How to Use Smart Badges for Construction Safety & Workforce Management

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A lot of moving parts happen throughout a construction site. Knowing where every employee is working can be tough because we can’t be everywhere at once, and things don’t always go according to plan. To improve site safety, and workforce management, smart badges have been a valuable tool in streamlining project success.

When covid-19 struck, the use of smart badges increased within construction, manufacturing, oil & gas, and healthcare, to list a few industries. Smart badges provide a combination of software and hardware solutions to solve unique challenges that regular IDs or access cards cannot achieve.

What are smart badges?

Smart badges are small wearable ID/badging devices that may contain buttons or tags with sophisticated technology built inside. There are different types of smart badges that may contain varieties of sensor technology like RFID, GNSS, GPS, Wi-Fi, BLE, LoRaWan Geolocation. Smart badges can connect to different devices and provide multiple use cases like safety.

Smart badge safety capabilities

Smart badges like Kwant’s provide multi-mode safety tracking for employees, visitors, and assets on a jobsite. Throughout a project, smart badges enhance safety culture dramatically. A construction site can be very dangerous, and since management cannot be everywhere to protect others, smart badges have become a very viable tool for safety. 

Smart badges can contain features like contact tracing, proximity detection, restriction of high-risk areas, tie to access control systems, provide notifications, SOS alerts, and panic buttons. The features within smart badges determine the battery life.

Supporting construction safety & workforce management with smart badges

Due to the rough nature of construction sites, management cannot be everywhere when it comes to safety. There needs to be a solution in place for accountability, and smart badges have proven viable for workforce management and safety. Here are some reasons why.

1) Smart badges unlock real-time location awareness/visibility on jobsites.

You can tie smart badges to visualization tools like graphs, and heatmaps, and digitize your jobsite. Know where your workforce is performing and optimize for better safety & performance outcomes. 

2) Smart badges can automate check-in/out times & connect to access control systems

You can reduce manual paperwork and provide employees, visitors, and specialty contractors with smart badges to automate check-in/out times with access control systems.

3) The signal for smart badges can support indoor and outdoor tracking 

Depending on the features and level of data you are capturing, the signal from most smart badges can penetrate through walls and a variety of materials. 

4) Most smart badges are intrinsically safe devices for tough environments 

Smart badges need to be tough for different working environments. It is important to have safe devices on a jobsite so nothing occurs or malfunctions. Not all smart badges are intrinsically safe devices and ATEX certified like Kwant.

5) Smart badges provide accountability and timestamps to safety incidents & compliance

When an incident occurs, management can now trace back times and dates. Management can also round up information based on real-time location timestamps for compliance followup. Creating a process of accountability is considered best practice but hard to achieve.

6) Smart badges act as ID cards and can hold certifications & licenses

When using smart badges, you can use them as an ID for your workforce, outside contractors, or visitors on a construction site. Hold certifications like OSHA or SST and support safety orientation when onboarding your workforce.

Starting your next construction project with smart badges

When it comes time to start the next construction project, consider smart badges for workforce management and safety. Depending on the level of features you need for the project, you can unlock real-time insights and alerts that will guide you in the right direction with project success.

Every project is unique just as every smart badge is. The Kwant smart badges come with a variety of safety and productivity features for construction owners, general contractors, and specialty contractors to protect their workforce and keep work moving forward. 

See how easy it is to get started with smart badges. Schedule a chat to learn more.

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