Photo courtesy of Turner Construction Co. Turner employees use safety-auditing software designed for PDAs in the field. Information from each project is collected in an online database that allows users to find safety data.

With the ubiquitous use of building-information modeling on its projects, Turner discovered ways to build safety into the model.

One example involves a recent four-story campus expansion building. While reviewing the model for scope coordination, the fall hazards surrounding the large skylights became apparent, so AGC Safety Team member Turner decided to cast safety netting into the slab edge openings. Although simple, a modification like this could save lives.

Another application of technology to safety improvement involves Turner’s use of safety-auditing software designed for PDAs in the field. Safety observations collected at each project are uploaded to a Web-hosted database that allows users to screen companies, projects or territories for trends that include problem subcontractors and the frequency or severity of hazards.