Construction safety is incredibly important. The 2016 Canadian Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) found one in five workplace fatalities occurred in the construction industry. That rate hasn’t changed much. More than two years later, EHS Today reported out of 4,779 worker fatalities in 2018, 1,008 or 21% were, again, in construction.
Slim margins and constant pressure to meet budgets and deadlines can inadvertently relegate safety to the sidelines. Add in paper-based processes and it can result in risky skipped steps or miscommunications. Construction safety software eliminates these risks.
Designed with deep knowledge of construction processes, construction safety software can be totally customizable. The best software can be built and deployed effortlessly by yourself or others in your company who know exactly what crucial standard operating procedures need to be followed — without any engineering or software design experience whatsoever. Construction safety software features can be tailored to cover tool, machinery, material handling, Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures, and other safety hazards with support forms and checklists such as:
- Daily pre-start safety inspections
- Toolbox talk notes with GPS time stamps and signature fields
- Incident reports
- Initial and full investigations or inspections
- Construction site cleaning
- Safety walks
Backed by powerful data processing technology, it becomes infinitely easier to track hazards, safety practices, and inspections in the field. How? Cloud-based construction site inspection software operates in real-time. The advantages of this real-time functionality become abundantly clear when field technicians are able to conduct site inspections, capture information directly on their mobile devices, and then share details instantaneously with key stakeholders.
Play it safe with construction site inspection software
While shifting away from paper processes might seem scary, switching to construction inspection software isn’t a risky leap. Construction associations and trade publications back this technology, noting how it provides new opportunities to address challenges and experience immediate cost savings.
“The growth of digitization in construction,” writes a contributor to Construction Executive, “now makes it possible to make real-time decisions remotely…. Managers can use smartphones, tablets, and project management software to share project data instantaneously from remote worksites and to workers and other onsite supervisors using a cell phone or tablet. Allowing everyone to have immediate access to the same information eliminates costs of equipment that must be updated and maintained, and it keeps everyone consistently on the same page.”
Construction safety software streamlines and automates compliance programs. Progressive companies like Granite Rock, one of California’s leading construction materials producers, uses ProntoForms so that when a worker completes a safety inspection form, the automated workflow tool uploads their data to a secure cloud-storing system, making it simpler to retrieve and share records — especially for safety audits.
Using construction site inspection software also speeds up the scheduling of asset repairs to a real-time notification system. Inspection data is forwarded to your scheduler or master technician who can review submitted documentation – including photos, diagrams and notes, decide who to dispatch, and then track and receive an auditable history of repairs that prove compliance with safety regulations.
So, if paper forms and checklists are still circulating in your organization while your competitors are staying safe with technology, isn’t it time to think about end-to-end mobilization?
