When it comes to managing attendance on a construction site, safety is of the utmost importance. It is especially true since a construction site is a high-risk environment, with more than 3,414 casualties having taken place on-site in Australia between 2003 and 2016, according to Safe Work Australia.
This figure should be enough to urge site managers and safety supervisors to enforce strict attendance and sign-on procedures on the job site. This way they will be able to keep a tight accountability for all the comings and goings of busy job sites.
Unfortunately, the outdated paper-based registry systems are time-consuming and unreliable in the event of an emergency. That鈥檚 why this industry pain-point is often neglected at the expense of workers鈥 safety.
Jobsite ANZ sat down with CEO, Mitch Harmer, who discussed how technology can streamline site attendance, bolster safety, and open up new possibilities for data sharing across the construction site.
鈥淭he premise is there鈥檚 all this technology on construction projects available already鈥攅specially the smartphones in everyone鈥檚 pockets.”
鈥淭he premise is there鈥檚 all this technology on construction projects available already鈥攅specially the smartphones in everyone鈥檚 pockets鈥攁nd SignOnSite works to leverage this technology to help workers be safer, as well as allowing construction companies to invest in safety technologies,鈥 says Harmer.
The construction site is often a mobile entity. It is usually spread across different geographical locations, with multiple access points to the site. Often, the site office is kilometres away from the construction site itself. Managing the attendance of workers and contractors on a piece of paper can be both complex and time-consuming, as people come and go at different stages throughout the working day.
Streamlining Site Attendance
The ability to monitor who鈥檚 on the job site in real time is critical for site managers and safety supervisors. One of SignOnSite鈥檚 core elements is a 鈥榞eo-fence鈥 which allows head contractors and site managers to set up a boundary overlaying the site鈥攊t allows workers to check in once they鈥檙e within those bounds. If a worker is not on the site, they can鈥檛 sign on. Being able to have insight into different workers鈥 credentials and competencies as they sign on and off the site also contributes to a safe environment.
This automates site attendance for everyone entering and leaving the site, and keeps everyone mapped and accounted for鈥攁ll in real time. Harmer says he believes the construction industry was mobile long before technology was even around, which is a key element to making such software work.
Gathering site attendance data allows teams to be more dynamic and solve problems faster. It also increases the safety advisor鈥檚 ability to conduct their job accurately.
The ability to send information instantly between devices opens up a whole new world of possibilities for such technology on-site.
鈥淔or example, if a safety advisor is walking around site and spots an apprentice on a piece of scaffolding, he can bring up that worker鈥檚 information in real time. He can check to see if he鈥檚 signed the Safe Work Method鈥檚 Statement, and assess whether or not he鈥檚 competent in performing that task,鈥 notes Harmer.
Staying Connected, Even in Danger
Real-time information on every individual on the site not only streamlines the logistics of signing on and off, but it also enhances on-site safety through fostering connected environments.
When it comes to evacuation procedures, the archaic paper system can be considered flawed, particularly when time is of the essence, for instance during a flood, fire, or airborne gas issues. Tracking workers via a paper register can be chaotic in the event of a safety hazard on-site, especially when you take into account additional variables like identifying someone鈥檚 handwriting.
鈥淚f someone鈥檚 missing, you have to dig through a paper register to find their number,鈥 says Harmer. 鈥淥ur evacuation feature is built around leveraging the mobile phones of everyone on site.鈥
In times of emergency, the site manager or safety supervisor can press a button which alerts everyone on site via notifications on their phone and triggers sirens on-site all at once.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about delivering the right information at the right time to mitigate any emergency scenarios.”
The uses for such technology goes far beyond the bounds of just signing on and off a job site. The ability to send information instantly between devices opens up a whole new world of possibilities for such technology on-site. For example, having access to crucial medical information concerning a particular worker would assist first-responders in administering the correct procedures if necessary.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about delivering the right information at the right time to mitigate any emergency scenarios,鈥 Harmer added. 鈥淎ttendance monitoring is the foundation to solve all these problems because, at the end of the day, it鈥檚 about people, place, and process.鈥
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