Best Construction Safety Apps – Extend Your Toolbox with Your Phone

Land surveyor using app on smart phone.

There are nearly 6.5 million people that work at approximately 252,000 construction sites across the nation on any given day. What’s even scarier? The fatal injury rate for the construction industry is higher than the national average in this category for all industries, as reported by OSHA.

While you may not have millions of workers to manage, you most likely have multiple job sites that you’re project managing, and with that comes a lot of responsibility and a lot of safety and health concerns. We’ve recently covered some of the top mobile project management apps for construction managers, but we’ve compiled another list of excellent apps that focus specifically on keeping your job sites and workers safe and healthy!

[And, as a bonus we’ve short-listed some other helpful apps at the bottom of this article that will make you and your teams more efficient.]

OSHA Heat Safety Tool

OSHA and the National Weather Service teamed up to create an Android and iPhone app that allows managers and workers to calculate the heat index for their jobsite. Based on the heat index, the app will display a risk level for outdoor workers.   The app also allows you to get reminders about protective measures that should be taken when working outside at that risk level to protect against heat-related illness.

Download the heat safety app for free from the OSHA website, as well as both iTunes and Google Play.

Fall Safety App

This app is designed for individuals that work in high places, providing fall detection on their smart phones. It detects falls while running in the background by using the iPhone’s built-in accelerometer (Android coming soon!). If the app detects a fall, an audible alarm sounds for 30 seconds and then alerts the person’s emergency contacts by email, text, and voice message. The email and text notifications of the person’s fall also send a detailed map with pushpin. This app is available for download from both the Fall Safety App site, as well as iTunes. This app will be available via Google Play soon!

Safety Meeting App

With the Safety Meeting App, contractors, project managers, and sub-contractors can record and track OSHA-required safety meetings, accidents, incidents, near misses, and employee attendance. The app has been used in both small and large construction environments.  This app is available for download from the Safety Meeting App site, as well as both iTunes and Google Play.

SafeSite

SafeSite’s Safesite Field app allows project managers and their teams to log safety hazards quickly, and automatically send notifications to responsible parties for resolution. You can also conduct inspections and checklists in an accurate and timely fashion without the need for paper. This app is available for download from the SafeSite site, as well both iTunes and Google Play.

Unfortunately, hazards and injuries on construction sites are fairly common and no single precaution or app will be able to completely prevent all of them. But using tools like the above and taking all measures, no matter how small, will help ensure the safety and health of your team.

Digital Tablet pc and flying apps iconsBONUS: Helpful Apps Short-List

In addition to keeping your teams safe, you can also help make them more productive. While researching our top list of safety apps we bumped into some other really valuable tools and didn’t want to keep them to ourselves.:

iHandy Translator Pro

Let’s face it, the world isn’t flat and neither are your job sites. Clear communication among your workers and contractors is critical and often times involve multiple languages. Use iHandy Translator Pro to translate notes, emails or verbal conversations so there is no ambiguity for either party about what their job is and when it needs to be completed. iHandy Translator Pro is available from iTunes.

Fast Concrete Pad Calculator

This app, which now includes high-definition graphics, calculates quantities of concrete and rebar required for any concrete-pad project. It also calculates material cost and waste, and allows users to instantly email estimates to team members and clients. The Fast Concrete Pad Calculator is available for download from iTunes.

iAuditor

Build checklists, file reports, and cut inspection times in half! With iAuditor you can annotate photos, sign for your audit and export it in numerous file formats for easy submission. With a plethora of free safety templates and tutorial videos you’ll be using this app for all your onsite audits in no time. iAuditor is available for download from both iTunes and Google Play.

Raken Construction Daily Reports

Track the pulse of your project with daily, weekly and monthly summaries of your projects. The Raken app provides manpower insight, photo management, and a project update dashboard. Impress your boss and the owner with a quick snapshot of all project work. Raken is available from both iTunes and Google Play.

Decibel 10th: Professional Noise Meter

Noise levels on a construction site are a topic of constant conversation. Use the Decibel 10th Professional Noise Meter to know for sure what your levels are and have an intelligent conversation about how to handle them. A lot of people use noise meters for fun, but for construction professionals this is serious business. Decibel 10th Professional Noise Meter is available on iTunes.

ProShot Light Meter and tools

Much of an onsite construction project manager’s job revolves around photos and capturing job site details. ProShot Light Meter allows you to not only understand the light levels at a job site, but also allows you to manipulate your photos with tools similar to what the pros use, but right on your phone. It comes with full burst and time-lapse features, as well as 50X zoom with a single finger, and a grid overlay. ProShot Light Meter is available from iTunes.

iHandy Carpenter

The iHandy Carpenter tool kit comes with 5 irreplaceable tools: a plumb bob, a surface level, a bubble level bar, a steel protractor, and a steel ruler. In addition, once calibrated, the plumb bob, surface level and level bar can be used as an inclinometer/clinometer. iHandy Carpenter is available from iTunes.

Pitch Gauge

In construction work it’s the small details that matter. Use Pitch Gauge to preview a roof, measure it, label lines, and find slopes, pitch, area, and lengths. Produce 3D roof diagrams and export full PDF reports. Pitch Gauge is one of those tools you never knew existed and you won’t be able to live without. Pitch Gauge is available for download on iTunes.

Allison Shaub headhsot

Allison Shaub

Allison is TrueLook’s Chief Marketing Officer. In her role, she is responsible for developing strategic marketing and communications programs that generate awareness and drive deeper customer engagement. She has over a decade of experience helping brands build and scale their marketing efforts. Outside of business hours she enjoys spending time with her husband and two fur children.

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