SJUK Exclusive: Building back better

Michael Lawrence, Marketing Director, Dahua Technology UK and Ireland sets out how smart solutions can contribute to the safe and efficient running of construction sites.

Construction sites throw up a number of challenges in terms of safety and security, but the good news is that there is now a comprehensive range of video-based solutions that can contribute to the running of a safe, secure and efficient site.

So, what are the security and safety challenges of running a construction site? They include the safety of staff and visitors to a site, theft and damage to property and materials, the efficient, cost-effective running of a site, the difficulty of centrally managing a number of sites and monitoring potentially hazardous actions and objects – without relying solely on human observation.

Well managed site security and monitoring – based on a thorough risk assessment – can substantially reduce risk and contribute to a safe and well-run site. Simply installing conventional CCTV cameras to record incidents may help as far as providing evidence after an incident. But, if the goal is to proactively monitor and prevent incidents occurring in the first place, a more sophisticated approach is needed.

Vendors such as Dahua Technology have a range of solutions to help manage construction site challenges including: Avoiding casualties and damage to property; Improving the level of on-site supervision and managing workforce; Procedures causing a negative impact on the environment; Providing early detection of smoke and fire; Detection of unauthorised entry of people or vehicles and 24/7 real-time monitoring with active deterrence; Quick and easy system deployment and remote supervision and real time alarm handling via mobile app

Perimeter protection

IP cameras can help provide a highly efficient visual security system powered by AI, offering precise intrusion alerts and visual information in real time. Machine learning AI means that people and vehicles can be detected automatically, thus avoiding false alarms while improving situational awareness. Combined with high-definition IP cameras, this means that even when a site is unstaffed at night, systems can help deter, prohibit and detect unauthorised access.

Key area protection

As with perimeter protection, AI cameras can be used to monitor specific high risk or high security areas within a construction site, such as plant and equipment storage. Cameras can be used to warn of unauthorised people or vehicles entering a restricted area.

Health and safety

Cameras can be programmed to monitor specific health and safety issues, such as body temperature monitoring, compliance in hard hat areas and unauthorised smoking.

Wide-area surveillance

Using arrays of integrated fixed cameras, units can provide panoramic views of construction sites while a built-in dome camera can zoom in and track particular targets or scenes. Features can include augmented reality mapping and real time visualisation of alerts. 

Tower crane visualisation

Cameras are able to provide crane operators with views of what would otherwise be blind spots, rather than relying on information from other workers using two-way radios.

Access control

Door entry solutions harness state-of-the-art technology to provide fast and accurate access to specific buildings or parts of a site. Face recognition can be used to provide fast and accurate access control, and can seamlessly be integrated with time and attendance systems, providing real time attendance data on user-friendly dashboards. Handsfree access control makes vehicle and staff management easier, while ANPR provides contactless vehicle access and egress.

Off-grid security

Wireless transmission means there is no need for a cabling infrastructure; solar power can be a viable option where there are no nearby power sources.

Early smoke and fire detection

Thermal imaging cameras are able to detect the presence of smoke and fire much earlier than humans and can do so for fires up to 10km away. The cameras detect thermal radiation and convert it into images which are calibrated to a temperature scale, providing a visual representation of temperatures in any scene.

Heat and smoke alarm thresholds can be set according to specific environments and user requirements and dual-sensor ‘hybrid’ cameras allow a thermal sensor to detect a fire and then visibly monitor it using its visible light sensor.

Construction time-lapse video

Return on investment can be increased by using images captured on surveillance cameras to produce a time-lapse video for promotional purposes of the entire construction process. The system outputs an image every 50,000 seconds and progress can be viewed anytime from anywhere, helping customers document, present and market the progress of their projects.

Key products

• ‘Hubble’ multi-sensor panoramic camera. This unit consists of an array of fixed cameras providing 180, 270 or 360 degree coverage, together with an integrated dome camera to zoom into a particular scene and track specific objects. With Ultra HD resolution of up to 24MP, Hubble also features crowd number and density detection, vehicle counting and density monitoring and augmented reality mapping.

• Three-in-one camera. Dahua’s TiOC camera is an all-in-one automated surveillance solution featuring full colour surveillance day and night, intelligent perimeter protection and active deterrence. Auto Tracking 3.0 within the TiOC PTZ provides a deep learning algorithm to automatically track pre-defined moving targets; TiOC’s active deterrence comprises both a ssiren and red/blue warning light which can be seen even in dense fog and heavy rain.

• Face recognition time and attendance terminal. Providing a face recognition speed of less than 0.3 second per person, and over 99% accuracy, Dahua’s time and attendance terminals offer a convenient and accurate method of verifying workers’ presence on site and providing authorised access. The terminals make tailgating and ‘buddy punching’ more difficult and unlike fingerprint based counterparts, these systems are hands-free.

• Dahua’s range of thermal cameras can detect a significant rise in temperature over a short time and produce an alarm at pre-programmed temperatures. Using uncooled Vanadium Oxide (VOx) thermal sensor technology, it delivers higher thermal sensitivity in a more compact and cost-effective package and offers greater reliability than other thermal imaging technologies.

For more information, visit: www.dahuasecurity.com

This article was originally published in the May edition of Security Journal UK. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.