AEM hosted and provided tours to a host of representatives from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)’s Directorate of Construction and California Air Resources Board (CARB) at the recently held and record-breaking CONEXPO-CON/AGG construction trade show in Las Vegas.
Each tour at North America’s largest construction trade show, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center and Festival Grounds last month, provided insights into member exhibits showcasing the latest in technology that’s improving both worker safety and environmental impacts.
Visits with OSHA helped shed light on ways the industry is specifically addressing worker safety. With stops at Caterpillar, Volvo CE, Toro, Trimble and John Deere, OSHA staff met with AEM member company representatives to learn about technological advancements being brought to market that will offer ways to help minimize the safety risks at potentially harmful working environments. Examples of this include collision avoidance technologies on equipment that can detect objects and people, as well as new autonomous or remote operation features which can completely remove workers from the jobsite.
Innovations on overall jobsite management also play a big role, especially when reimagining workflow related to the increasing efficiency of site operations coupled with the use of alternative powered equipment. Member company representatives also highlighted various safety aspects of their equipment with key messaging around the need to create a safer jobsite for both construction workers and the general public.
CARB also visited with AEM members Komatsu, Toro and Vermeer, where they witnessed cutting-edge developments in alternative powertrain technologies. CARB officials received valuable insights on the decarbonization challenges different types of construction equipment experience, which can have a negative impact on the end user, and how these developments make the creation of a one-size-fits-all zero emission regulatory solutions difficult to realize. AEM members stressed that many machine forms will most likely have multiple power solutions, depending on their working environment and duty cycles.
For more information on AEM’s regulatory efforts, contact Nick Tindall at ntindall@aem.org.
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