Dive Brief:

• Construction safety software provider Smartvid.io is releasing April 6 a new application for Vinnie, the company’s AI interface, that will be able to determine when workers on construction jobsites have not been practicing social distancing. 
• Using any cameras that Smartvid.io can connect to, Vinnie will be able to work as a virtual safety inspector and determine the distance between any two workers, said Josh Kanner, CEO of Smartvid.io
• Kanner said the goal of the new function is to prevent workers from getting sick from COVID-19 by using real-time updates or a daily report to indicate how often workers were in too close proximity. Sites with more cameras would benefit from having more spots covered.

Dive Insight

Although Smartvid.io can use cameras around the jobsite, Kanner said, it’s important to note areas without cameras cannot be aided by Vinnie. Portable toilets or freight elevators that don’t normally have cameras would not be monitored by Vinnie, so other measures need to be in place. 

Most areas where work is being carried out, however, can easily be monitored, he said. 

OSHA now is highly advocates for social distancing on jobsites, including staggering shifts, and exploring local guidelines to see if they can apply to projects.

Vinnie can predict one-in-five safety incidents with 81% accuracy, the firm claims. Contractors continuing to share old data with Smartvid.io allows for increased production of models for safety measures and predictions.​

Smartvid.io is part of the Predictive Analytics Strategic Council, which is made up of many major contractors. Suffolk, Barton Malow, DPR Construction, JE Dunn, Messer Construction Co., Mortenson, Shawmut Design and Construction, the Bouygues Group, Skanska USA, Skanska Sweden, Webcor Builders, Obayashi, Insurance broker Aon and concrete contractor Lithko Contracting are part of the council.

Boston-based Suffolk, the chair of the PASC, used Smartvid.io to develop RiskX, an award-winning inspection app that uses Vinnie to learn more about risks on the jobsite, and created a documentation program for ensuring any noted issues are communicated and fixed.