Processing Your Payment

Please do not leave this page until complete. This can take a few moments.

May 14, 2020

Shawmut Design and Construction rolls out COVID-19 tracing platform for employees

PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED
By Sean Teehan

Shawmut Design and Construction, a Boston-based construction firm with an operation in North Haven, created a technology platform meant to track possible transmission of the COVID-19 virus among employees and contractors.

The Shawmut Vitals platform, which includes an app and a database, was developed over the course of two weeks, and put in use May 4, Shawmut CEO Les Hiscoe said in an email.

"It provides safety solutions during a global pandemic, addressing the critical need to collect sensitive, real-time health data that drives actionable steps to minimize and reduce infectious disease spread," Hiscoe said.

The platform allows employees and contractors to fill out a health survey each day to self report whether they are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, according to Shawmut. Those who report experiencing symptoms, or being exposed to an infected person are flagged to Shawmut management who can decide whether that worker can enter a worksite.

More than 700 of Shawmut's 1,360 employees used the platform on Tuesday and Wednesday, Hiscoe said. The company currently has about 80 active projects, down from 149 nationwide before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closing of dozens of worksites, Hiscoe said. 

"On average, many of these projects will be shut down for two months," Hiscoe said. "This will have an impact on our annual revenue, but not the health of our company, we are strongly managing cash and expenditures through this time."

Shawmut did $1.5 billion in revenue last year, Hiscoe said.

The pandemic has hit Connecticut's construction sector unevenly, with some companies affected more negatively than others.

According to the Associated General Contractors of America, Connecticut actually added 700 construction jobs between February and March, a 1% increase in employment — fourth highest in the U.S.

Companies working on large civil engineering projects like bridges and roads have been unaffected — or are increasing work since so few people are driving on roads — and firms working for private clients have seen delays, but not many project cancelations, said Don Shubert, president of the Connecticut Construction Industries Association.

Sign up for Enews

Most Recent

Most Recent

0 Comments

Order a PDF