How to Solve These Top 5 Construction Challenges

1. Mitigating and Controlling COVID-19 Related Risks

Unfortunately, it’s no surprise COVID-19 has been placed at the top of this list – from personal to professional, the global pandemic has made its mark on our lives. 

COVID-19 has exacerbated the problems EHS leaders face on a daily basis. In a survey analysis written by the Association General Contractors (AGC) in 2020, 60% of surveyed organizations in the report stated, “a scheduled project has been postponed or cancelled.” With the current need for greater safety precautions such as social distancing and sanitation, COVID-19 related risks have become one of the leading challenges construction professionals face today.  

Organizations who are mostly paper-based continue to find it extremely difficult to streamline  safety processes and communications. They are unable to keep up with the quickly changing environment this pandemic has created, as governmental and provincial safety protocols are consistently being updated. They are also finding it difficult to create a touchless environment to mitigate COVID-19 related risks with the use of paper, which creates multiple touchpoint opportunities.  

With a digital EHS solution, Maxim Group, an EcoOnline North America customer since 2014 in the construction industry, has felt a sense of continuity during the pandemic. They have been able to create a COVID-19 Business Continuation Form, implement daily questionnaires to track COVID-19 symptoms, ensure all respirators are working properly, and much more.   

2. Recruiting and Retaining Talent During a Labor Shortage 

With several front-line workers leaving the construction industry and cuts due to the pandemic, EHS professionals are finding it difficult to retain and hire experienced workers. In the next decade, 22% of Canada’s labor force will retire and 60% of US contractors say they have a hard time finding skilled workers, according to On-Site Magazine’s article “What the Construction Industry Needs to Consider to Address the Ongoing Labor Shortage”. These statistics are shocking to say the least, but our business suite of products can help! 

Within our suite of products is a contractor management system known as EcoOnline ContractorCheck. This system can help alleviate some of the administrative burdens that go with finding, accrediting and managing contractors. With EcoOnline ContractorCheck you will have access to an entire database of licensed contractors who have been audited for compliance according to legislation or your specific company requirements.  

“EcoOnline ContractorCheck provides Triovest with an important tool to ensure that the contractors we deal with are compliant with health and safety legislation and our insurance requirements, reducing our risk…We particularly appreciate EcoOnline ContractorCheck’s level of support for both us and our contractors, especially during implementation stages, and their willingness to tailor the system to accommodate our specific requirements.” – Property Management – Triovest Realty Advisors Inc.  

To find out more about the top safety challenges faced by EHS leaders in the construction industry and how EcoOnline North America can help you solve them, read our free whitepaper today.