing PPE use (like hard hats), automatically flagging instances where they are missing.
2. Caught-in/between and crushing accidents
Scenario: During a tight deadline, a laborer tries to realign a steel panel by hand while the forklift operator adjusts the load. The panel shifts, pinning his arm.
Root causes and impact: Caught-in/between injuries—including machinery entrapment and trench collapses—are a major source of severe incidents and traumatic amputations. Common causes: missing machine guards, rushed operations, unstable loads, and lack of spotters.
How video intelligence helps: Video AI can detect when workers are too close to operating equipment by monitoring exclusion zones. This reduces the likelihood of unauthorized entry into hazardous areas around heavy lifts and machinery.
3. Contact with powered tools or machinery (amputations and lacerations)
Scenario: A carpenter uses a table saw without the guard in place. A moment’s inattention, and his hand slips—resulting in a fingertip amputation.
Root causes and impact: Contact with powered machinery frequently results in serious injuries like amputations, often affecting hands and fingers. Lax lockout/tagout, missing guards, and bypassed safety switches are common culprits.
How video intelligence helps: Video AI can monitor for PPE violations and alert supervisors if a worker enters a machine’s designated danger zone, especially during maintenance.
4. Electrocutions and electrical hazards
Scenario: An electrician works on a live panel without confirming that circuits are de-energized. He receives a severe shock, causing burns.
Root causes and impact: Electrocutions are a persistent and often fatal hazard in construction. Key factors: contact with live wires, faulty lockout/tagout, and damaged insulation. These injuries are often fatal or result in life-altering burns.
How video intelligence helps: A video AI platform offers visual logs that allow supervisors to confirm lockout/tagout procedures. Supervisors can also use video to check for proper PPE use and receive alerts if someone accesses a restricted electrical room without authorization.
Challenges and impact of injuries
Injury type |
Challenges for workplace |
Impact |
Role of data and technology |
|---|---|---|---|
Struck-By |
Congested zones, poor signage, lack of spotters, moving vehicles |
Head/brain trauma, fatalities, project delays |
AI flags exclusion zone breaches and risks from pedestrians or vehicles entering restricted areas. |
Caught-In/Between |
Missing guards, rushed timelines, unstable loads |
Amputations, crush injuries, fatalities |
Video detects unsafe proximity by flagging when people enter restricted zones near machinery or loads. |
Powered Tools/Machinery |
Tool misuse, bypassed guards, inadequate LOTO |
Amputations, lacerations, lost time |
Video provides a visual record to help teams confirm compliance with LOTO procedures and safe tool operation. |
Electrocutions |
Live work, faulty LOTO, damaged insulation |
Burns, electrocution |
Cameras help check LOTO steps, monitor access to energized panels, and support investigations with video evidence. |
Practical implementation of safety technology
Introducing a Video AI platform doesn’t mean overhauling your entire safety program. In fact, the most effective deployments integrate seamlessly with existing cameras, safety protocols, and workflows:
Start with risk assessment. Identify your highest-risk zones—elevated work, heavy equipment, tool stations, and electrical panels.
Integrate with your current safety processes. Video AI platforms like Spot AI overlay advanced analytics on your existing camera network, focusing on safety-critical areas.
Customize alerts and reporting. Tailor AI detection and notifications to your specific site hazards—missing PPE, zone breaches, tool safety, etc.
Empower your team. Use searchable video to train workers, investigate incidents, and reinforce a culture of safety.
Evaluate solutions with your needs in mind. Seek out platforms that are easy to deploy, simple to use, and align with your safety goals—not just technology for its own sake.
For industrial building construction, safety technology makes it easier for your team to consistently follow correct procedures.
Build a safer site with video AI
See how Spot AI’s video AI platform can help your team identify hazards and strengthen safety protocols. Request a demo to experience the platform in action.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common mitigatable injuries in industrial building construction?
Common mitigatable injuries in industrial building construction include struck-by incidents, caught-in/between accidents, injuries from powered tools or machinery, and electrocutions. These hazards are responsible for many of the most severe and fatal outcomes on construction sites.
How can a Video AI platform help reduce accidents on my site?
A video AI platform uses your cameras to monitor high-risk areas for specific protocol violations—like missing fall protection or unauthorized zone entry. It delivers real-time alerts so supervisors can intervene when unsafe behavior is detected, and the video evidence supports training and root-cause analysis.
Will a Video AI platform replace my current safety procedures?
No. A video AI platform is designed to enhance—not replace—your existing safety protocols. It helps teams spot hazards faster, support compliance, and offer an objective record of what’s happening on site.
How hard is it to integrate a Video AI platform into our current setup?
Video AI platforms like Spot AI overlay onto your existing camera infrastructure. Implementation typically involves mapping your high-risk zones, defining alert criteria, and training your team on how to use the tools. Find solutions that prioritize simplicity and user-friendliness.
Can Video AI help with incident investigations?
Yes. Video evidence offers an unbiased record of incidents, allowing you to quickly determine root causes and refine your mitigation strategies. It’s also invaluable for regulatory reporting and defending against unjust claims.
What are the best practices for using safety technology in industrial building construction?
Start with a risk assessment, align AI monitoring with your most critical hazards, and make sure your technology supports—not supplants—your safety culture. Use video AI for both real-time risk detection and post-incident learning.
What to look for in a video AI system for construction safety?
Prioritize a system that offers real-time, customizable alerts for specific hazards like zone breaches or missing PPE. The best platforms integrate seamlessly with your existing cameras to minimize cost and disruption. Look for a user-friendly interface that empowers your safety managers, not just IT staff, and includes powerful search tools to quickly investigate incidents.
About the author
Joshua Foster is an IT Systems Engineer at Spot AI, where he focuses on designing and securing scalable enterprise networks, managing cloud-integrated infrastructure, and automating system workflows to enhance operational efficiency. He is passionate about cross-functional collaboration and takes pride in delivering robust technical solutions that empower both the Spot AI team and its customers.
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