Construction companies struggle to keep up with regulations

A recent Australian construction industry poll has found that keeping up to date with regulations is the most challenging part of quality and safety compliance for most (74%) companies. The poll was commissioned by Procore and conducted by ACA Research.

According to the survey, the OFSC COVID-19 accreditation for Commonwealth Government-funded construction projects is a key priority in 2020, yet just 31% of survey respondents have implemented compliance with the scheme. Respondents also identified a number of areas as being complex aspects to compliance including: capturing the necessary data consistently (73%); reporting (71%); designing ISO-compliant processes (71%); and building a compliant folder structure (71%) as the most complex aspects of complying with ISO Standards.

Data is key

The industry poll found that companies of all sizes recognise the value of collecting and analysing project data in identifying and mitigating safety risks. At the same time, construction companies are recognising that with data, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Key findings include:

• 3 in 5 businesses (60%) agree that effective use of data is critical in creating safer job sites.
• 3 in 5 businesses (60%) believe there is little value in collecting safety data unless it can be brought together on one platform and effectively used to create safer environments.
• 7 in 10 medium businesses (10–99 employees) say they would change software providers if they could more effectively integrate their data across different systems.
• 58% of large businesses (100+ employees) have improved data capture processes during the past six months.
• Large businesses in particular have seen the value of having a software platform that allows them to collect and interrogate safety data from across the business during the global pandemic. The poll found that the ability to analyse and foresee risks enabled safer work sites for large businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
   

2020 has underscored the importance of ensuring the health of construction workers and having the necessary digital tools to manage changing onsite quality and safety regulations.

The quality and safety industry poll, conducted by ACA Research, surveyed 167 construction companies of different sizes and types around Australia in September and October 2020.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Morakot