BAM International was presented with the Health and Safety Initiative of the Year award for its iBAM system at last night's Construction Week Awards 2014 at the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel in Dubai.
Tom Bower, MD at WSP, presented the award to Fergal Kelly, area safety manager at BAM, who said: "I'm absolutely surprised to have won it to be honest. I'm a bit shocked."
iBAM is a software system that allows HSE teams and project managers to see in real time if workers carrying out specific tasks have been trained to do them.
If workers are not properly trained, they can be stopped from working on tasks instantly and then reassigned. This helps to cut the significant number of accidents that take place through a lack of proper training.
The judges said this was an innovative and practical approach to health and safety that has delivered real results.
BAM themselves describe it as 'probably the single-most important site safety invention since the hard hat', and judges were so impressed they said it should be utilised universally.
"It's a very practical initiative, it took a lot of work to get it up and running. It's unique, patented software, but our top management were willing to put the money in to it to help and allow its development," continued Kelly.
"It's had real effect on the sites as well. It's very good. With the illiteracy of the workers and lack of education, this just uses a thumb print and you can immediately see if they are skilled to do a job."
The other finalists for Health and Safety Initiative of the Year were: Employee Health Monitoring Programme - Dutco Balfour Beatty; Revolution Thru Infusion – ALEC; Visual Impact Training - Al Futtaim Carillion.
KARAMAA, The Qatar Foundation by ASTAD Project Management was awarded the Highly Commended prize.
It was chosen was chosen for its impactful initiative which will force real change in terms of workers conditions in Qatar.
The company was praised by the judges for its initiatives to protect the health and safety of its people.
The Construction Week Awards are an annual series of events that recognise and reward the best the GCC construction industry has to offer.
This year the event was supported by presenting sponsor du, platinum sponsor Famco, gold sponsor Genavco, silver sponsor Alec, category sponsors Atkins, Conares, Hyder, Kone, Projacs, Soprema, VSL and WSP, social media partner Active International, and entertainment partner S&B Fencing.