Outdated construction safety tools play a part in deaths and accidents that occur within the building sector, from fatalities and injuries sustained to those that arise as a result of the construction company's annual plan to take steps each quarter towards furthering it. Analysis from Bridgit indicates that almost 70% of construction organizations continue using paper-based procedures. In comparison, at least 28% of managers and at least 32% of Skilled workers oppose using technology-based procedures in construction organizations.
What Digital Tools Are Available For Construction Safety, And How Can Your Company Utilize Them?
How To Strategize For Adoption Of Digital Tools?
How do you plan to exert greater control over your workers as a superintendent, project manager or director of construction safety? In order to successfully do so, create an easy-to-follow and well-defined plan with deadlines and deliverables that help your staff experience Less pain or work. Take charge and lead with advantage.
Plan for your contractors that demonstrate how they will benefit--regaining time and energy and decreasing frustration--from using digital solutions in construction projects. At the same time, you focus on professional development enhancement. Show them you care by openly communicating your commitment and appreciation of them all; planning with "workforce first" as its goal fosters employee buy-in necessary for the successful implementation of digital construction solutions - without it, they won't even work.
Planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating a strategic plan are essential steps in its creation; leadership must communicate effectively with frontline field workers.
Start by introducing your team to the digital construction tool for 45 minutes, assessing their level of support and soliciting their feedback. Allow them to experience using it while reinforcing its importance to expanding and growing the business. After testing this construction tool for one week, schedule a follow-up meeting.
Engage them on any changes to their daily workflow and solicit their input in a Socratic manner. Next, determine their year-over-year routine would change from month to month and get feedback in a circular setting so everyone feels heard.
Make sure that when scheduling meetings with your team, the questions you plan on asking them are included on their calendar agenda and in their description. When your teammates bring their ideas forward to you during these brief discussions, your meeting will become much more productive and stimulating.
If your workforce is resistant to digital construction software, even the best digital construction safety technology won't be effective without an effective implementation plan. Take 45 minutes after your second team meeting to envision and plan the adoption process from start to finish - from initial planning through implementation - with your superintendent or director of safety accessing this Google Doc of instructions as a means for accomplishing this objective.
Integrating operations, HR and safety teams into the roll-out process is beneficial to any business. By creating a strategic plan for adopting digital tools such as construction tools, software programs, or training modules into their operations plan, companies can maximize resources while increasing team output and increasing safety while working on-site. In order to outline this implementation plan properly and maximize resources efficiently, hold two to three team sessions as well as individual meetings focusing on this issue before moving ahead with its implementation; otherwise, it might fail.
Offering your construction workers new digital safety tools is an effective way to start training them on safety measures. From simulation software and drones to drone-mounted demolition robots and other digital safety solutions - training is an integral component of safety on construction sites.
Assess Aging Construction Workers Or Contractors
Building industry laborers represent one of the oldest labor forces. According to US Department of Labor data, 42.3 is the median age for construction workers; of these workers, 652 are older than 64, while at least 1,823 are between 55-64. Unlike their younger counterparts who grew up using construction software and technologies that exist today, older construction workers could object to adopting digital safety gear as well.
Before switching to digital tools, safety directors, CEOs, and leadership must assess the challenges associated with developing goods for both young and elderly construction crews. Use your most attractive new contractors and best heritage staff members to test the construction software/tool with each other and evaluate it thoroughly. It may be worthwhile involving more staff in this process if both contractors are enthusiastic about it. Select firms that understand the adoption and success of new technologies when choosing digital construction tools and software. Adoption and success rely on working with organizations that respect team culture - when businesses discuss improving employee cultures, you'll know if they support yours.
Modern technology should help contractors save time, reduce errors, and get home to their families more quickly at night. Incorporating such tech will also give leadership more peace of mind that their task will be completed correctly.
How Can Your Staff Adopt Construction Technology?
Research demonstrates the ineffectiveness of hierarchical administration, suggesting top-down management should be replaced and what this entails.
What exactly does top-down management entail in the construction industry?
Top-down management discourages employee participation, which makes it ineffective. Young workers in construction require an environment in which they can develop their professional decision-making abilities without this form of leadership or construction management. When considering new digital construction safety solutions for your crew, top-down management should always be one of your last considerations; otherwise, workers may perform poorly or even abandon it entirely.
Selecting champions for team training should be top of mind when evaluating construction tools with your employees. An exceptional worker who will spearhead the adoption of technology serves as a training advocate. When discussing a new construction software program or tool with you, they will always give their honest assessment as well as relay any field personnel input back. It's a win-win strategy.
Champions of training can secure training on behalf of their entire workforce and assess construction tools' efficacy. Your champion may leverage their expertise and "leadership approval" to inspire and onboard other members of their team when considering adoption throughout your entire workforce.
Also Read: Drive Success: Is 80% User Adoption The Key To ERP Task Mastery?
How Can I Select Construction Tools To Adopt?
Construction firms looking to expand can take advantage of new digital tools when considering expanding their operations.
Finding the appropriate digital construction safety equipment for your company can be challenging, yet its purpose should increase crew productivity. Find examples of client success that showcase this. Request at least three references as references.
Other considerations should include these measurements:
- Ease of use to minimize effort and time expenditure.
- Ability to track advancements such as project completion turnaround times.
- Enhancing group security through instantaneous event documentation.
- Usability and acceptance.
- Generating instantaneous value.
Prior to implementing any digital tools or technologies, take an inventory of your current tools' demands and examine internal processes in terms of risk mitigation. Consider this question: "What is the risk associated with doing nothing?"
Types Of Digital Construction Tools
Monitor Employee Certification
Maintaining employees' credentials is vitally important to their safety, the success of your project, and your business's standing. Construction ERP software with tracking features can be an effective way of keeping track of and monitoring labor certifications for employees - keeping you up-to-date on who's qualified and who needs further development. This keeps everyone informed and allows you to see who's excelling within the team.
Learning Management Systems
Learners need a learning management system (LMS) designed for onboarding new construction workers with the best construction ERP software. An LMS provides employees with training that helps advance their careers; thus preparing them to affect business expansion and financial performance in such ways positively. There are various kinds of LMSs, including installed, web-based, open source mobile course creation as well as course creating LMSs available today.
Selecting an electronic learning management system (LMS) doesn't need to be complex or cumbersome. A great LMS should:
- Lower education and career advancement costs.
- Reduce team training times.
- Adhere to relevant authorities such as OSHA.
- Utilize a progress tracker for learners.
- Determine the impact of learning on business expansion.
Additionally, an effective learning management system must provide useful, user-friendly training materials tailored specifically to the company's training needs. Everyone can reap the advantages offered by integrated construction ERP software with powerful learning management features.
AI Analytics In Construction Business
Utilizing machine learning with artificial intelligence is enormously advantageous in the construction business, as it enables building businesses to provide realistic estimates and proposals when using cloud computing for data analytics. Artificial Neural Networks, in particular, are useful in accurately estimating project expenses - an indispensable resource if you want to avoid budget overruns.
Simulation
Construction workers can simulate and visualize building blueprints using simulation technologies like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) so as to view what needs to be done and any areas needing correction without physically entering the building itself.
Drones
Drones greatly increase productivity and safety on construction job sites. Drones can be used to inspect windows and roofs - though using one around large buildings could prove hazardous - while simultaneously documenting sites with side-by-side views for easy monitoring of your construction project.
Conclusion
Experienced builders may find it intimidating to begin using digital construction safety tools for the first time, as there are various factors to keep in mind, from selecting appropriate devices to familiarizing your employees with them. Digital technologies help reduce construction safety concerns through various means. Switching to digital safety technologies offers many benefits, including enhanced on-site safety, reduced expenses, higher productivity and faster emergency response times.
