DIGITAL PLATFORMS
DIGITISING FIRE SAFETY How digital construction management tools are transforming fire safety compliance in the building sector.
BART CROWTHER PlanRadar
Digital transformation is becoming essential for every industry to help streamline processes and uncover efficiencies. In the fire safety sector, platforms for project management and documentation are key tools used by fire safety workers to keep people and their sites safe. A new generation of digital solutions and the rapid adoption of new technologies has seen a transformation in the way that data and information are used for improved safety outcomes. The latest smart solutions are designed to align with changing regulations across industries, ensuring that savvy businesses can remain up to date and compliant. On a fundamental level, the biggest benefit of digital platforms in the fire safety sector is the capacity it provides for site inspection teams to gather site data quickly and efficiently. With the support of smart technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and automation underpinning innovative solutions, this significantly reduces the amount of time workers need to process and present relevant data to key stakeholders.
Four ways digital platforms drive efficiencies in fire safety Fire safety is essential for every organisation, and ensuring that fire safety processes remain up to date is crucial for maintaining compliance. There are four primary ways digital tools are helping to transform the fire safety sector:
1. Manage compliance
Digital solutions let users digitise fire risk assessment forms, eliminating paper-based processes and reducing time spent on paperwork while simultaneously helping to create digital audit trails for compliance. The latest digital solutions let organisations build custom checklists and assessments within the platform 42
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so relevant team members can complete them in the field. Forms can be updated centrally and in real time, allowing businesses to react quickly to ensure best practice and compliance if there is a change. Forms can also be securely stored and exported in custom reports, providing the organisation with rapid access to all data if needed for audits.
2. Standardise inspections
Users can leverage software solutions to standardise inspections across sites, using bespoke fire inspection checklists and reports. This ensures all team members can collect the necessary data in the same way each time, ensuring consistency across operations for best practice fire safety.
3. All processes in one place
With the support of digital solutions, users can gain access to a single, centralised platform that lets them conduct inspections, log evidence, generate reports, and even communicate advice and recommendations with ease. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
All relevant documented processes and procedures can also be created and stored digitally for quick access, providing a comprehensive record of each document.
4. Data and file storage
The latest digital solutions allow businesses to rapidly create and store necessary fire safety documentation, including fire risk assessments and checklists, reports, full communication histories, and other associated documents. Cloud-based solutions also ensure documentation is securely stored in the cloud in the event of future claims. Modern digital solutions also let organisations issue fire safety certificates digitally, as well as share them with stakeholders for signatures before storing them securely for future reference. PlanRadar is a cloud-based softwareas-a-service (SaaS) management platform for documentation and communication in construction and real estate projects.