Skanska deploys worker-proximity tracing system at Los Angeles hospital project

Skanska USA is using an electronic tagging system to keep workers six feet apart at a $188m hospital project in Los Angeles, which has around 150 workers on site.

The Proximity Tracker system sold by Triax sees workers wearing tags that issue alerts if workers get too close.



The system also logs the amount of time people were closer than six feet apart, meaning it can be a retroactive contact-tracing system should a worker test positive for Covid-19.



Skanska won the contract to build a new, five-storey acute care hospital building at the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in June 2018. 



Construction had been scheduled to finish by the end of this year.



A press statement said the hospital project team is the first in LA to deploy this technology on an active jobsite.



It said: “As a result, rather than closing down an entire project or quarantining a large portion of workers due to a single positive Covid-19 case, the Proximity Tracker identifies a small subsect of the 150-person onsite team to potentially be affected.



“Therefore, the technology mitigates the potential Covid-19 health risks to workers as well as the potential schedule delays to the project.”