Innovating for a Safer Workforce

Much of your team is reaching retirement age and the new, younger workers you’re trying to recruit shy away from manual labor. Plus, your workers’ compensation premiums keep going up. Sound familiar? With nearly half of all workers in the U.S. 55 and older, and strong construction job growth projections of 19 percent by 2018, it’s time the construction industry found a new solution.

The aging workforce combined with the rising number of construction jobs drives a pressing need to recruit more young workers to fill the gaps. Add in the increasing burden of workers’ compensation claims due to workplace injuries, and employers are scrambling to find ways to cope. Not surprisingly, technology may help solve all of those challenges — starting with reduced injury rates.

Contractors are increasingly choosing Brokk remote-controlled demolition machines that allow workers to operate them from a safe distance. One of those many contractors is Mike Iiams, Precision Cutting & Coring owner, who bought the first of his company’s three Brokk machines six years ago. The results?

• pneumatic tool use dropped by 60 to 70 percent
• workers’ compensation claims lessened
• experience modification rate, or EMR, reduced, lowering insurance premiums
• productivity rose 50+ percent
• profits increased

In addition to improving safety, this new technology is pivotal to enticing a younger workforce. Iiams said his new employees are drawn to the high-tech Brokk equipment and are naturals at using it. He noted that the robotic equipment also helps extend the careers of his older workers as they can limit the more physically demanding aspects of their work.

By choosing Brokk machines, contractors are attracting younger workers all while reducing workplace injuries and claims. The money saved from these expenses makes it easy to justify buying the new equipment.

Contact us to discuss what a machine might do for your ROI.