One scan is all you need to record a tool taken out against the worker record
Here’s how RFID works! All deliveries entering the site can be scanned as stock, using a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). While plant equipment is simply labelled with barcodes or RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) tags and is scanned both when given and returned against the recipient’s record. When the time arises for the equipment to be serviced or inspected, records denoting this can be uploaded against the specific plant tools, construction hand tools and site equipment. Let’s see how it stacks up as an investment.
Mosaic stock control, asset tagging & inspection manager is a powerful multifaceted tool to support project management with the tracking of materials and equipment (such as large plant, small plant, construction hand tools & construction equipment), on-site. Historically, on site tracking of materials and tools have been made complicated by the use of traditional paper based processes. These are invariably labour intensive, unreliable and contribute to the increase in construction costs.
To compare the economic feasibility of using RFID tags, we delved into some academic research. The most commonly used measure for gauging financial viability is through a combination of Return on Investment (ROI) and payback period. The academic literature reported that although initial investment and interest rates can cause wide variations in the outcomes of these economic criteria, many of the researchers found an average payback periods of 18 and 36 months for RFID and GPS technology, respectively (Pisello 2006, European Commission 2008, Telogis 2013) While the average ROI values associated with the RFID and GPS technology applications may be up to 10% (Pisello 2006, European Commission 2008, Telogis 2013 and GPS Insight 2013).
So not only does it look like a viable investment on the face of it with quick pay back periods; but our system can also further help with distribution of PPE to the workforce and contractors alike. Firstly, a system such as Mosaic is in place to ensure everyone receives the correct clothing and kit for the job they perform. Secondly end users, such as contractors, could potentially invoice for this site service.
An example of the amount of PPE distributed amongst a workforce was mentioned in a recent Construction Index article about Wates. They have more than 4,000 employees and more than 10,000 supply chain operatives and partners. They estimated a spend of £2m a year with a supplier to provide them with the necessary PPE for their annual operations. By using Mosaic’s asset tagging system, Wates could potentially invoice contractors for the £1.4 million PPE equipment they use while on their jobs. This would represent a considerable recouping of costs and one that would go straight on the bottom line in a sector notorious for tight margins.
Pisello, T. (2006). “Shrinking the Supply Chain Expands the Return: The ROI of RFID in the Supply Chain”, Alinean: the Business Value Selling Experts, accessed via http//.www.Motorola.com.
European Commission (2008). “RFID Adoption and Implications”, Impact Study No. 07/2008, accessed via http//.www.ec.europa.eu.
Telogis (2013). “ GPS Fleet Management ROI”, accessed via http//.www.telogis.com.
GPS Insight (2013). “Investing in Fleet Tracking Yields Substantial ROI”, accessed via http//.www.gpsinsight.com.
There has been a lot written in the construction media over the last few years about the skills shortage that the industry faces in the coming decade. More recently the focus has been on how this is will be further compounded by leaving the EU. Balfour Beatty have already come out and said that one in ten of its recruits last year came from other EU countries. They cited Brexit as one of six issues exacerbating an engineering shortage in this country, adding that this could eventually drive up the price of building.
A harder form of Brexit realistically could shrink the construction industry’s capacity. This is during a period when it actually needs to grow to meet government objectives, Lord Stunell a key peer has warned parliament.
He is currently leading a review into the impact leaving the EU will have on the construction sector, and is on record as saying that the industry “needs to expand its capacity by about 35 per cent” in order to deliver key infrastructure projects on the timescales set out. These include major schemes such as Hinkley Point C, a third runway at Heathrow and High Speed 2.
However, should the UK’s exit from the EU manifest itself into a harder kind, where access to the single market is rescinded, the Customs Union is scaled back and under The Treaty of Rome freedom of movement is curtailed, then the industry in his estimations “will shrink by 9 per cent”. This assumption is based on the proportion of the UK construction labour force from elsewhere in the EU, which correlates with Balfour Beatty workforce stats.
Should a harder Brexit prevail, then the skills shortages within the sector will be further exacerbated by an ageing workforce. Regional contractors near Hinkley Point C are already having to change their building designs and methods on projects due to a looming skills shortage in the area.
Regardless of the outcome over the coming years, the opportunity now exists for the industry to further encourage new blood in and to manage the current workforce better to ensure some semblance of continuity can prevail. In order to do this, the larger players in the industry will certainly have to better embrace technology to support the older members of the workforce and find new methods to help ease pinch points in the labour supply.
At Mosaic Management Systems we offers a competency management system at its core (SkillCheck), that could be used to help companies gather data to better assess their exposure to the skills-gaps that are likely to occur in the future. This will aid scenario planning, while providing management with data to base resource allocation decisions upon.
In addition the system also allows for personal information to be complied against a worker record on qualifications and training, but also health issues. On all the aforementioned points the industry will need to come up with creative new initiatives (or further ramp up existing ones) that are quantifiable and beneficial to workers and productivity. Thankfully, our system will be able to assist companies rolling out such ‘worker management’ programmes from the outset.
Mosaic is used by the biggest names in the construction industry to manage a range of safety critical and competency issues on major infrastructure sites and projects. Indeed, Mosaic is sometimes mandated by companies due to the significant role it plays in reducing site health and safety issues, security, improved productivity and time saved.
We are delighted to have finally configured and couriered two bio-metric finger print readers to one of our highway clients. These readers will be set up at the site entrance and exit point and used in conjunction with our Mosaic Tally System software.
This particular system allows for significant throughput of staff and visitors with a simple scan of the fingerprint. Entry can be set to be dependent upon appropriate skills, which are checked against worker records.
Biometrics refers to metrics related to human characteristics. Biometrics authentication is used in computer science as a form of identification and potentially access control. It involves the application of statistical analysis to biological data. Leading construction companies are increasingly trusting this cutting edge technology for time & attendance monitoring due to its high level of accuracy and eradication of fake identity cards.
This innovative system offers the user a cost effective and innovative solution to the complex issue of site access and workforce tracking. Our Mosaic Tally System can be integrated with many leading access control systems, where a physical barrier or turnstile is specified at entry and exit points.
You can get an App for pretty much anything these days, and Mosaic Management Systems is no different in that respect. Actually we have been offering our mobile app for quite some time now and it has proved really popular with all our clients. They like the fact that is it easy to get hold of from the App Store and works on iOS and Android smart phone operating systems.
We recommend that the smart phone must have Near Field Communication set up. NFC-enabled portable devices can be provided with application software, for example to read electronic cards in our case.
Mosaic is used by the biggest names in the construction industry to manage a range of safety critical and competency issues on major infrastructure sites and projects. Indeed, Mosaic is sometimes mandated by companies due to the significant role it plays in reducing site health and safety issues, security, improved productivity and time saved.
We’ve identified 10 key construction industry trends set to shape the market this year. Advancements in technology and an increased focus on sustainability play a vital role here, pushing construction companies to consider different construction methods and technologies that are smarter and greener than ever before.
Smarter buildings
As technology rapidly progresses and becomes more affordable, our buildings are becoming more intelligent. Innovations such as the Internet of Things (IoT), are being incorporated into modern building designs to automate certain functions such as energy and water consumption. This use of technology can improve sustainability, efficiency, safety, personalisation, interactivity, and comfort for those who use the facility.
Prefabricated buildings
Architects are experimenting with the prefabricated building technique and enjoying some surprising results. With new technologies in the construction tool-kit, the modern-day prefabricated home can be built in 24 hours – and built well. This has even reached the attention of the British government as a possible solution to the UK’s housing crisis.
BIM modelling
3D computer designs that use Building Information Modelling (BIM) are the new standard. These drawings provide a truly visual experience that gives the whole picture from every angle. As construction industry trends go, it’s becoming an increasingly popular method to view the architectural designs with the specific building systems in place.
When all potential problems have been addressed before the foundations have been poured, the jobsite will be easier to manage, field coordination will be simpler and construction can be done faster, safer, cheaper and to a higher standard.
Mobile technology for on-site construction management
A construction site that runs like a well-oiled machine will save developers time and money. To help foremen manage their site operations more effectively, mobile-operated, cloud-powered software systems and apps are now available to facilitate easier administration. All field coordination as well as individual people management processes such as timesheets, performance reports and task allocation can be assigned, reviewed, tracked and stored on the go. This means managers can get on with overseeing the critical requirements of the build, rather than getting bogged down in administrative staff management.
Green all the way
‘Green’ buildings use less energy and are thus cheaper to run. This, combined with growing concern for the environment, is driving the trend for more environmentally-friendly buildings. In response, new building regulations have come into effect to harness the power of renewable energy.
The British government aims to have 4 million solar-powered homes up and running by 2020. Renewable energies are gaining ground in the construction industry for good reason: between April and September this year, solar power generated more electricity than coal power.
Labour shortage will continue to plague the industry
The next 12 months will see contractors attempt to stave off uncertainty as they deliver a huge pipeline while battling skills and tech challenges.
Uncertainty over BREXIT
Balfour Beatty has already warned that leaving the EU could increase skills shortages in the UK infrastructure sector – and push up costs. Prolonged uncertainty over the split from the EU could have profound effects on the industry if poorly managed by the government.
Offsite/modular construction will gain a stronger foothold in the market
Offsite construction, also called modular or prefab, isn’t new to the industry. However, experts predict the building method will grow in 2017 as quality, time and labour concerns make alternatives to traditional construction methods more attractive.
Consolidation
The industry’s cyclical nature, fragmented structure, low margins and project risk make sustained financial resilience challenging. According to Construction News fewer companies, better operating structures and more pricing power will reduce the need to underbid and can break the industry’s vicious cycle. Projects will get larger, and require contractors with the resources and balance sheets to shoulder and manage construction risk, and continue to participate in public-private partnerships. Risk mitigation will become a driver.
Safety
The tragedy at Didcot Power Station was the low point of the year for the industry. Investigations continue and the cause will be probed, but the underlying fact is that fatalities rose in construction last year. Since the recession there has been pressure on companies to turn around losses, but this must not come at the expense of safety. We believe there must be a re-focus on this area in 2017.
Health, the oft-overlooked part of health and safety, will finally become a major industry theme in its own right next year. Various campaigns such as Mates in Mind to promote mental health, being led by the Health in Construction Leadership Group and supported by the British Safety Council, as well as CECA’s Stop. Make a Change campaign that is asking companies to use a stand-down day to discuss issues such as mental health and fatigue.
Mosaic is used by the biggest names in the construction industry to manage a range of safety critical and competency issues on major infrastructure sites and projects. Indeed, Mosaic is sometimes mandated by companies due to the significant role it plays in reducing site health and safety issues, security, improved productivity and time saved.
In a recent American study, ‘The state of construction management report’ helps appreciate a better understanding of what their industry successes, challenges, products, and trends are in 2017. While it should be noted that this is an American study, some parallels can be drawn with the UK’s experience in adopting new technology in this sector. So let’s have a look at what they found out.
Daily reporting was at the top of the list of biggest industry challenges, followed by deadlines and resource management. Supervisors, Subcontractors and General Managers all listed Daily Reporting as one of their main industry challenges indicating a growing concern regarding their ability to keep track of critical information. As you would expect deadlines was up in the top 3 along with the managing of staff. Health and safety came at the bottom of the list.
They asked each stakeholder what their biggest daily challenge was in construction management to gain better insight into what each position in the industry identified as their challenges.
Management:
Finding new business was their main concern by far. Maintaining margins, staff issues and health & safety followed on from this:
Contractors & sub-contractors:
Resource management significantly lead the way for contractors who see it as their biggest daily challenge. This is followed by staff management and deadlines. Health and safety fell mid-way down the list of priorities for contractors and even further down for sub-contractors.
Supervisors:
Meeting deadlines is the biggest issue for time-pressured supervisors, followed by health and safety and daily reporting. They work extremely closely with contractors and their own workforce on site and therefore are more likely to be involved with daily health and safety issues. Hence it being further up their list of priorities at number 2.
Technology adoption:
The trend toward adopting technology to improve efficiency is very evident, with the majority of respondents saying they were already using between three and five technology products to support them in this aim. A small percentage of respondents were companies who had really embraced technology, use up to ten technology products on every project. Project management was the main use for technological support, with no mention of Health & Safety in these applications.
However, when asked what the business priorities were, construction management professionals view safety as the top business priority with efficiency as a close second. Gratifyingly, safety is deemed the main priority, thus ensuring that all employees are kept safe during the construction process.
While the majority of respondents view their construction management technology solutions as effective to very effective in the final question on the survey, there seems to be a disconnect in terms of technology assisting health and safety on projects – yet all this was cited as a main business objective. This begs the questions, ‘What innovations could be used to address this scant use of applications for safety reasons in the US?’.
Mosaic is used by the biggest names in the construction industry to manage a range of safety critical and competency issues on major infrastructure sites and projects. Indeed, Mosaic is sometimes mandated by companies due to the significant role it plays in reducing site health and safety issues, security, improved productivity and time saved.
Construction sites are notoriously dangerous places to work on if health and safety rules are not respected. That’s why it is all the more important to ensure the team participates in your company’s safety program, and does all it can to minimise hazards to mitigate site injuries. Here are our top 10 Mosaic tips for reducing accidents and injuries on your construction sites, through maintaining a competent workforce and making safety a priority for your entire team.
What makes a safe worker on-site – Mosaic’s top 10 tips
Principal contractors obviously have a legally binding duty of care to their workforce, whether they are employees or contractors. It is undoubtedly their responsibility to ensure they have the necessary skills, knowledge, training and experience to do the job safely and without putting their own or others’ health and safety at risk. It is also in their interest to ensure their workforce is both efficient and safety conscious from a profitability and operational perspective. So here are our Mosaic top 10 to support you in achieving this objective.
Set out your health & safety expectations
Planning safety is as critical as executing it. Many contractors have written safety programs. While they may be very comprehensive, the day-to-day implementation of those programs gets back to performance (or non-performance) by the competent person or persons (supervisors / management). Support your staff with intelligent digital systems that eradicate paperwork, freeing them up to better manage staff.
The benefits of comprehensive health and safety training in a construction environment are many, providing both benefits for the employer, but more importantly, for the employee. Initially spending a short time discussing health and safety matters during an employee induction is the best first step towards maintaining a low accident rate and keeping lost man hours through sickness and injury to a minimum. Insurance companies look preferably towards employers who take health and safety matters seriously and premium rates will often reflect this.
The CDM regulations require that principal contractors ensure suitable site inductions are provided. They also require that contractors must provide each worker under their control with appropriate supervision, instructions and information so that construction work can be carried out, so far as is reasonably practicable, without risks to health and safety, and that this must include a suitable site induction, where not already provided by the principal contractor.
Construction companies these days have the option to deliver their inductions both on-line and off-line. In our experience, some chose a blended approach of the two. This ensures engagement is really delivered to the workforce twofold, with great effect.
All workers on construction sites must hold the correct qualifications and training for the type of work they carry out. Increasingly so employers need to be confident that if they are shown a card it is legitimate and that the person showing it has the appropriate qualifications to be carrying out their job onsite.
Ensure access and exit to the site is checked
We are continually lobbying the industry to carry out electronic card checks as mandatory before allowing workers on site. From a recent CSCS survey half of the workers on their membership said their cards were checked the first time they went on site, but no much thereafter. One in five of those responsible for checking came stated that they came across a fake card. Access also needs to be regulated should a worker have a site bans for one reason or another.
This is a serious question! Many contractors, suppliers and clients of the industry undertake rigorous and regular measures to tackle this issue including zero tolerance to drugs and alcohol, random testing, providing information on drugs and alcohol through toolbox talks, site inductions and resources such as on-site posters.
Monitor worker fatigue
Construction work involves high-risk activities. To work safely, construction workers must be physically and mentally alert. This means that fatigue is a potential risk. Employers and employees have a responsibility to manage fatigue in the workplace.
Over 3.5 million people in the UK are shift workers, including in the construction industry. There is no specific legislation for shift work but employers are responsible for the health and safety of workers and this includes reducing the risk of fatigue by planning shift work schedules effectively. This, in turn, reduces risks associated with fatigue and can prevent ill health, injuries and/or accidents.
To ensure effective toolbox talks, you will need to ensure that all workers participate and are engaged in the toolbox talk. Knowing and understanding the material delivered is really important too, thus ensuring good delivery. Toolbox talks can be time consuming as just gathering the workforce round to listen someone before the start of day’s work can affect productivity. Hence the aim is to be informal and supervisors can get certain members of the workforce to gather around during their rounds. This also allows for tailored messages to different trade to be delivered.
Ensure systems in place for tool allocation, inventory, PPE distribution and asset inspections
Along with proper safety gear, workers should be required to wear reflective vests to reduce the risk of accidents. Ensure these have been distributed to all your employees and contractors alike. In addition correct policing of tools and plant equipment will help reduce theft but also stop workers without correct ‘tickets’ using equipment. A proper system for asset inspection and maintenance should be in place at all times.
At Mosaic, we understand that simply holding a record of employee qualifications, licences and training courses is insufficient in the current working environment. You need to see your workers develop, lead and improve upon their skillset.
You need piece of mind to know that your workforce can deliver in the way that is safe and productive. By using situational judgement testing you will become more aware and be able to highlight skills and knowledge gaps and expose employee behaviour that may pose a risk to regulatory compliance, best practice, health and safety or even competitiveness in your organisation.
This is an ongoing process that needs to be repeat on every project / site and learnings shared between key colleagues from one project to the next.
Mosaic is used by the biggest names in the construction industry to manage a range of safety critical and competency issues on major infrastructure sites and projects. Indeed, Mosaic is sometimes mandated by companies due to the significant role it plays in reducing site health and safety issues, security, improved productivity and time saved.
Employees are certainly the most valuable assets of a construction company. In the UK labour market within this sector, the long-term success of a contractor depends on their ability to retain their key employees. Under CDM regulation 2015 there is a legal requirement to provide an induction for every site worker on a particular project. However, this article focuses on new employee onboarding / Inductions as opposed to site inductions, with labour shortages being the backdrop for this.
When a construction company hires new workers, it is in the best interest of the company to do everything possible to retain these workers. A successful retention strategy will help with this and must be in place from the moment a new employee is hired. As per studies and estimation, one out of every five employees will quit within their first year of employment. Nearly 20 percent of those who resign will leave during their first 45 days. Developing an onboarding program and following the process is one of the simplest and smartest strategies a construction employer can use to successfully limit loss and build long-term loyalty among employees.
Onboarding, otherwise known as induction, is a structured process of welcoming and inducting new employees to a company. It is also a means to explain the rules and regulations that govern a particular site. An onboarding / induction plan should provide more than simple job orientation and training. The process should also offer mentoring, support, and information about the company culture and organisational structure. Today’s construction firms should design onboarding programs that teach all the foundational basics a person needs to know in order to achieve success with their new employer.
ONBOARDING / INDUCTION PROGRAMS SAVE EMPLOYERS TIME AND MONEY
Implementing an onboarding / Induction program does not have to be expensive or time consuming. Quite the contrary, an onboarding / Induction process can save time and money in the long run for a construction company. The costs of recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and training new employees are some of the biggest investments that a contracting firm must make. A thoroughly designed and executed onboarding process can increase the return you get on those investments.
HOW TO IMPLEMENT AN ONBOARDING / INDUCTION PROGRAM
The Onboarding / Induction process should start during the recruitment phase. Any questions asked by a prospective new hire must be answered throughout the interview process. Keep candidates informed about everything at every step of the way. This demonstrates that your company is well organised and supportive. When an individual accepts a position, maintain communication with that person and keep him informed right up until their start date. Doing this will enable the new employees feel welcomed and better prepared when they arrive for their first day of work.
On an employee’s first day on the job or site, a comprehensive induction program must be in place that goes beyond employee handbook basics. As part of this program, new hires should also receive:
A clear statement expressing the project’s mission, goals, and values
An in-depth job description that includes objectives and responsibilities
Organisational charts with names and titles that show the chain of command
Most importantly, an effective induction should provide job-specific training that demonstrates a long-term commitment toward employee development. Make sure that a senior seasoned professional integrates with new hires.
ONBOARDING / INDUCTIONS CAN IMPACT YOUR BOTTOM LINE
Having an onboarding process in place will minimise the amount of time it takes for new employees to reach their full potential, while maximising their loyalty to the company. This can have a big impact on your bottom line. Already a shortage of workers serious enough to affect project costs, completion and productivity is being experienced by contractors and construction firms. Proactive companies who implement strategies designed to increase retention are already achieving more success than their competitors.
There are not enough students currently enrolled in construction educational and training programs to meet current demand of skilled labour. Employee retention is going to become even more critical to the success of a construction company in the future. If a company does not already have an onboarding program in place, then it should begin crafting one now.
Onboarding can be a valuable part of retention strategy that allows companies to deliver complex building projects on shorter timelines and with fewer backlogs, ultimately paying large dividends in cost, time, productivity and quality.
Researchers at Loughborough University are embarking on a unique project that will track and inform health and safety leadership, policies, and practices at Tideway.
The project, commissioned by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), is the first of its kind to study the impact and process of occupational health and safety (OSH) in real time on such a large, multi-site construction programme.
Tideway is the company building the Thames Tideway Tunnel, a major new sewer urgently needed to protect the tidal River Thames from sewage pollution. The 7.2m diameter tunnel, which is due for completion in 2023, is 25km long and runs up to 65m below the River Thames.
Loughborough researchers will be embedded into each of the joint venture teams and will monitor key health and safety processes, personnel, documents, events and activities to provide robust evidence of what does and doesn’t work.
Because of their unique positions within the teams, the researchers will be able to witness how OSH policies and practices intersect with other organisational agendas, and review their effectiveness in real-time. Ultimately, it is intended that findings and best practice will be shared across the wider construction industry and will influence future OSH management and practice.
Project lead Alistair Gibb, Professor of Complex Project Management in Loughborough University’s School of Civil and Building Engineering, said: “This is one of the first studies employing longitudinal research methods on a major infrastructure project of this type, providing an exciting opportunity for researchers to be involved at the very early stages of a major project and follow it through to completion.
“Almost all previous health and safety research comes from a snapshot approach. This project gives us a unique opportunity to monitor OSH within a living lab, and to provide real-time feedback that will enable managers to make changes and improvements – and evaluate their effectiveness – during construction. It promises to provide a completely fresh perspective on the ways in which OSH policies are enacted and implemented. ”
Steve Hails, Director of Health, Safety and Wellbeing at Tideway, said: “Taking part in this hugely important research with Loughborough University is one way we are working towards achieving transformational health, safety and wellbeing standards at Tideway.”
IOSH Head of Information and Intelligence Kate Field said: “IOSH is pleased to be funding this innovative research programme, with the opportunities it presents to examine transformational OSH practices over an extended period. It has the potential to provide new insights into key OSH issues that will be of real value to our members and business.”
We, at Mosaic, are understandably very excited about this piece of research, as our system will be deployed across the 3 joint venture consortium’s building the project. Mosaic will be providing a variety of services across the project over its lifetime:
• Electronic Onboarding / Induction
• Competency Management System
• Safety critical real time skill gap analysis
• Recording of Safety messages / toolbox talks using Smart Cards and Mobile devices
• Access integration for safe movement though zones based on skills
• Perception Assessments – Measures Knowledge vs Confidence to highlight high Risk workers (Situational Based Assessments)
• Fatigue Risk Management Systems
• ‘Network Passport’ embracing all Joint Venture (JV) stakeholders
We wish them well with their research endeavours and look forward to hearing the interim findings. John Micciche, Managing Director of Mosaic said “I am particularly thrilled about this piece of research, as it represents an opportunity to gather robust & statistically significant data on a sizeable project where our system is used as a platform to deliver health & safety excellence.”
Come and visit stand M140 to see Biosite’s leading systems in action: Biometric Access Control, Turnstiles, Wireless Fire Alarms, Online Induction, Delivery Management, CCTV, Time Lapse, Document Management, Corporate Reporting and Manned Guarding. Find out more about Biosite Products.
Biosite Access Control and Workforce Management system is designed specifically to address the complex challenges of the construction industry. It utilises state of the art biometric / fingerprint and wireless technology to provide a secure and reliable, yet flexible and affordable solution for today’s ever increasing health and safety needs on construction sites.
Established in 2010 and currently employing over 60 people, Biosite provide systems to over 500 construction sites across the UK and have framework and supply chain agreements in place with leading construction companies, including: The Wates Group, Bouygues UK, Willmott Dixon, St George Plc | Berkeley Group and Quadrant Construction.
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