How lessons learned from the construction industry will inform all sectors on how to navigate a COVID-safe world.

Following the announcement of lockdown measures back in March, countless industries were forced to close, and their workforce tasked with working remotely. However, the construction industry suffered only a short hiatus. Whilst other sectors were ‘navigating their new normal’, employing working-from-home infrastructure and procedures, construction sites were forced to learn on their feet and adapt accordingly.

Co-founder of construction, civil engineering and property development company, Hollingsworth Group, Paul Hollingsworth, identified a gap in the market for a tool to keep staff informed of the new rules and regulations. Recognising that the ease of documentation accessibility would play a vital role in managing the new protocols, Paul and his team crated an easy-to-use app, allowing all employees to access to the latest documentation instantly via their mobile device.

Paul comments, “We initially produced the app solely for Hollingsworth Group but recognised that in fact countless businesses would soon be required to carry out additional checks to resume work during and after lockdown. From the original app idea, I worked alongside my brother Shaun, son Jac and Director of digital agency Coax Creative, George Daly, to develop the Fusion Health & Safety platform, which consists of a management dashboard web-based application (accessible on desktop & tablet) that allows Administrators to add different user types: Employees, Managers and Admins.

“The app then allows users to access documents instantly, upload and share with the rest of the team, verify and agree to any terms specified and create and share company news. It also provides vital real time weather warnings, as well as a nearest A&E locater using employees current GPS location.”

With an immediate increase in health & safety procedures to be carried out on-site, it is unsurprising that the industry is leading the way in advancements in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A recent study by software specialist Procore Technologies found that the pandemic is accelerating the adoption of digital technology in the construction industry. In a survey of 250 construction managers, it was found that 66% of companies rolled out some sort of new technology during lockdown and 94% of those said they saw an improvement in the way their teams worked as a result.*

Feedback from current users of the Fusion Health & Safety app has shown that the app can reduce the need for physical paperwork on disparate sites and locations by 100%. Hollingsworth’s own trials of the platform have shown a huge initial increase in the efficiency when managing documentation remotely and in disparate locations.

In a huge boost for the new platform, it has recently received interest from leaders in safety performance improvement, Safe Setters, which specialise in safety improvement for customers operating in high risk industries, including; renewables, construction, manufacturing and the public sector.

Initially built with the construction and manufacturing industry in mind, in response to the pandemic, the team developed the app to be industry agnostic, so it is useful across a range of sectors, including; transport, retail, health services, renewable energy and government bodies.

Paul continues, “What the app currently does and what we plan for it to do will rapidly increase the productivity of the workforce and improve health and safety procedures moving forward. We are confident that what we have seen in the construction industry will apply to a huge range of industries in the near future as regulations becomes more stringent and businesses move health & safety to the top of their agenda.”

Bespoke Fusion Health & Safety platform plans start from £199. Visit www.fusion.app/build-plan for more information or to request a free demo.

*Source: https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2020/06/22/covid-19-speeds-up-constructions-digital-revolution/