NEXT Coalition Launches Construction Safety Challenge in Response to Coronavirus Outbreak

Swinerton is the latest general contractor to join the NEXT Coalition made up of critical infrastructure and construction companies to promote and share industry safety best practices. Black & Veatch, DPR Construction, Haskell, McCarthy Building Companies and Swinerton are leveraging their deep safety expertise and best practices in a campaign to ensure the well-being of crews and office team members facing complex challenges posed by the coronavirus outbreak.

The coalition seeks to identify and advance processes and technologies most likely to bolster construction safety in response to the “next normal” ushered in by COVID-19. To that end, the coalition is launching the “Construction Safety Challenge,” an open call to companies, startups and other innovators with emerging safety solutions that can be quickly deployed and scaled.

The Next Coalition seeks both new startups and seasoned companies to partner with its members to implement products and processes that will enhance health and safety in the field and back office. Submissions must be as close to market-ready as possible, though proof-of-concept/prototype-stage solutions will be considered. Solutions chosen may be deployed by coalition members on active projects around the globe.

The Construction Safety Challenge seeks solutions in areas that include safety policy compliance, screening, tracking and tracing, real-time communication, incident tracking, data analytics and others. Technologies or solutions may include screening, mobile apps, disinfection, wearables, contact tracing, personal protection equipment and more.

Such considerations are paramount in the construction sector where work cannot easily be done remotely and social distancing can be challenging. This makes developing solutions to minimize or quickly mitigate the onsite transmission of COVID-19 and future pandemics essential.

Developed ideas are submitted through a web portal, a mobile app or by email, then reviewed by subject-matter experts at each company.

For more info, visit: https://nextcoalition.co/.