While it would be a big change for manufacturers to produce electric equipment, there are so many benefits to making the change.
Electric equipment, most notably, is great for the environment. Construction is responsible for 11% of energy-related carbon emissions. But there is so much more to electric equipment than the environmental benefits. There is one, in particular, that doesn’t get much attention.
Noise pollution.
Noise Pollution on Construction Sites
Aside from wearing PPE, there is little a contractor can do to protect themselves from noise on site. It can also be harder to protect against because equipment can fire up at any time without warning. Ideally, hearing protection should be worn when operating equipment, when working near equipment, or any other kind of loud noise. Always having ear muffs or plugs on hand can be difficult. The reality of it being worn is simple: most of the time, it’s not.
Dangers of Noise Pollution
Excessive noise and prolonged exposure to noise can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss or tinnitus. Tinnitus is the ringing noise you sometimes hear in your ears after a concert or a loud noise. It’s estimated that over 500,000 contractors in the US are exposed to dangerous levels of noise daily. While hearing loss is a major health concern, it’s not the only reason that excessive noise can be dangerous
Continual noise can impact concentration and make it harder to hear directions or warnings. Noise pollution can lead to more on-site accidents than you might think. Off-site, construction noise impacts those who live and work around construction sites as well.
Why No One Talks About Noise
Unlike many other dangers in the construction industry, noise pollution won’t necessarily kill you. Damage happens over some time as a contractor is exposed to consistent noise. Since it’s not as shocking as a physical injury and isn’t immediately noticeable, it’s easy to brush off the dangers and take it less seriously than other safety hazards. However, it should be taken seriously.
Electric Construction Equipment: The Solution the Industry Needs
Electric equipment could help drastically reduce the level of noise pollution and danger created by diesel-powered equipment. It’s so much quieter, it’s almost scary.
On top of reduced noise levels and the environmental factors of going electric, these machines will have reduced service hours, have lower ownership costs, and can all but eliminate fuel costs for contractors.
Reduced Noise Could Lengthen the Possible Work Day
There is the added benefit of possibly being able to work earlier or later hours on a construction site. Many of the reasons that construction is limited to certain times of the day is because of noise restrictions.
In Toronto Ontario, for example, construction noise is not permitted between 7 PM and 7 AM. It would be so beneficial for construction companies to be able to start earlier in the morning or to work later into the evening. Not only could it be safer in the summer on hot days but shift work could be a good way to adapt to social distancing after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Manufacturers Producing Electric Equipment
Already, many large OEMs are preparing for the rise of electric equipment. They see that it’s an inevitable future of the industry and want to get ahead of the game.
Here are a few examples of OEMs and the electric equipment they are making.