HMSREG a part of creating new standard for the sector

Omega’s HMSREG system will now be implemented on projects at Skanska, Veidekke and in several sub companies in AF Gruppen. The three leading contractor companies in Norway will work with Omega to optimize the system for use by contractors.

HMSREG is a tool for digital construction site control, where all information about the crew on the construction site is gathered in one system, digitally available and continuously updated.The system is now utilized by three leading contractors in Norway; Skanska, Veidekke and AF Gruppen. Photo: AF Gruppen.

«This system has been long needed in the sector. HSE is not something we compete on, and it is therefore important that we can join forces around a system that can contribute to improving our work towards a more trustworthy construction sector in Norway,» says Ragnar Furru, Procurement Director in AF Gruppen. 

The Omega system HMSREG was developed in cooperation with Oslo Municipality to prevent work-related crime and social dumping on construction projects. HMSREG is a tool for digital construction site control, where all information about the crew on the construction site is gathered in one system, digitally available and continuously updated.

HMSREG was originally developed for construction managers but was quickly picked up by some of Norway’s leading contractors.

«Oslo Municipality and Omega have performed a pioneer work with HMSREG. The system was originally developed from a construction manager perspective, but we as contractors quickly saw that this was a system that met several needs that we encountered in our work against social dumping and work-related crime,» says Security Manager in Skanska, Arild Berglund.

By utilizing new information from the The Brønnøysund Register Centre, HSE cards, and StartBANK (the construction sector’s own solution for qualification of suppliers), HMSREG can contribute to ensuring that the crew on a construction site has valid work conditions with approved suppliers. Photo: AF Gruppen.

HMSREG is today used as a standard system on all new construction projects for Skanska, Veidekke and AF Gruppen. This spring, the three leading companies combined forces through a task force and will together with Omega further adjust the system for use by contractors on construction projects.

«Through cooperating with AF Gruppen and Veidekke, we now take a unified approach to strengthening our work for a more serious construction sector. By cooperating on HMSREG, we want to contribute to making this a standard system for the sector,» says Berglund.

By utilizing new information from the The Brønnøysund Register Centre, HSE cards, and StartBANK (the construction sector’s own solution for qualification of suppliers), HMSREG can contribute to ensuring that the crew on a construction site has valid work conditions with approved suppliers.

«As others in the sector, we have utilized StartBANK, access control systems and other tools that have given us access to information about our suppliers and sub contractors. But with HMSREG we have access to all this information in one place and in real time. We get a better overview and the possibility to catch deviations we did not see before; for example that the HSE cards are valid, or if there are unfulfilled requirements tied to the suppliers/sub contractors. We have in other words, gotten a better overview of who works on the project and how they are doing. HMSREG has made it easier for us to run our work on strengthening the trust and work conditions in the sector,» says Berglund.

By gathering all information from different sources in one system, and making it digitally available, HMSREG is a resource-saving tool, says Procurement Manager in Veidekke, Joakim Samuelsen.

«In the registration process of the crew HMSREG contributes to saving time that we otherwise would have used on manual registration. Now our own employees and external resources can preregister in HMSREG, and therefore both our sub contractors and us save time on paperwork ahead of arrival to the construction site. In addition, the information about employees can be reused on other projects to ensure we save time over the long run,» explains Samuelsen.

Veidekke first tested HMSREG as contractor for Oslo Municipality in 2016, and now see many benefits in combining forces with other leading contractors to pave the way for a tool that will strengthen their work for a more secure construction sector.

«It is a big reward to see the sector gathering around a common denominator such as this. HSE and building a trustworthy sector is something that we need to lift up and forward together. We cannot do this on our own. By pulling together with other contractors and construction managers, we believe that also the sub contractors and suppliers see this as a positive action,» says Samuelsen.

Daily the system has more than 1800 users, and everything points to the user mass increasing in the time to come: HMSREG has captured the interest of many contractors in the sector, says Business Developer in Omega, Arne Myskja.

«We have recently received many requests, and we can clearly see that when the tree leading contractors in Norway choose to utilize HMSREG, this triggers an interest with many other construction companies to strengthen the work for a more trustworthy construction sector and digitize construction sites,» says Myskja.