Skip to content

MBI Issues Policy Position on Tariffs & Their Impact on Modular Construction. Read the statement here.

Home  |  Contact Us  |  Member Login  |  Contribute

LinkedIn Instagram

The Field Office: How to Create a Better & Safer Construction Worker Experience

Becca Hubert at Falcon Structures

Becca Hubert is the Content Strategist at Falcon Structures.

More construction workers died on the job in 2022 than any other industry sector. The fatality rate has remained consistent for the last decade, with around 10 deaths per 100,000 workers, and construction deaths account for about 21% of all on-the-job deaths of workers in the United States. Consider the heavy machinery, steep heights, and dangerous materials workers in this industry face every day, and the risk factor makes sense. But just because there’s potential for injury and death doesn’t mean the industry should accept these numbers as the norm.

Organizations and associations around construction and occupational safety are calling for action to decrease these harrowing statistics. While training programs and educating workers on best practices are a natural step toward improvement, we’d like to consider another resource: the field office.

Here are a few ways a construction field office can help mitigate risk and promote a culture of safety.

relocatable office used for construction sites

Operations Center

A common complaint on construction sites is the lack of an office. In fact, many of our customers in the industry come to Falcon Structures for a portable container workspace because their foremen have resorted to working in their company vehicles. Aside from the convenience and comfort of a dedicated workspace, a field office can also serve as an operations center on construction sites.

  • Give project safety personnel a workspace to conduct
  • Control site access with a check-in point for guests or new workers.
  • Use as an observation space to keep an eye on operations and safety practices.
  • Securely store keys to heavy machinery and heavy-duty tools.
  • Store devices like laptops and tablets for logging safety reports.

Safety Hub

Since construction sites relocate often, workers may not have a clear understanding of where to access safety gear and first aid kits from site to site. A portable field office can help enforce a standard of safety for construction crews, even as it relocates with the job.

  • Store and distribute personal protection equipment (PPE), like harnesses, hard hats, and high visibility vests.
  • Use as a center for safety messaging, like bulletin boards with notices and safety procedures.
  • Conduct meetings for safety training and daily check-ins.
  • Store first aid equipment in a standardized and easy-to-access location.
Shipping container-based field offices

Relocatable field offices and support buildings are valuable assets on the job site.

Worker Respite

While 65.5% of construction deaths occur from the “fatal four” (falls, struck by object, electrocution, and caught in or between something), the toll on construction workers’ physical and mental well-being should not be ignored. In an industry that is notorious for its suicide rate and drug and alcohol abuse among workers, meeting the basic needs for comfort, bathrooms, and break areas can drastically improve worker well-being.

  • Use a climate-controlled field office to cool off from working in dangerously hot weather.
  • Modify a field office to include clean, climate-controlled restrooms so workers don’t have to walk too far to use facilities, brave rancid porta potties, or “hold it” for an unhealthy amount of time.
  • Create a dedicated break area with air conditioning, kitchenettes, restrooms, and space for tables and chairs so workers can take proper breaks.

The statistics around construction worker safety and well-being are alarming, but there is a heartening culture of change on the horizon. Industry leaders and worker advocates are embracing new ways to shake up the bleak norms that have plagued construction for decades. A portable field office is a practical, versatile, and surprisingly powerful resource in the effort to save and improve the lives of construction workers.

More from Modular Advantage

Housing Without Borders: Go Global with Haskell Modular Solutions

With the capacity to service over 15 diverse markets across multiple continents, Haskell is the reliable choice for our 80% repeat client base no matter how their needs evolve. So, when a longstanding client—typically known for their large-scale, institutional buildings—engaged Haskell with a very different need—multinational
housing projects—Haskell knew exactly what approach to take.

ProSet Co-founder Shares Expertise to Help Ensure Safe and Secure Modular Connections in Colorado

ProSet co-founder Matt Mitchell created and teaches an 8-hour course, based on Colorado’s modular installation regulations.

Women in Construction – Reflections on a Journey, Then and Now

From industry veteran Laurie Robert, a retrospective for women who are thinking about entering the modular construction industry or are looking to elevate their current position into leadership.

This Year’s Offsite Construction Summits Put Regional Priorities and Industry Realities in Focus

With Summits scheduled for Toronto, Los Angeles, Denver, Washington, DC, and Houston, this year’s series will connect manufacturers, designers, developers, contractors, public officials, and end-users around the practical use of offsite delivery in their own markets.

Affordable Housing, One Module at a Time

For builders and developers, modular factories offer significant scheduling and cost efficiencies compared with traditional site-built construction, regardless of whether the final product is workforce housing, single family homes, or apartment buildings.

Advancing Modular Housing Policy in California: An Interview With Tyler Pullen of Terner Labs/UC Berkeley’s Terner Center for Housing Innovation

Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept in modular construction—it is already reshaping how complex buildings are evaluated, designed, and delivered.

Europe’s Modular Market Is Expanding, but Consistency Still Matters

Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept in modular construction—it is already reshaping how complex buildings are evaluated, designed, and delivered.

How Stack Modular Is Using AI to De-Risk Mid- to High-Rise Modular Construction

Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept in modular construction—it is already reshaping how complex buildings are evaluated, designed, and delivered.

Gearing Up for the 2026 World of Modular

The Modular Building Institute (MBI) is bringing its global World of Modular (WOM) conference and tradeshow back to Las Vegas in April, and with it comes some of the industry’s best opportunities for networking, business development, and education.

New High-Rise Modular Apartment in Abu Dhabi Points Toward the Future of Multifamily Construction

Eagle Hills International Properties chose the BROAD Holon Building for a 16-story market rate apartment building in Zayed City, a central business district of Abu Dhabi. The project highlights the potential of the Holon system of volumetric modular construction to accelerate housing delivery.