Greater Sydney is currently in lockdown and construction is entering into a Stop Work Order. During this time, it’s important to look at how technology can help to safely re-open construction sites as quickly as possible.
Whilst construction sites already have a high safety focus, the unique nature of these worksites inherently sees various people coming and going at different times, including:
- workers
- delivery staff
- service providers and more.
This context, plus the industry’s inherent requirement for people to work closely together, makes social distancing and contact tracing challenging.
However, technologies are available today that can help reduce the amount of contact people on construction sites need to have. They include new, efficient ways to warn of, and monitor, close contact. Below, we’ve highlighted just a few of these solutions.
Computer vision clock-in clock-out systems with temperature checks
Companies like Noahface are spearheading a new type of worker and visitor registration system that leverages the facial recognition capabilities of modern handheld devices.
Using automatic facial recognition and temperature checking speeds up the entry process by reducing queueing. Out-of-the-box integrations with HR systems can then support monitoring of hours worked, break enforcement and even license-to-work management. This means the product can streamline on-site resource management.
Combined with digital induction, pre-start, and SWMS systems like iAuditor from SafetyCulture, this provides an immediate overview of movements into and out of a site. It also provides information regarding a given worker’s ability to operate within the context of the day.
Contact tracing for workers
Several solutions exist to monitor the location of people on a site for safety purposes. They’ve been traditionally used to ensure that workers stay away from no-access areas via geofencing, or in cases of accidents. Knowing where people are and alerting relevant personnel if no-access zones are breached enables better on-site safety management. This is the solution that NNNCo in Australia is deploying in the form of a company access card from manufacturer Abeeway.
Taking this a little further in the context of COVID, Bluecats have developed a belt-mounted system that enables workers to work ‘normally’ without individual GPS tracking. The system alerts a wearer by vibrating when another worker gets too close.
More importantly, it makes exporting a list of contacts (two people within a certain distance for a certain amount of time) easy at the touch of a button. This could quickly facilitate contact tracing in case one contact tests positive for COVID.
It also means that site managers can rapidly identify where people came together, and the associated COVID transmission risk, to support health management requirements.
Get the most from your technology with PerspioTM
While each of these technologies in isolation provides some benefit to your construction business, you can only unlock their full value by integrating them into your existing systems.
Our Perspio™ platform will help you to get the most from these and other technologies. To learn how, contact us today!
