Dive Brief:
- Edmonton, Alberta-based PCL Construction has signed a multi-year enterprise deal with safety intelligence software company HammerTech to boost its jobsite safety and efficiency, according to a joint Oct. 1 news release from the builder and software provider.
- PCL said that Melbourne, Australia-based HammerTech will provide PCL with agility and adaptability to changing processes; enhanced reporting and data management; and greater efficiencies when collecting and analyzing safety documentation, according to the release.
- PCL is scheduled to switch over to HammerTech from its current, proprietary safety software starting next year, according to Stephanie Germain, PCL’s strategic communications manager. The solution will aid up to 50,000 workers daily on more than 1,200 PCL projects.
Dive Insight:
HammerTech’s platform lets builders check on permits, manage orientations on the work site and connect people involved with a project, including general contractors, subs and tradespeople, per its website.
“As the latest addition to our technology ecosystem, HammerTech will allow us to gather more sophisticated data around our safety programs,” said Mark Bryant, PCL’s chief information officer, in the release. “Robust data helps inform decision-making, improve process and ultimately creates a safer workplace for everyone on our job sites.”
Jim Barry, PCL’s vice president of health, safety and environment, said the tech will help the firm toward its ultimate safety goal, “a ‘zero-incident’ future.” He said the company switched to HammerTech for the plethora of benefits it provided.
”As construction projects evolve, we determined the enhanced reporting and data management system offered by HammerTech would help streamline processes at jobsites, create better analysis of safety documentation and ultimately help PCL make data-driven decisions in our pursuit of ensuring everyone goes home safely at the end of the day,” Barry told Construction Dive in an email.
The news follows an influx of funding for HammerTech: The company raised a $70 million growth investment from Riverwood Capital on July 15.
PCL has been no stranger to trying innovative solutions on its construction projects. In March, the contractor signed a separate enterprise agreement with Atlanta-based Document Crunch, an artificial intelligence-based solution for reviewing construction contracts and identifying critical risks.
On the hardware side, the firm also leveraged Broomfield, Colorado-based Vita Industrial’s Load Navigator to stabilize 10,000-pound, 20-foot-long pieces of form work in windy conditions. The construction team said that the tech helped them work more safely, and on days where wind would have otherwise shut the project down for the day.