VR for safety

At Bilfinger Tebodin, health and safety are the core of our mission and values. Safety principles, as well as technologies, are driven by innovations today. Together with colleagues, we look for more convenient and simple solutions for clients, keeping projects going even during the pandemic restrictions. Reconsidering some activities to limit face-to-face meetings and travels also makes our best experts more available.

Together with my colleague Vladimir Ivanov, Safety manager in Russia, we made a safety audit via BIM environment. Using VR glasses, we’ve examined a future plant and ensured that its technical solutions comply with safety standards at the commissioning stage. We made sure safety barriers and fences are in place, no sharp objects appear on the way and the equipment is easy accessible and located safely.

VR technologies let us experience visiting the facility during the design phase, as if it’s already built. This approach enables the team to get rid of imaginary expectations or personal drawings interpretation. Within the virtual reality specialists see their creation full-scale and feel its spacing. Beyond that, major technical functions are available as well – opportunity to add notes and comments, measure the distance, fix and keep viewpoints, make photos. You have no limitations in reaching any part of the facility.

Once of the best and most demanded VR features is an opportunity to hold meetings inside the model. Participants of such meetings see and hear each other, may point on objects inside the model and discuss design solutions. You don’t necessarily need to join such meeting from the same room. Here’s how it looks:

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During our safety audit, any non-conformity was immediately marked in the model, so that a design solution would be reconsidered to mitigate risks. In addition, this digital audit let us evaluate evacuation plans and emergency exits availability on construction site without visiting it physically.

So what do you get, once a BIM coordinator collaborates with a Safety manager?

  • Safety audit done on distance
  • Travel costs and time savings
  • Minimised personal contact to keep anti-pandemic regulations
  • Live corrections in the BIM model
  • Changes in a model are a way cheaper and easies, compared to ones done during or after construction is completed

It’s not only a design stage, when BIM serves safety. We are using the model during construction and installation phases to detect deadlock areas, for instance. Would you like to learn more about our teamwork at Bilfinger Tebodin? Reach me via phone +7 966 103 76 87 or e-mail alexandr.sivokhin*Please remove text between *, this is a spam protection*@bilfinger.com.

Аuthors: Alexandr Sivokhin, Vladimir Ivanov

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