Dive Brief:

• Boston-based Shawmut Design and Construction has rolled out new coronavirus safety protocols, a risk assessment and a response plan for its jobsites across the country that utilize a high level of technology.
• A new custom technology platform called Shawmut Vitals allows workers and subcontractors to fill out a health form and self-certify health screenings daily. Each employee and sub scans a job-specific QR code prior to being allowed to enter the jobsite.
• If an employee is displaying symptoms or is at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 due to contact with someone who has symptoms, the system flags the worker and they are taken aside for further action.

Dive Insight:

Shawmut has also implemented Feevr, a device that uses artificial intelligence to detect elevated temperatures in groups of people to determine if any workers might have a fever without having to come into physical contact with the individual. In addition, Shawmut is piloting the use of wearable technology that buzzes whenever two workers come into too close contact.

In recent weeks, construction firms across the country have tapped into similar wearable technologies to ensure that workers maintain proper social distancing and at a few projects in New York City, IT networking and security company Brash Concepts placed thermal cameras at site entries to measure temperatures of workers entering the jobsites. ​

Having rolled out SmartVid.io across all projects over a year ago, Shawmut is also maximizing the use of the technology’s new capability to detect if people on job sites are not properly social distancing. Smartvid.io uses a combination of cameras and various deep learning approaches for computer vision, an area of artificial intelligence where machines are trained to analyze images.​

“The coronavirus has very quickly required a drastic change to the world, and specifically, to our construction industry,” said Les Hiscoe, CEO of Shawmut. “Through technology partnerships, pilot programs, and grassroots innovation by our project team members in the field, we have created efficient, enhanced safety guidelines.

Besides the tech measures, Shawmut will have an around-the-clock COVID officer onsite who will be in charge of monitoring safety protocols such as continual cleaning of high-contact areas, keeping gatherings to fewer than five people and observing handwashing and other hygiene practices.