Creating reports that resolve disputes
Tom McCollum has over 30 years of experience in construction safety and risk management. As Dickinson Cameron’s Director of Corporate Safety, a major part of his role is to identify potential risks and prevent hazards.
While the company has an exceptionally low incident rate, the occasional dispute is unavoidable in the construction industry. Thankfully, Tom and Dickinson Cameron have Raken on their side.
“In an investigation you need to determine the cause of a dispute and identify who’s responsible. Raken reports show us all that detail,” Tom says.
We have prevailed in almost every one of the disputes we've had because of Raken.
The level of detail Dickinson Cameron can include in reports and surveys helps them definitively prove what the jobsite looked like at any given time. Tom explains, “We need to be able to demonstrate what happened on a specific date. With Raken, that information is easy to extract.”
Miami Design District | Dickinson Cameron Construction has partnered with Louis Vuitton on 23 retail construction projects since 2006.
He isn't the only one impressed with the documentation Dickinson Cameron creates using Raken. In his experience, most attorneys assume their clients don’t have the kind of reporting process that makes resolving disputes easy. He says, “Ours have been surprised we’ve actually had that information."
While Tom works hard to proactively mitigate risks, when litigation does happen, our reports are there for support.
Raken helps us give the real story of what happened on the jobsite when we need to defend the hard work we do.
Incorporating visual proof with photos
The Dickinson Cameron crew logs into Raken for reporting on a daily basis. “All of our field projects use Raken every day to tell the story of what happened on the job,” Tom says. They also frequently complete surveys to make sure their work meets safety standards.
Beverly Hills | Logging nearly 30 builds for Chanel and Dickinson Cameron, this Rodeo Drive location was a landmark project and the brand's largest store in the US.
For Tom, one of the best things about handling reports and surveys in Raken is the ability to easily add notes and attach jobsite photos. “Raken gives you the opportunity to add notes and imagery to prove what you did,” he says.
When I see a Raken report on a project, I can look at the details and determine if there is a hazard that hasn’t been addressed clearly.
Not only do notes and photos provide better visibility—helping Tom identify and mitigate safety risks—these features also allow the field crew to get credit for what they did right. They can use photo evidence to show that they’re following safety and quality guidelines to the letter.
Tom has even used Raken’s photo capabilities to successfully appeal an OSHA citation by attaching photos of fire extinguishers as they were being inspected. He also has superintendents snap photos of safety meetings to verify their crew’s attendance.
“We have a safety meeting every week,” he says. “I have my superintendent take a selfie of the meeting, and that goes into the Raken report along with the sign-in sheet.”
Tom calls Raken’s photo capabilities “extra insurance” for Dickinson Cameron. The visual data proves they’re meeting all their requirements, not just checking the boxes.
Eliminating binders for easy-to-use tools
Tom remembers the days of paper reports stuffed into binders—and sometimes even unlabeled boxes—on previous jobsites. But because Dickinson Cameron embraces modern technology, they’re much more organized. They can use Raken to quickly locate previous reports and surveys with a user-friendly search function.
"We use the best tools we can for record-keeping,” explains Tom, who commends Raken for its focus and flexibility. Because Raken is so streamlined and intuitive he says, “Raken is more adaptable, and does what it says it does the best.”
When asked how the field has adjusted to using Raken, Tom says that with the encouragement of leadership, “They love it. They’re very excited.” He attributes Raken’s success with the field to its simplicity and effectiveness.
If I have a platform that’s easy to use, that they feel is meaningful, they’ll use it.
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