4D safety inductions for HS2 workers

Construction workers on HS2 will be getting high-tech safety inductions with 4D online training.

The online training tool is being developed by the Balfour Beatty Vinci JV together with BIM, 4D consultancy Freeform, and digital twin specialists 3D Repo.

Innovate UK has provided funding for the new tool, which will replace old-school training presentations and videos with live walkthroughs of 4D visualisations of the specific sites, based on pre-existing BIM models.

4D means 3D with an extra dimension: time. Using project data including time, logistics, and resource management, the new training tool not only creates three-dimensional images, but shows them evolving through time.

3D Repo CEO Dr Jozef Dobos said that while onboarding and inductions in British construction are usually done via generic PowerPoint presentations, printed questionnaires and pre-recorded videos, the new training tool will enable site staff to generate site-specific materials quickly and easily. Because the live walkthroughs are engaging and easy to understand, they should reduce the rate of accidents and near misses.

Dan Fawcett, Balfour Beatty Vinci’s Head of Innovation & Transformation, said their top priority was for everyone to ‘Be Safe and Well’ while working on HS2.

Freeform founder James Bowles added that the online tool could be used to improve health and safety not only for the HS2 project, but across the entire construction industry.