The new normal? Universal GPS tracking on heavy construction sites

In the future big New Zealand construction companies will require GPS tracking of all contractors and sub-contractors on a site. It may be a bold call, but that is the way the industry is moving.

The mining and oil & gas industries in Australia already require GPS tracking of all vehicles, and adhere to the Land Transportation Safety Recommended Practice (OGP Report 365). These guidelines provide advice on ways to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, the number of serious road traffic incidents and fatalities through the implementation of land transport safety elements within a management system. The guidelines require IVMS (in vehicle monitoring systems) to be used at all times.

Safety as a key driver

In 2012 the Australian health and safety legislation was strengthened, and as a result there is a significant duty of care placed on employers, with huge penalties when things go wrong. New Zealand is also moving in this direction with the Health and Safety Reform Bill currently before Parliament, and expected to be passed into law in the second half of 2015.

In both Australia and New Zealand a significant percentage of workplace deaths involve vehicles or machines. In addition, plant and vehicles represent the third highest cost behind salaries and rent/power. Given that combination it makes sense to focus on minimising risk and ensuring worker safety.

Employers should be thinking about:

• Where are my employees?
• How are they driving?
• Are the vehicles well maintained?
• Are they taking enough breaks?

There will also be a move towards compulsory GPS tracking of all people on a site, not just all machines. On a big site, such as the construction of a new section of motorway, there are many occasions where a worker may be working alone and out of sight of others, so technology that can alert site managers in the event of a 'man down' incident is very important.

Better business practices

The heavy construction industry faces multiple business challenges, such as achieving accurate estimating and bidding, reducing profit erosion, increasing labour productivity and efficiency, increasing asset utilisation, and ensuring the right equipment is in the right place at the right time. Moving to GPS tracking of every machine on site can go a long way toward alleviating these challenges.

With GPS fleet tracking you can trend productivity across the whole site, and extract data that allows you to reduce downtime, reduce cycle times, and distribute equipment between job sites more efficiently. Remote monitoring allows you keep tabs on your equipment and workforce on multiple job sites, then access real time data to make instant decisions based on what is happening on site.

The data extracted from a GPS tracking system provides proof of hours worked and machines used, and this provides a safeguard for both the employer and the subcontractors. When a subcontractor submits an invoice, they have proof of the hours worked and machines used. It also gives the main contractor peace of mind: that the machine was on the job and worked these hours.

Universal tracking of vehicles, machines and people on heavy constructions sites is the way of the future. Safety of workers will be the main driving force to this change, particularly with the upcoming change to health & safety legislation in New Zealand. Improving business practice and efficiency will also be a key consideration in New Zealand's very competitive heavy construction market.