Page 62 - OHS, July/August 2022

CONSTRUCTION SAFETY
lives easier. In a March 2022 survey on digital transformation conducted by the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC)1 and Safe Site Check In,2 95 percent of respondents report being more productive as a result of new technologies designed for the construction industry. Also, when it comes to construction technology they found most helpful, 72 percent said smartphone apps for managing projects and the workforce. This was followed by GPS Layout at 13 percent and drones and robots at nine percent. Other technologies cited include augmented reality and wearables, each at three percent.
Digging into Digital Transformation Tools
For contractors that see the value in digital transformation, the process may seem daunting at first. This is why it makes sense to start small with easy wins. The first and best place to start is on the actual jobsite. Why? Because this is where the contractor makes or loses money. It’s also the source of most lawsuits.
Right off the bat, you can set up QR-coded digital check in on your jobsite. The whole process takes about 15 minutes, which is a lot shorter and easier on the eyes than passing around the clipboard. Depending on the check in app, you can customize the screen that workers see when they show up to a job. You can ask them to fill out their profile including safety certifications or you can direct them to a specific foreman or area of the jobsite where
CORPORATE PROFILE
INSPIRING AND DEVELOPING LEADERS IN SAFETY
The Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP), a not-for- profit corporation headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, has been setting and certifying
the technical competency criteria for safety, health, and environmental (SH&E) practitioners since 1969.
In that time, over 100,000 BCSP credentials have been achieved by our safety practitioner pioneers, improving safety practice by meeting the challenge of achieving and maintaining quality, accredited safety certification—The Gold Standard.
Our mission is to inspire and develop leaders in safety, health, and environmental practice through globally accredited certification; enhancing careers, advancing the profession, protecting people. Our vision is A safer world through safety, health, and environmental leadership.
For more information, visit our website BCSP.ORG or contact us at BCSP@BCSP.ORG. Together, we can create a safer world.
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Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP)
BCSP.ORG
8645 Guion Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268
Contact Information
BCSP@BCSP.ORG Tel: 317-593-4800 Fax: 317-593-4400
they’ll be working that day. You can also have all those details flow right into the daily log and ultimately into a platform like Procore, saving even more time.
While those are just two examples of construction technologies that have shown a real business value, it’s up to the contractor to determine which digital tools (and there are a lot) are going to be best for their business. The following seven question evaluation criteria can quickly determine if the technology investment will pay off for the contractor.
Who will be using it? The tool should provide value to at least 10 percent of the workforce.
How does the technology impact the bottom line? Does it make an employee’s job easier and by how much? Also, beware of hidden costs such as on-going maintenance, license fees and training. These can quickly add up and delay the ROI.
Is the technology easy to master? For simple digital tools, workers should be comfortable within minutes. For larger, enterprise technology investments, the interface should be intuitive and have a low learning curve—mastery should come within three months.
Can you customize the technology? It’s not about building a custom platform as that can be time consuming, costly and outdated by the time it’s complete. Rather, the question reflects how easily a contractor can make changes to the tool without
58 Occupational Health & Safety | JULY/AUGUST 2022
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