Construction job sites are full of risks. Slips, trips, falls from heights, and other accidents are always a hazard, making the industry one of the most dangerous in the world.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, construction accounted for 1,056 occupational fatalities in the US in 2022 alone. That’s 20% of the total deaths tracked by the agency that year, making it the second-most fatal industry overall.

Improving construction safety is a paramount concern — literally a matter of life and death — for general contractors (GCs). It’s also a significant challenge. 

An unexpected technology, 3D digital twins, offer a powerful solution. In this article, we’ll talk to Moe Elabdala, Cupix’s VP of customer success and innovation, about four ways that 3D digital twins in construction can improve job site safety, and do it today. 

At the end, we’ll explore how machine learning and computer vision are already making digital twins one of the most effective construction safety innovations out there.

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Four ways digital twins can improve construction safety

“3D digital twins aren’t just for construction documentation,” Elabdala says. 

“To explain what I mean, think about how you create a digital twin with a tool like Cupix,” he says. Someone walks through the site and captures a 360° video. Then, the platform uses this video to generate a detailed, photorealistic capture of the site that can be accessed from any remote location.

“Many GCs will use this process to document the progress of the construction work,” he notes. “But in the process, they’re also documenting the current state of safety measures like scaffolding and railings. And this makes 3D digital twins a very powerful tool for several construction safety applications.”