The Balfour Beatty Vinci joint venture (BBV) working on HS2 is developing 4D site inductions and safety training.
Working with 3D Repo and 4D consultancy Freeform, BBV will use the technology to replace generic training videos and presentations with live walkthroughs of site-specific 4D visualisations based on existing BIM models that can be understood in any language.
Health and safety aspects will be coordinated with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Discovering Safety Programme to enhance opportunities for compliance and reusability with other contractors.
The cloud-based system will also provide centralised tracking of induction performance with full audit trail and reporting to measure effectiveness.
Funding for the new training system is provided through a Small Business Research Initiative innovation competition funded by HS2 and managed by Innovate UK.
Dr Jozef Dobos, CEO at 3D Repo, said: “Inductions and onboarding in UK construction are usually delivered using generic PowerPoint slides, pre-recorded videos and printed questionnaires. Our new training solution will enable site personnel to quickly and easily generate engaging site-specific induction materials that are easy to comprehend and therefore reduce accidents and near-misses through better quality training.”
James Bowles, founder of Freeform, said: “4D models use graphical and non-graphical project information including time, resource, and logistics management to create more predictable, robust plans and sequences. With 3D Repo, we are developing a novel online tool which allows for simple planning and visualisation of intricate tasks to improve health and safety not only on HS2, but for the entire construction industry.”
Dan Fawcett, head of innovation & transformation at BBV, said: “Our number one priority is to be ‘Be Safe and Well’ when constructing HS2, and BBV’s work on 4D constructability reviews with 3D Repo to date is a great example of innovating to improve health and safety. Introducing further collaboration with Freeform and the HSE to build on this work is yet another step forward in ensuring no injury, ill health or incident is caused by our work activities.”
Work on the new 4D health and safety tool began last month and follows on from the adoption of SafetiBase 4D technology that allows workers to safely identify and resolve issues using immersive 360º screens (https://www.bimplus.co.uk/news/balfour-beatty-vinci-jv-and-hs2-use-4d-improve-sit/).
