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Diving overview:
- Turner Construction is opening up its artificial intelligence-based safety tools for use by the broader construction industry.
- The New York City-based contractor will give other construction professionals free access to Turner’s AI-powered safety assistant, SafeT Coach, according to an announcement Monday shared with Construction Dive.
- SafeT Coach Act as a virtual safety consultantUsers will be able to ask questions in plain language and receive answers based on Turner’s environmental, health and safety framework, as opposed to the broader internet, according to the release.
Dive Insight:
SafeT Coach is Turner’s AI innovation challengeis a company-wide initiative aimed at helping Turner employees create and prototype their own AI solutions. Mr. Turner describes the driving force as ““Wall-to-wall” partnership with ChatGPT creator OpenAI.
To that end, SafeT Coach is a custom tool deployed within OpenAI’s ChatGPT environment, Maria Pantelaros, Turner’s director of innovation, told Construction Dive in an email. The next version will be available on Google’s Gemini platform. Using both platforms allows builders to use whichever service they are more comfortable with.
“This is a tool that basically incorporates all of Turner’s EHS policies and processes, procedures that align with OSHA standards, and gives you tools on your phone that can take pictures, talk to you, and give you guidance,” said Steve Spudling, Turner’s senior vice president and chief environmental health and safety officer.
Turner evolved SafeT Coach through a collaborative design process and field pilots with more than 80 stakeholders, according to the announcement. The AI was validated through long-term use in the field and independent external review by risk partners prior to public release. Since the first pilot, SafeT Coach has recorded more than 25,000 interactions with Turner staff, business partners, and field teams.
Due to general release, there are two versions of SafeT Coach. One for internal use at Turner and one for external use. Panteraros said Turner has no visibility into data entered by external users. Internally, Turner operates within what we call a secure enterprise environment with strict data controls. Panthera Ross added.
“The goal was to communicate this to front-line workers so that, for example, when they’re erecting scaffolding, they can take a picture and say, ‘Everything’s in place,’ or ‘Maybe you need to check the toe board, maybe you need to check the cross bracing,'” Spalding said.
This tool is already showing results in Turner’s field. For example, Darren Dreas, Turner’s director of higher education, used SafeT Coach to ask whether a vertical shaft qualifies as a confined space that requires a permit.
According to the contractor, the AI tool generated decision-making flowcharts, permit-to-start checklists, and policy citations that enabled the construction team to have informed conversations with trade safety managers.
Mr. Turner, Largest U.S. Contractor by Revenueannounced the release of SafeT Coach as part of Construction Safety Week, which runs from May 4th to 8th. Spalding said Turner’s workplace will host a QR code this week where workers can download the app.
