With over 10 years in the construction industry, and the majority of that working in GPS guidance and telematics for a major equipment manufacturer, I have seen the efficiencies technology can bring. Construction is a fast-moving, results-oriented industry. However, tight schedules and many moving parts means that information, communication, and resources often get lost in the shuffle, which can lead to serious injuries, site damage, project delays, and cost overruns. While witnessing the great advancements that technology brings the industry, I also saw my share of serious damage to machinery, injuries to employees, and significant rework due to improper usage of equipment. Often times, these incidents could have been avoided through the appropriate use of technology.
Despite the achievements of the construction industry, and its ability to construct increasingly complex and sophisticated buildings, the majority of contractors today lack the remote, real-time visibility into their site operations. The proliferation of technology has given construction companies access to vast amounts of jobsite data. However, these companies struggle to make their data meaningful and actionable. This challenge – and need – led to the development of Spot-r by Triax, which leverages networked sensor technology to collect and transmit key workforce data, automatically identifying who is on site, where workers are located, and if a safety incident has occurred.
But with countless trades, materials, machinery & equipment, and coordination it takes to complete a project, visibility into your workforce is just the first step. Improper equipment usage continues to be one of the leading causes of injuries, damage, and fatalities on site. Whether the result of an unqualified operator, machine failure, or careless actions, I believe all of these incidents are preventable. Knowing how your workforce interacts with other site resources, most particularly heavy machinery and equipment, is the key to unlocking efficiencies, improving safety, and mitigating risks. Managing machinery and equipment is fundamental to project progress and success, but despite all the data coming off traditional telematics, contractors still find it difficult to:
- Track machinery and equipment indoors or in areas without clear line of sight to the sky, as is required by GPS
- Link equipment to specific workers, so you can know who is – or was – operating it
- Check for operator certification to ensure safety and compliance
Many equipment manufacturers still use universal keys that work across multiple machines, meaning anyone can operate a machine and there are no automated checks in place. These current unknowns of who is operating your equipment, when, and if they’re certified to do so, jeopardize site safety and operations.
Using the same Spot-r network installed at your jobsite, Spot-r EquipTags track the location and activity of equipment, while our wearable Spot-r Clips layer in workforce and certification data. Together, this allows you to see who is operating your equipment – or near your equipment – to ensure compliance and manage risks. And all of this is available in a plug-and-play solution that does not require aftermarket installation.
The EquipTag easily mounts to nearly any piece of equipment, such as a scissor lift or skid steer which traditionally doesn’t come equipped with telematics, or even legacy equipment that was manufactured before machine-monitoring came standard, to automatically collect utilization and operator data that helps manage assets and optimize rental schedules.
The Spot-r EquipTag expands our vision of the connected jobsite to show you where your most important resources are located and how they’re interacting with each other.
Matt Davis is the VP of Sales for Triax Technologies. Learn more about the Spot-r EquipTag here or reach out to Matt at mdavis@triaxtec.com.
