HT: When did you first use HammerTech and what were your first impressions?
Mick: I first came across the platform in 2016, at a Built project called Scape at 393 Swanston Street.
Like anything new or different, there was some reservation from all members of our management team. However, because CDC was one of the first major subcontractors on site, we were able to genuinely participate by requesting a brief training session. Built introduced us to the dashboard of HammerTech, and we became familiar with our profile, how to set it up, populate it and maintain it. We then provided this coaching knowledge down to CDC’s third party subcontractors.
As a subcontractor, one of the significant positives of the platform was that once we sent each of our employees the link to set up their profile, that profile was able to be transferred to any other site where HammerTech was being used. This made the induction process quicker the next time.
While it was relatively easy for younger workers to get up to speed, the older members of CDC’s work force did struggle with the technology gap, some not even having a smart phone or computer at home! So this had to be micromanaged.
HT: What are some of the pitfalls you have with software solutions on the jobsite?
Mick: Apart from the difficulties of our more old-school workers, CDC – as a contractor – has to juggle a number of usernames and passwords depending on which web-based safety portal the principal contractor uses. I think we have around 15 different ones….
Having been involved in safety for a long time, I believe there is always a risk that software solutions remove the ‘people power’ of safety. For example, prior to a high-risk piece of plant arriving on site, HammerTech enables users to obtain copies of documentation from the plant provider and upload that to a central database to which everyone has access. This is a great idea. But the risk is.… when the plant actually arrives on site is the documentation in the pouch on the plant? So when the plant arrives, this still has to be checked – nothing can replace that genuine human checking.
Another example is the skill of the human eye. If I see a task not being carried out as per best practice, I can call for it to be corrected immediately. This is a better result than waiting for a Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) to be uploaded to HammerTech and this issue being addressed at that stage.
What I am trying to explain is the gap or barrier technology can impose on the success of any task being safely executed…hope that makes sense!
‘I would also like to mention the concern from some of our employees that their personal information could be being accessed for the wrong reasons especially those who are not authorised to do so!’…but Hammertech reassured me that due to privacy & confidentiality laws and the security of the Hammertech system this will not be the case.
HT: How has HammerTech been used by CDC?
Mick: We’ve used it in lots of ways, and it does vary from job to job, even with the same principal contractor. But we consistently use it for:
• Employee inductions
• Plant inductions
• Material handling e.g. crane lifts, Alimak times
• Site safety walk action items
• Labour on site for each day
• Injury management
The most-used module would be the employee induction one, and as I mentioned there is huge benefit in being able to transfer employee profiles from site to site – a real time saver! The module for site safety walks is also one we use a lot – it’s straightforward to fix the action item, take a photo and upload it. The module keeping track of labour on-site for each day is quick and simple to use.