Construction companies are expanding their use of AI, connected devices, drones and workforce data to address health and safety risks, according to a new report from Associated Builders and Contractors. The organization’s sixth annual construction technology report highlights how contractors are using technology not only to prevent physical injuries, but also to address fatigue, hydration, mental health, environmental risks and workforce wellbeing.

Construction companies are increasingly using technology to treat workforce health and safety as a broader operational and employee-management challenge, according to a new report from Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC).

ABC’s sixth annual construction technology report focuses on health and safety innovation, highlighting how contractors are combining artificial intelligence, wearable technology, connected jobsite systems, drones and workforce data to identify risks and improve working conditions.

The report arrives during Careers in Construction Month, but its implications extend beyond traditional construction safety programs. The technologies and practices documented by ABC point toward a wider shift in workforce management, where employee health, operational data and workplace technology are becoming increasingly interconnected.

Among the technologies highlighted are AI-powered risk detection, wearable devices, environmental monitoring, connected jobsite solutions and digital tools for pre-task planning and hazard recognition.

Contractors are also using technology to address risks that are not always visible through conventional safety inspections. The report includes examples involving heat-related hydration, fatigue management, mental health and workplace security, alongside systems designed to identify patterns in incident data.

That broader definition of workforce safety is significant for HR and operations leaders. Traditional safety programs often focus on compliance, incident prevention and physical hazards. Digital workforce technologies can expand that model by generating data about working conditions and enabling organizations to intervene earlier.

ABC’s report includes case studies from member contractors using incident data to identify recurring patterns and determine how injuries can be prevented. Other examples involve digitizing pre-task planning and hazard recognition, allowing safety information to become part of the workflow rather than remaining confined to paperwork or periodic inspections.

Drones are another example. Contractors featured in the report are using them to conduct inspections more quickly while reducing the need for workers to enter potentially hazardous areas.

Environmental monitoring can similarly provide continuous information about jobsite conditions, particularly in situations where heat and other environmental factors can affect worker health.

Wearable technology adds another layer. Connected devices can potentially provide information related to worker conditions or jobsite risks, creating additional data that safety teams can use alongside incident and operational records.

The technology is also being applied to employee wellbeing.

The report describes the use of Relationship Dynamics Ambassadors to connect employees with coaching and resources. While not an AI system, the program demonstrates the increasingly broad definition of workforce health used by leading employers, incorporating mental and emotional wellbeing alongside physical safety.

That convergence is becoming increasingly important as employers attempt to manage distributed, mobile and physically demanding workforces.

Technology can improve the collection and availability of workforce information, but ABC’s report also emphasizes that technology by itself does not create a safer workplace. Leadership, employee participation and an organizational culture centered on health and safety remain critical components.

That point is particularly relevant to HR technology adoption. Employers can deploy sophisticated analytics or connected devices without necessarily changing workplace behavior. The value of the technology depends on whether the information reaches managers and workers quickly enough to influence decisions.

For construction companies, this can mean moving from reactive safety management toward more continuous risk identification.

AI-powered systems, for example, can analyze large volumes of incident or operational information to identify patterns that may be difficult to detect manually. Digital pre-task planning can make hazard identification part of daily workflows, while connected monitoring tools can provide additional information about environmental conditions.

The combination creates a potential feedback loop: workforce activity generates data, analytics identify risk patterns, safety teams intervene, and the resulting information can improve future planning.

This approach also brings construction technology closer to the broader HRTech market.

Workforce management platforms increasingly incorporate analytics, employee wellbeing, compliance and operational data. In industries where employees face significant physical risks, the boundary between HR technology, occupational safety software and operational technology is particularly thin.

The ABC report illustrates that convergence through its collection of case studies rather than a single software launch.

Its examples span hydration management, incident analytics, hand-tool safety standards, employee coaching, security monitoring, drone inspections and digital hazard recognition. Together, they show how contractors are building technology into multiple stages of the employee lifecycle and daily work environment.

The report was produced by ABC’s National Construction Technology and Innovation Committee and supported by the organization’s 2026 Tech Alliance members and strategic partner Milwaukee Tool. Participating technology companies include Arcoro, Autodesk, BuildOps, Datagrid, Document Crunch, Egnyte, Kojo, KPA, Sage, Sentriforce, Smartapp, SmartBuild, SubHQ, Stack and Trimble.

For HR leaders, the significance lies in the expanding role of workforce technology beyond recruiting, payroll and employee administration.

In high-risk industries, employee experience increasingly includes whether workers have the information, tools and protections needed to perform their jobs safely.

Construction’s technology adoption therefore provides a useful example of where HRTech and operational technology are converging. AI, sensors, mobile applications, analytics and connected systems are becoming mechanisms for managing not only productivity, but also the health and safety conditions under which employees work.

Market Landscape

The construction sector is becoming an important testing ground for workforce safety technology, particularly where AI, computer vision, wearables, drones, environmental sensors and analytics can reduce exposure to workplace risks.

For HR technology providers, this expands the addressable market beyond traditional HR functions. Employee wellbeing, occupational safety, workforce analytics and operational risk increasingly overlap, particularly in industries with large frontline workforces.

The emerging model is less about deploying a single safety application and more about connecting workforce data, jobsite information and employee-support systems into a continuous risk-management process.

Top Insights

• ABC’s report highlights AI risk detection, wearables, drones, environmental monitoring and connected systems as tools for improving workforce safety.
• Contractors are using incident data to identify patterns that can help prevent injuries and improve safety processes.
• Digital pre-task planning and hazard recognition can move safety management from paperwork toward integrated daily workflows.
• Workforce health initiatives increasingly address mental and emotional wellbeing alongside physical safety and injury prevention.
• The report illustrates growing convergence between HR technology, workforce analytics, occupational safety and operational technology.

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