Alcumus Whitepaper

October 2017

Construction
Safety in the
21st Century

alcumusgroup.com
Construction Safety
in the 21st Century

With the implementation of BIM, construction

has quickly become digitalised. Now health
and safety is also getting up to speed with
21st century technology, utilising innovation
to deliver zero harm safety initiatives and
prevent accidents from happening.
This whitepaper looks at how the construction
industry is utilising digital technology to further
improve health and safety practices.

2
Improving Safety
– Construction’s Journey
Due to its high-risk nature, construction has
a significantly higher rate of self-reported
non-fatal injuries than other industries within
the UK. The industry has approximately 2.2
million workers and represents around 7%
of the UK’s workforce. It is estimated that
each year around 3% of workers within the
construction sector sustain a work-related
injury, and in 2015/6, 43 construction workers
sadly suffered a fatal injury (source: HSE).
2.2
Million
approximate construction
industry workers in the UK
7%
of the UK’s
workforce
3
The industry is committed to achieving risk-free
environments and employers are doing all they
can to ensure their workers return home safe and
healthy at the end of their working day. This is
reflected in the industry’s falling rate of injuries
over the last decade. However, that doesn’t mean
that the industry stops there and accepts that
accidents, both fatal and non, will happen due to
the hazardous nature of construction.
Focus in the past has been on improving PPE,
awareness, training, culture, attitudes and
behaviours around safety. But in today’s digital
world, how can the industry improve further by
utilising 21st century technology?
43
construction
worker fatalities
in 2015/6
3%
of workers sustain a
work-related injury
every year
Worker Safety
Technology Market
Worker safety technology has expanded This whitepaper explores the use of EH&S
software, mobile apps, wearables and other
in the last five years and a new wave of
technologies in early adoption within construction.
innovation is forcing EH&S leaders to take The paper also looks at how safety technology
a more active role in identifying and using is driving innovation in data analytics, and the
relevant technologies (Verdantix, Smart positive impact this is having on improving both
behavioural safety and incident management.
Innovators: Worker Safety Technology, March
2017).
Verdantix categorise worker safety technology
as follows

Worker Safety Technologies Categorisation

Worker Safety Technology

EH&S Safety Internet Visualisation

Software of Things and Training
Enterprise Personal State Sensors Virtual
Safety Software ‘Smart’ PPE Reality
Mobile-centric Beacons Augmented
Safety Software Reality
Site Sentinels
Drones

Source: Verdantix

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Mobile
Technology
The widespread use of mobile technology and either witness for themselves or discuss the
issues and the possible consequences. Having this
has allowed safety to move beyond pen and
conversation as and when behaviours are taking
paper for recording incidents, near misses place can encourage a more engaging dialogue,
and carrying out audits and inspections. In resulting in real learning and smarter decisions/
fact, according to the Verdantix global survey behaviours going forward.
of 301 senior EHS leaders (worldwide and Mobile apps are also very useful for recording
across several industries), 41% of respondents audits and site inspections, improving efficiencies
stated they expect to use EHS mobile apps and enabling a more consistent approach to the
way in which the data is captured. The ability
in 2017 (Verdantix, Tech Roadmap for EHS to capture data both offline and online is a key
Technologies, June 2017). functionality due to many construction sites
operating in offline environments. Other desirable
The ability to respond to a hazard, incident or near
functionality includes the ability to take pictures
miss the moment it occurs improves the recording
and annotate, add locations via GPS functionality,
with real-time data, enabling site managers and
type free notes or dictate using the microphone,
others to attend to the safety and wellbeing of
add time and date stamps and input digital
those involved instantaneously.
signatures.
Key to the success of any mobile app for incident,
near miss and hazard reporting is its simplicity in
terms of use and its ability to easily and efficiently Capturing real-time data
capture safety data. The use of intuitive forms
so that a user only needs to complete fields that
are relevant to what took place encourages user
adoption and improves the safety culture amongst
WHO?
WHAT?
construction workers. In our experience, most
construction companies who have adopted a
mobile application for reporting incidents, near
misses and hazards have experienced an increase
in reporting, as it’s now far more accessible and
efficient to do.

The ability to capture more data as and when WHERE? WHEN?

things have happened, including the uploading of
images through mobile technology, has resulted in
greater insight into behaviours and safety culture.
This enables organisations to drive real change
and improvement. Some of that behavioural
change can come from the ability to have real-
time coaching moments. When a site manager
receives an instant notification of a near miss, it
enables them to go to that work area at that time

5
QSHE Software
Solutions
The use of Microsoft Excel, access databases
and other standalone software solutions
have long taken construction safety from
the inside of a filing cabinet to a more
technological approach.
Yet even with this change there are still many
inefficiencies and barriers to data. The use of
QSHE software, such as Alcumus’ Info Exchange
platform, is enabling the construction industry to
adopt a more integrated approach, streamlining a
number of QSHE processes and workflows on to
a single platform. The end result not only delivers
improved consistency of data recorded, it drives
effective action management and it’s driving
innovation in data analytics. This enables safety
leaders within the industry to make improvements
to prevent incidents from happening and achieve
their zero harm goals.
So how is QSHE
software currently
being utilised within
construction?
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Incident Prevention
Incident prevention to ensure every construction
worker returns home safe and well is, of course,
a number one priority for every construction
project. As a result, incident and near miss
reporting is - and always will be – a prime function
of any QSHE software. Today, the use of mobile
apps to record incidents both offline and online, as
described earlier in this paper, are breaking down
barriers to reporting and is improving the data
collected. However, those who have been using
this functionality for some time are now looking to
expand on this further and utilise the software to
record more information around onsite behaviours,
such as hazard observations and safe and unsafe
acts. The use of simple forms and ability to upload
images encourages not only construction workers
but visitors to site to report their observations,
further enhancing data analytics.
Without QSHE software, data can often be
overlooked or reported inaccurately and
inconsistently. This means that safety leaders
are unable to get a true picture of a site’s safety
culture and the behaviours that typically lead to
a serious incident. The implementation of QSHE
software encourages all data to be logged in real-
time in a consistent manner, utilising mandatory
fields. This enables safety leaders to get the full
picture.
Audits and Inspections Other functionalities
In addition to the benefits highlighted earlier of Construction clients of Alcumus Info Exchange are
using online/offline mobile apps for recording also utilising QSHE software to manage:
audits and inspections, QSHE software enables
construction sites to automate and track • COSHH
corrective and preventative actions. Actions can • Risk Assessments
easily be cascaded to the relevant people, both • Permits to work
back at a company’s head/regional offices and on • Waste and Environmental
site. Push button notification via email can alert
those who need to take the action and those who • Community Projects (Section 106)
need to have an awareness of the audit/inspection • Supply Chain Governance
findings. • Security Incidents and Loss Prevention
Dashboards and reporting functionality within • Claims and Enforcements
software enable health and safety leaders to easily • Document Management
track which sites/actions are underperforming • Project Management
or are at a greater risk of a serious incident.
Importantly, the information is being recorded in
real-time and corrective/preventative actions can
begin immediately.

Enforcement Visits
The adoption of a QSHE software solution
enables the construction industry to easily pull
information at any time and on any site with
ease, whether it be a planned or unplanned visit
from an enforcement body such as Environment
Agency, DEFRA or HSE. It enables any site to
demonstrate how they gather information in
a structured way, evidencing their audit trail
and how they adopt best practice.

In addition, the software can be used to

record the visit, what happened and any
actions arising. It can be used to notify
relevant parties of the visit purpose,
findings and any serious consequences,
such as the site being shut down, in
real-time. The recording of associated
costs with regards to downtime can
also be registered.

7
Wearable
Devices
The health aspect of health and safety
is becoming ever more important to
the construction industry. Technological
advancements in wearable devices
are playing a key role in both reducing
construction workers exposure to harmful
substances and enabling construction
organisations to mitigate work-related
illnesses.
Wearable bio-metric sensors and tracking
capabilities within PPE such as safety vests
and hard hats are providing the ability to
collect real-time data, such as heart rate, lack
of movement, body temperature, exposure
to gas and other harmful substances. GPS
functionality provides the ability to alert co-
workers nearby, site managers and other
relevant parties to immediately locate and
intervene, saving a construction worker from a
work-related illness or injury.
8
Site
Sensors
SmartSite can be deployed across
construction sites to monitor
environmental conditions including noise,
dust and UV.
SmartSite is a piece of machinery that is
positioned on a construction site near a work
zone. It monitors environmental factors and
workers’ exposure to them through a small
worker carried card. SmartSite takes into
consideration the nature and timescales
of exposure, notifying the worker and
construction/safety teams when exposures are
exceeded so remedial actions can be taken.
It creates worker specific exposure logs via a
robust cloud database, enabling construction
organisations to measure worker welfare and
respond to any potential claims.
Improving Safety Training
using Virtual Reality (VR)
Utilising visualisation technology such as
VR can enhance how an event is seen or
anticipated, by enabling workers to be
completely immersed without having to
physically be in the built environment.
It can enable construction workers to better
visualise and experience real-life hazard scenarios
without the danger of physical harm. The aim is
to provide those working on a site with a different
perspective to safety hazards and practices and,
changing behaviours and attitudes to onsite safety
culture.

Unlike more traditional training methods, AR is

thought to enable construction workers to fully
understand the implications of their actions and
behaviours and also increase their knowledge
retention. In a recent article in Health and Safety
at Work, Louise Ward, director of policy, standards
and communications at the British Safety Council,
is quoted as saying:

“People retain situational memory much better

than simply being presented with information.
The core components of competence are
education and practical skills development and
VR and AR offer the opportunity to do both
Augmented
simultaneously, as well as apply them to real
situations”. Reality (AR)
Very much in the experimental
stage, AR equipment such
as DAQRI Smart Helmet and
Microsoft HoloLens are being
trialled to utilise BIM information
and other working procedures
to provide workers with safety
critical data at the point of work.

9
Drones
The use of drone technology
to map and survey environmental
hazard areas, check site progress and
assess site feasibility is on the increase.
According to Verdantix’s annual survey of 301
EHS decision-makers (globally and across several
industries), 17% of firms plan to use drones for
environmental mapping in 2017.

Predictive Analytics
The ability to record all your QSHE data on Predictive analytics can enable site managers and
safety leaders within construction to predict which
one single platform removes typical barriers to
projects, contractors, individual site workers and
data and provides construction organisations work tasks are most at risk of increased injuries and
with a consolidated view of risk. bad practice, so they can take proactive steps to
improve performance and prevent injuries before
The adoption of some or all of the 21st century they occur.
technology we discussed in this whitepaper
enables the collection of vast amounts of
real-time data, unlocking the potential for new
insights, especially around onsite behaviours
towards safety.

The challenge for the construction industry

and their technology providers is how that
data can be effectively integrated into QSHE
software solutions and other data mining tools
with predictive analytics, so that they do not
work as standalone solutions but provide the
much-needed consolidated view for trend and
prevention analysis.

10
Additional Factors for Consideration
Construction is all about giving workers the
right tools to do the job, and it’s clear to see
that the ever-evolving world of technology
is producing the right tools to further
improve worker safety and achieve zero harm
initiatives.
However, when considering technologies and
their implementation, it’s important to take into
account:
• User buy-in to encourage adoption. Including
workers in trials and getting their input prior to
adopting site-wide can encourage this, as users
quickly see the benefits of the technology and
share their positive thoughts with peers.
The Alcumus Group
We combine simple yet innovative
technology with expert advice, supporting
our clients to manage their exposure to risk,
comply with the latest legislation, improve
business performance and encourage
workforce engagement.
We look to inspire success through safety and
help businesses become successful not just more
compliant.
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• The issue of privacy and data protection needs
to be strongly considered with the enhanced
ability to record real-time data, as construction
workers may feel uncomfortable with the level
of trackable data.
• The cost of implementing technology can be
a concern, but it is easy to build a business
case which proves that safety improvement
is a worthy investment in any economy. A
technology and data driven safety programme
can separate you from the competition, give
you a higher rating with insurance companies
and therefore allow you to be competitive with
your bids. Improved practices leading to lower
incident rates and the recording of behaviours
and exposure levels will in turn also reduce
claims, downtime and prosecution fines.
Our customers choose us for our considerable
industry experience, sector specialisms and
the breadth of support we provide through our
technology and people.
We support companies across the UK
and internationally with their certification,
accreditation and group risk and compliance
strategies; providing market leading products and
services including Alcumus ISOQAR, Alcumus
SafeContractor, Alcumus COSHH (formerly Sypol),
Alcumus Academy and Alcumus Info Exchange.
Alcumus Info Exchange
Built around your business today and For more information about Alcumus Info
the future, Alcumus Info Exchange is a Exchange or other Alcumus products and
SaaS solution that enables organisations services, please contact us on:
to manage all GRC, QHSE and property T: 03301 345259
compliance on one configurable, fully E: Innovation@alcumusgroup.com
integrated platform.
Hosted on UK Rackspace data servers and
certified to ISO 27001 Information Security
Management Standard, Info Exchange can
securely be accessed anytime, anywhere and on
any device, both online and offline.

A highly configurable solution, the platform

provides its clients with:

• Their own branded interface

• Intuitive, simple and user-friendly application
with high levels of user adoption and little need
for exhaustive user training
• Fully configurable dashboard, reports and
analytics
• Data recorded in real-time, via any device,
online and offline
• Reports available in real-time
• Ability to analyse data and trends to
proactively manage risk, streamline processes
and reduce costs
• A configurable workflow, email notification and
escalations facilities

Alcumus Group
Axys House
Heol Crochendy
Parc Nantgarw
Cardiff
CF15 7TW
SC0717BROA401

E: info@alcumusgroup.com
T: 029 2085 2852
alcumusgroup.com