Machine operators have been one type of worker who has reported feeling stretched thin as a result of the tight labour market and the continuous expansion of the construction sector in many regions of the country. Many contractors are keen to fill roles due to generational retirements and a broader personnel realignment dubbed informally as the "Great Resignation." Others are looking at novel training methods and developing automation technologies to assist them fulfil their deadlines and budgets.
However, since the construction industry experiences boom and bust cycles, many contractors are taking advantage of the current situation to study how the job of the machine operator is changing as a result of new technologies disrupting old building processes.
CCO, formerly known as the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO), is in charge of organising OSHA-mandated certification processes for crane operators and other types of equipment operators. In 2018, OSHA began enforcing the qualification requirement for all crane operators. As a result, an increased number of people sought certification from organisations like as the CCO, and the demand has been stable since then.
In certain circumstances, the issue is not a shortage of individuals eager in becoming equipment operators; rather, the challenge is the throughput of having all of these people trained. This is where metaversa virtual training comes into play. Boom lifts and scissor lifts are two of the most often used kinds of construction equipment. Despite their widespread use, both are deceptively simple to handle, and novice operators might easily find themselves in highly dangerous circumstances after a few little errors. Serious Labs has created virtual reality-based training simulators. These simulations put operators in a range of settings that they would encounter on a construction site while wearing a headset. Users of the virtual reality system are transferred to a simulated work platform with the same physical controls as a traditional boom or scissor lift. The virtual reality helmet not only challenges the user to do tasks correctly, but it also tracks the user's response times and where the user is looking. The VR System may detect inappropriate behaviour, such as a lack of awareness of the current surroundings or wasteful movement. This information is offered to trainers so that they may focus their efforts on filling in the gaps rather than teaching in a "shotgun burst" style. Serious Labs' virtual reality technology has advanced to the point where one of the company's scenarios was confirmed as meeting ANSI and ISO requirements in June of this year. Operators may now meet MEWP 3b, ANSI A92.24, and ISO 18878:13 requirements for boom lift abilities by completing a customised VR assessment scenario with at least an 80% competence score. It is not required for these operators to ride in a boom lift to demonstrate their degree of experience.
Integrating Automation: Contractors have been investigating the use of robots and automation to aid in the control of the sometimes chaotic building process and to undertake repetitive, hard activities that occupy experienced people. Contractors have been incorporating automation to achieve these objectives. However, collaboration is essential to properly incorporate autonomous machines and more technologically advanced tools into building operations. Built Robotics' autonomous solution for large excavators use a geofence and artificial intelligence-driven decision-making to deliver outcomes that are both safe and productive. The system is adaptable to standard hydraulic excavators made by Caterpillar and Komatsu. Once installed, it transfers control of the machine to an onboard computer, which is pre-programmed with instructions for executing standardised and routine excavation tasks.
The Material Unit Lift Enhancer, or MULE, is a pneumatically propelled armature that was originally designed to aid in the construction of masonry walls. It does this by allowing workers to lift concrete masonry units (CMUs) and solar panels with minimal effort. MULE is versatile and may be used in a number of other scenarios. Workers for the contractor will be able to install more rapidly and will not have to participate in labor-intensive, repetitive manual lifting processes since they will be using a lift-assist device such as the MULE.
The construction industry must begin planning for a future in which qualified craftsmen will continue to retire at a steady rate, and the younger generation of employees may not be able to replace those departing at a 1:1 ratio. One option for avoiding a labour shortage is to create new jobs in which skilled labour consists mostly of managing devices that are only partially automated.