HEALTH, SAFETY & WELLBEING
“Better sharing of information among companies would also
help raise general industry standards. Digitisation can facilitate this.”
BIM and project management We’ve already seen a more widespread use across the industry of BIM (Building Information Modelling) to better design and manage buildings and my prediction is that the industry will continue to build on its usage of new technologies.
While BIM is undoubtedly a useful technology for FMs, machine learning can help predict problems that may be hidden behind BIM and then surface during the build phase. AI helps in highlighting areas of concern and can help to provide a model with the least possible flaws.
Industry collaboration There are specific areas of the construction industry that are utilising technology well, and others that are currently a work in progress. While technology is an investment, I believe it will strongly help to bring different areas of the construction and built environment industry together. With this in mind, it’s important to consider how the industry is collaborating. Better sharing of information among companies would also help raise general industry standards. Digitisation can help to facilitate this.
Better collaboration between planning teams and site workers should also increase site productivity and cost saving. This in turn should enhance health and safety. A safer and more productive business is attractive to investors and employees, helping to boost the industry and improve the workforce.
For the uninitiated, artificial intelligence is where machines are used to predict better output based on set patterns and behaviour, mimicking humans but with better precision. Machine learning is a subset of artificial intelligence.
AI can play a vital role in many fields within construction. Just some of the ways AI can be used in the sector include increasing productivity, keeping jobs within budget, procurement and reducing carbon footprint. The latter is especially interesting, since AI can help us in making greener decisions and lowering pollution. This would help workers to have a healthy working environment while also reducing delays.
While clearer, more effective training courses for workers are still at the core of making sites safer, when paired with AI the results continue to offer a progressive workplace. AI can be used to assess sites and detect if workers are conducting themselves in accordance with health and safety advice. It can also be used to determine site risks. Machines can help site managers decide when safety briefings need to be held as well as giving an overall picture of what site health and safety looks like.
www.tomorrowsfm.com
Industry wide standards and fraud prevention Setting standards across any industry is important and should be reflected in health and safety procedures. CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) and CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) have helped to provide employers and site mangers with the confidence that those working on site are aware of the importance of health and safety, legislation and procedures. CSCS cards and health and safety courses have long been a part of creating a safer workplace. Digitisation could help keep industry standards consistent and prevent fraud, enabling employers to check the credentials of people they employ more easily.
What does the future look like? Recent information released by start-up SenSat states that stakeholders in construction who aren’t going to adopt digitisation and accept that AI must become a working reality, risk their businesses disappearing within a decade. This could amount to around 40% of current employers and manufacturers combined, a staggering figure. On the plus side, this shows how much potential there is in construction for those who want to bring change with the help of technology. Predictions state that £14bn could be generated in revenue if construction was to utilise AI effectively – ignore at your peril!
To contact Umer please email:
umer@constructionhelpline.com
www.constructionhelpline.com
TOMORROW’S FM | 47
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