The vital roles data and technology can play in enhancing construction site safety saw industry leaders come together for a thought-provoking health and safety insights event, hosted by DataScope.
Held at One Great George Street in Westminster, London last month the four-hour conference brought together health and safety directors from some of the industry’s biggest organisations, such as Mace, Overbury, Multiplex, McAleer & Rushe, Tilbury Douglas and TClarke, for a panel discussion and Q&A session before an insightful roundtable debate in the afternoon.
High Risk Environment
With construction sites still some of the most hazardous work locations in the UK, improving health and safety – especially through the leveraging of data and technology – was at the forefront of discussions.
Attendees sharply brought into focus the need for better collaboration and knowledge-sharing, the importance of getting data to the point of work and how behaviour on site, not just from contractors but clients too, needs to change.
While data was seen as a vital proponent of construction site health and safety, the panel discussion underlined the importance of adding value, with data being entirely worthless if it isn’t relevant.
Furthermore, with young people working on site typically more technologically savvy, providing critical health and safety data on mobile technology and visualising vital information will significantly aid health and safety on site.
Industry Gathering
Martin Wilshire, Health, Safety and Wellbeing Director at Multiplex – and one of the panel discussion’s key contributors – highlighted the importance of such events in bringing together the industry’s leaders and decision makers. He said: “These events really help us all understand where everyone in the industry is in regard to health and safety and better inform us on the way we need to communicate.
“It is a very tech-savvy world and the industry needs to better implement and utilise technology. It’s going to be fundamental to the way construction sites are managed now and in the future.”
Tom Thurlow, Chief Revenue Officer at DataScope, echoed Martin’s comments, saying: “It was great to see people from a range of different industries and companies coming together to share ideas, frustrations and best practices. It was a very worthwhile event and people learned about a lot of different pain points from across the sector.”
Illustrated by the health and safety insights event, utilising technology that streamlines health and safety risk management, communication and activity coordination has never been more important.
As one of the UK’s leading construction Software-as-a-Service (SAAS) providers, DataScope offers an instantly accessible and cohesive platform that encompasses everything from collaborative activity planning and delivery and logistics management to workforce management and health and safety risk monitoring.
