Construction safety software makes safety management more accessible and effective. After all, managing a single crew of construction personnel and contractors is a big enough challenge. However, managing multi-crew operations is a whole different game.

In this guide, we’ll discuss the importance of integrating and operating a construction site using the latest mobile application technology—that is, using construction safety software to help you better manage your construction site safety. Actually, the application I’d like to share with you today is going to help with a whole lot more than just safety. In fact, it can help you manage everything from materials to site security to quality control. So, without further ado, let’s get into it.

Understanding Multi-Crew Operations in Construction

A construction multi-crew operation refers to the management and coordination of multiple teams or crews working simultaneously on different tasks within a construction project. These crews might be specialized in various trades such as electrical, plumbing, masonry, carpentry, and more. Each crew is responsible for specific aspects of the project, and their work often overlaps and intersects, requiring careful planning and communication to ensure that all activities are synchronized and that the project progresses smoothly.

Multi-crew operations are the most common setup these days in major construction projects. Small crews might work on smaller projects, but when dealing with multiple crews, it’s typical for larger commercial or industrial construction projects.

Managers of multi-crew operations face a variety of challenges, and as the statistics show, they don’t always win said challenges. Let’s look at what the data tells us. According to OSHA ⁽¹⁾, out of the top most cited standards, violations include five standards explicitly relating to construction:

1. Fall protection
2. Ladders
3. Scaffolding
4. Fall protection training
5. Eye and face protection

Of the remaining five standards, three also apply to construction, although they are not specific directly to construction:

1. Hazard communication
2. Respiratory protection
3. Control of hazardous energy 

Considering the construction industry sees many injuries and holds a standing 1,000+ deaths per year in the US alone ⁽²⁾, mostly from total slips, trips, and falls, as well as falls to a lower level, safety is obviously an issue. Therefore, managing your teams while maintaining safety is a challenge on the best of days.

In today’s fast-paced, results-driven economies, construction projects must stay on target both for deadlines and cost. There is, in my opinion, very little one could do to ensure these factors are consistent other than use technology to help keep everything running smoothly. I have been a part of many construction projects, and I can honestly say that typically, those teams who relied on old paper-driven reporting and managing methodologies tend to be the same teams that fall behind. 

Let’s talk about how new technologies such as software have changed the landscape of multi-crew construction operations and made effectively managing said multiple teams or projects a real and tangible possibility.

Key Features of Construction Safety Software

Construction safety is a huge priority, as we have seen from the data. However, the right choice of construction safety software has a measurable impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of today’s multi-crew construction operations. Given my years of being a part of construction projects, I would recommend software that has some or all of the following features:

Real-Time Incident Reporting

The name of the game here is timing. With real-time incident reporting, multi-crew construction teams can instantly spread information about incidents, hazards, or even poor conditions. Instant information transfer leaves paper in the proverbial dust. Construction teams that use software that provides real-time information are always going to be miles ahead of their paper-based counterparts.

Customizable Forms

Every construction project is different, as are the plethora of safety concerns, risks, hazards, and incidents. For that reason alone, software that provides the means to create custom forms for everything from site or equipment safety inspections to injury reports is invaluable in the field. Imagine having safety checklists and forms that work specifically for a team’s roles and responsibilities or that fit with the specific conditions and equipment needed for a construction project. Customization is vital to explicitly catering to a particular construction project and thus is invaluable to relevant health and safety management.

GPS Tracking And Location Mapping

It’s one thing to track valuable equipment, but tracking report creation, modification, and submission time and locations brings an entirely new dimension to managing safety. The beautiful thing about digital field reporting is that software like the 1st Reporting app can do just that—combine the power of real-time reporting with GPS functionality for unprecedented oversight for managers like us.

Customizable Notification Systems

We’ve looked at real-time reporting and customizable forms and added GPS to the mix, but what if we can go even further by introducing a fully customizable notification system so that real-time reporting does not get lost in the mix? Imagine making a custom notification to alert your site safety officer the moment a team member starts an incident form. Using a powerful notification system built into software like the 1st Reporting app empowers you to create notifications that have custom triggers, custom conditions, custom messaging, and customized recipients. With these sorts of notifications, your management and safety teams can find out about an incident before a team member can complete writing up their report. Now, that’s what I call fast-response-capable.

Dynamic Linking

If you’re anything like me, by now, you’ve got to be curious about how software like the 1st Reporting app could help your teams (and you) manage safety in construction efficiently and effectively. The beauty of modern software is that it often provides near-infinite ways to enhance our workflows.

Speaking of workflows, let’s look at the last recommendation for appropriate construction safety software: dynamic linking. I’ll again bring up the 1st Reporting app to use as our example. In the form customizer in the 1st Reporting app, there is a specific element to which you can choose to add a relationship between one report and another. However, because it’s all customizable, you can decide how your reports link. For example, you could create a risk assessment checklist that, when a specific field is set, could link to a hazard mitigation request. Another example could include linking a pre-use equipment safety inspection with an equipment repair request. My point is that you can choose any of the 100+ standard forms or create or customize one of your own to connect it dynamically to another report or form. Using this software for construction safety management empowers you to create entire dynamic workflows, linking reports together to form a whole digital workflow centered around a specific safety concern.

All of these features provide you and your multi-crew operations with enhanced accountability, improved communication and coordination, and faster emergency response times. Speaking of more rapid responses, let’s look at one of the most commonly used documents in construction projects and how modern safety software like 1st Reporting can handle it: the Submittal Log.

Creating an Effective Digital Submittal Log

A submittal log is a detailed document used in the construction industry to track and manage the various submittals required throughout (and at specific stages of) a construction project. Submittals are documents, drawings, samples, and data submitted by team members and contractors to the design team or project owner for review and approval. These submittals ensure that the materials, products, and work comply with the specifications outlined in the construction contract.

Here’s what a typical submittal log includes:

• Submittal Number: A unique identifier for each submittal.
• Description: A brief description of the submittal, such as the type of material or product.
• Specification Section: The section of the project specifications to which the submittal pertains.
• Date Submitted: The date when a team member submits information for review.
• Review Status: Indicates whether the submittal is under review, approved, rejected, or requires revision.
• Date Reviewed: The date when a team member completes the submittal review.
• Reviewer Comments: Any comments or instructions from the reviewer.
• Resubmittal Required: Indicates if a revised submittal is necessary based on reviewer comments.
• Due Dates: Critical dates for submission and approval to ensure timely project progress.
• Contractor/Vendor Information: Details of the contractor or vendor who provided the submittal.

Great software for managing construction safety doesn’t have to stop at safety. Let’s look at the 1st Reporting app and find out how it can help you manage more than just safety at your construction site; it can actually help with many general operational tasks, such as the submittal log. 

Using a Digital Submittal Log Template

During your construction project lifecycle, using a digital means of managing construction tasks, including the submittal log and its stages, helps you to deliver results in a timely manner. However, a robust form of construction safety software can enable you to use the same software for managing everything from equipment inspections to construction documents and information management (such as the submittal log, for example).

A noteworthy advantage of using a digital solution like the 1st Reporting app for your submittal log and other tasks or events is that you can create custom reports yet enable standardization for your teams. As the application is mobile, your team members and critical stakeholders are empowered to complete forms from anywhere, even without a mobile connection to the internet. They are able to do so by taking advantage of locally saved information that then uploads to a secure cloud storage location once a connection reestablishes. 

Here are a few of the other advantages of using a robust solution for construction safety management software like the 1st Reporting app:

• Real-time updates and accessibility
• Reduction in paperwork and manual errors
• Enhanced collaboration and data sharing

Thanks to the form customizer and builder, the 1st Reporting app’s comprehensive library of standard forms includes everything you need to manage information submittals, incidents, inspections, and more. Even if you don’t find a specific form you want to use with your team, you can build a custom form to meet your site—or task-specific needs in only a few moments.

Best Practices for Multi-Crew Operations with Construction Safety Software

Statistics show that there is a lack of information transferred during and following treatment for injuries. In fact, studies have shown that it’s not just information from the job site but also information gathered during a visit to the ER following an incident. For instance, it was found that a mere 46% of visits to the ER showed information on the medical record about how an injury occurred. ⁽³⁾

The discrepancies in information gathering during or following a construction-related injury or incident remind me of some of the best practices you can employ to close the gap and ensure that incident documentation is managed appropriately. Regarding the use of construction safety software, in my experience, there are a number of best practices that will help you manage more effectively and ensure that the appropriate information doesn’t go undocumented. Likely you know these already, but let’s do a quick refresher:

• Establishing clear protocols and guidelines: As with any form of managing projects, you will find your job much easier if your teams are all on the same page. For this reason, it is essential that you create and communicate clear protocols and guidelines where needed. For example, having a straightforward procedure for site visitor safety is essential to ensure that any outside contractors are appropriately accounted for and that they follow any safety precautions, like the use of appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment).

• Standardized procedures: In alignment with clear guidelines is the use of standardized procedures for specific tasks. For example, you might have a specific process for those working on scaffolding to ensure they wear the appropriate PPE and perform specific safety procedures prior to and during the use of scaffolding and similar equipment.

• Training and onboarding crews on software usage: This point might seem a bit obvious, but I’ve seen managers develop extensive safety procedures just to fall flat when trying to train team members on said procedures for daily use. Training team members and stakeholders on the appropriate use of construction safety software is as essential as teaching them the steps to take to ensure safety in the first place. 

I’m reminded of the saying, ‘The person with the best paperwork wins.’ When dealing with safety on construction projects, it’s crucial your teams understand and complete safety documentation correctly. Training to properly use the software intended for safety documentation is absolutely critical to safe operations.

• Feedback: It’s one thing to make a procedure and instruct stakeholders on its use; it’s a whole other creature to determine better and more optimal means of completing tasks. Documenting safety procedures is no different from pouring cement in the sense that there is a right way to do it and a wrong way. One way is successful; the other is a recipe for disaster. It is because of these facts that I recommend ensuring that you have a simple yet accessible feedback system in place. 

Enabling your team members and stakeholders to provide feedback appropriately is the best way to ensure that your procedures (and their documentation) meet and exceed requirements. Furthermore, it’s often the front-line workers who have the best perspective on procedures used in the field and at the job site, so always be open to listening to them so you can find ways to improve your safety documentation processes.

Revolutionizing Construction Safety: Why You Need the 1st Reporting App

Integrating advanced construction safety software like the 1st Reporting app is essential for effectively managing multi-crew operations. By leveraging features such as real-time incident reporting, customizable forms, GPS tracking, and dynamic linking, you can ensure enhanced safety, better coordination, and improved project efficiency. 

The digital submittal log is just one example of how this software can streamline your operations, reducing paperwork and manual errors while increasing accountability and communication. Explore the 1st Reporting app today and see how it can transform your construction site management.

Article Sources

1. “Commonly Used Statistics | Occupational Safety and Health Administration.” 2023. Osha.gov. 2023. https://www.osha.gov/data/commonstats.
2. “Construction Deaths due to Falls, Slips, and Trips Increased 5.9 Percent in 2021 : The Economics Daily: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.” 2023. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2023. https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2023/construction-deaths-due-to-falls-slips-and-trips-increased-5-9-percent-in-2021.htm.
3. Schwartz, Robert J, David Boisoneau, and Lenworth M Jacobs. 1995. “The Quantity of Cause‐Of‐Injury Information Documented on the Medical Record: An Appeal for Injury Prevention.” Academic Emergency Medicine 2 (2): 98–103. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1553-2712.1995.tb03168.x.