Robots and Drones: Reshaping Jobsite Safety
Automation brings both new safety opportunities and risks to construction
- By David Kopf
- Sep 08, 2025
EDITOR’S COMMENTARY
As a kid, I spent countless hours watching Star Trek reruns, Space: 1999, and Battlestar Galactica. Robots and androids were as much a part of those fictional universes as warp drives and laser blasters. Back then, the idea of coexisting with robots seemed approachable, but still firmly in the realm of science fiction. Fast forward to today, and suddenly we’re seeing robots on construction jobsites, not on the bridge of a starship. This raises a pressing question: what do robots and drones mean for construction worker safety?
The numbers show this isn’t a distant possibility; it’s happening now. BuiltWorlds’ 2025 research found that nearly half of North American contractors report using some form of robotics on projects, whether in earthmoving, rebar tying, or layout work. Drone adoption is even further along—major firms such as Turner, Skanska, and PCL Construction operate fleets to survey sites, monitor progress, and improve efficiency. According to IMARC Group, North America currently represents more than 40 percent of the global construction drone market. These figures make clear that robotics and drones are no longer pilot projects, they’re tools being deployed on active jobsites across the country.
For safety professionals, this shift is both promising and challenging. On the benefit side, automation can remove workers from some of the most hazardous environments. Robots can tie rebar without repetitive bending and kneeling. Demolition machines can work in unstable structures while operators stay a safe distance away. Drones can inspect rooftops, scaffolds, and towers without exposing workers to fall hazards. In theory, every robot on a site is one less person exposed to crushing, vibration, or fall risks.
But the presence of robots and drones also introduces new hazards. Autonomous heavy equipment can collide with workers if geofencing fails. Software glitches or loss of GPS could cause machines to move unpredictably. Drones can fall from the sky or distract crane operators. Even the sense of “the robot has it handled” could lead to complacency among crews. These aren’t hypothetical risks, they’re issues that demand new protocols, new training, and new ways of thinking about jobsite safety.
For those who want to explore this topic in more depth, we just hosted a webinar with Sogand Hasanzadeh, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the Lyle School of Civil and Construction Engineering at Purdue University, titled “Protecting Workers in the Age of Automation.” She digs deeper into both the opportunities and risks associated with jobsite robotics and drones. Trust me when I say the conversation is both eye-opening and filled with practical information. You can watch to the archived session at ohsonline.com/webinar.
While the 10-year-old version of me would marvel to learn this, robots aren’t science fiction anymore. They’re here, they’re on the jobsite, and it’s up to safety professionals to make sure their arrival preserves and improves worker safety.
This article originally appeared in the September 2025 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.
About the Author
David Kopf is the publisher and executive editor of Occupational Health & Safety magazine.