PCL Construction has signed a multi-year partnership with Australian safety intelligence software company HammerTech.

The collaboration aims to enhance safety and operational efficiencies across PCL’s global job sites. PCL ranks among North America’s largest construction firms, completing $10 billion in projects annually with many involving commercial real estate.

The Edmonton-based company said its safety record betters the industry average.

The partnership with HammerTech aligns with PCL’s commitment to safety, aiming to further reduce risks and streamline safety workflows, said the Canadian company.

HammerTech’s platform will provide PCL with advanced reporting tools, data management capabilities, and more efficient processes for managing safety documentation. The software will also offer greater agility in adapting to evolving safety protocols, supporting PCL’s goal of achieving a zero-incident work environment, said PCL.

“Safety is a guiding principle that shapes every decision we make at PCL,” said Jim Barry, PCL’s vice-president of health, safety and environment at PCL. “HammerTech will arm our teams with the technology to streamline safety processes, collaborate more effectively with trade partners, and move closer to our vision of an incident-free future.”

Mark Bryant, PCL’s chief information officer, said HammerTech’s technology will will PCL to gather more sophisticated data around the firm’s safety programs.

“Robust data helps inform decision-making, improve process and ultimately creates a safer workplace for everyone on our job sites,” he said.

Founded in 2013, HammerTech has grown rapidly and now serves more than 500 clients across North America, Australia, and Europe. Its platform is used in about 20,000 active construction projects worldwide, with over 3.6 million workers completing orientations via the platform.

Ben Leach, HammerTech’s co-founder and CEO, praised PCL’s commitment to safety.

“PCL and HammerTech share a mutual dedication to worker safety and innovation,” he said. “This partnership underscores our ability to meet the complex safety needs of a global construction leader like PCL.”

According to U.S. Department of Labor data, nearly one in five workplace deaths in 2022 occurred in the construction sector, with the industry accounting for almost half (47%) of all fatal falls, slips, and trips.

The partnership follows HammerTech’s recent announcement of a US $70 million (C$97 million) growth investment from Menlo-Park, Calif.-based Riverwood Capital. The financial injection is designed to accelerate the development of new technologies, including AI integration into HammerTech’s platform.

PCL operates throughout Canada, the U.S., the Caribbean, and Australia.

Photo: CNW Group/PCL Construction