ScaaS will redefine construction in the next decade, says David Gilbertson, Chief Executive Officer at Wireless CCTV.
As construction projects become larger, more complex, and subject to complicated ESG and compliance standards, adhering to health and safety policies is essential to prevent operational disruptions. This responsibility can be a matter of life or death. Site managers are being stretched to breaking point due to expectations to protect employees, deter theft, and satisfy ESG auditors, usually multiple times a week. The questions become prevalent. What can we do to reduce this? How can we make sites safer?
In the UK alone, theft and vandalism on construction sites cost the economy £800 million a year. These costs are due to lost tools, which lead to project delays and higher insurance premiums. Additionally, only 10pc of PPE sourced from non-BSIF-registered suppliers meets safety standards. A Qflow report highlighted that over 9 tonnes of CO₂e are produced from transport alone per project. The inaction has become impossible to ignore and is no longer an option.
The security market is moving to service-based models. Retailers, logistics, and energy businesses all use ScaaS, and the construction industry risks being left behind. By still relying on traditional CCTV, other industries are adopting service-led systems. What the construction industry needs now is Security as a Service (ScaaS). Construction sites can become more efficient, cost-controlled, and collaborative by leveraging AI-integrated systems and platforms, such as Stellifii, which shows how ScaaS transforms construction safety from reactive to proactive. The time to act is now, and implementing ScaaS is the new standard for compliance and site security.
From products to services
Construction sites are temporary, fast-paced, and require attention at all times. Boundaries shift, and hazards change, and for site managers, this creates tension due to the need to monitor sites manually. Do site managers need to spend more time moving across sites, or do they need to monitor their staff more closely?
ScaaS provides site and project managers with flexibility. Safety becomes more cost-effective and efficient with the development of new monitoring tools, requiring no hardware or on-site installations. AI monitoring can reduce safety incidents by 20pc on construction sites, and Security as a Service is the first step toward making site security more sustainable and advantageous, applying the overall principles of Software as a Service (SaaS) – subscription-based, cloud-based, and scalable – to a physical construction site.
Traditional CCTV systems are reactive, capturing footage post-incident, requiring separate software and constant on-site monitoring. As opposed to Security as a Service, it is always accessible, connected, and updating itself. “ScaaS is a living service, one that can be switched on or scaled down as projects progress, making it the most reliable partner from start to finish”, comments David Gilbertson, CEO of WCCTV. For the construction industry, this is a crucial shift.
Site managers can lead from a position of oversight with ScaaS, as they can prioritise decision-making, risk assessment, and safety all from the one platform, rather than visiting each site and manually checking. Efficiency isn’t the only benefit, as ScaaS can lead to less stress, confidence for workers, and a safer environment.
For project managers
The construction industry is one of the few industries that are still investing in obsolete equipment. Spending money on standard cameras and physical monitoring is no longer useful once a project comes to an end. Cloud-based systems can be deployed instantly, scaled across sites, and relocated as projects evolve. Shifting from unnecessarily expensive purchases to subscription models brings safety into the same financial models used for IT and logistics. For project managers, they no longer have to justify infrastructure on site, and as ScaaS is cloud-based, it’s flexible to scale up and down as needed.
Using ScaaS, project managers can ensure conditions are being met remotely, and they are no longer required to make visits to each site to check the conditions, since everything is available to them through a secure cloud dashboard. This allows them to focus on higher-priority tasks instead of travelling to locations and checking conditions. Moreover, as a result of the industry’s growing need for proactive, AI-driven solutions accompanied by robust security measures, the shift from using products alone to adopting services like ScaaS reflects the industry’s shift away from relying solely on products. The objective of this approach is not only to enhance security but also to streamline operations, reduce the risk of human error, and ensure compliance with safety standards that are constantly evolving.
Site theft is costing the UK £800 million annually, and Security as a Service can be the saviour. “With real-time AI intruder detection, proactive monitoring, and mobile alerts, Stellifii can provide a stronger deterrence than just traditional on-site CCTV, and a faster incident response”, explains Gilbertson. “Always-on, self-updating systems reduce downtime and provide managers with the confidence that security won’t lag behind risks.”
Beyond surveillance
The power of ScaaS lies beyond surveillance, delivering actionable intelligence that improves safety and compliance. ScaaS systems can integrate multiple streams into one system and dashboard for easier viewing.
With these advanced systems, construction sites have never been more on point. Compliance isn’t the only priority. Dust affects employees’ health, noise affects the surrounding communities, and weather puts employees and equipment at risk. Artificial intelligence transforms safety into a social responsibility. The British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) reported that over 500 construction workers per year die due to dust on-site. Air quality monitoring helps to stay on top of safety, compliance, and reduces any complaints in real-time by providing visibility for dust, particles, and CO2 emissions.
Between noise and weather issues, these are the biggest culprits of a delayed project. AI-integrated systems make it possible to track sound levels, keeping in line with Section 61 requirements and alert site managers when limits are close to being breached, helping them respond before escalation with complaints and authorities. Live weather monitoring can help teams to plan with confidence, in turn, amplifying safety and productivity. Real-time data on wind speed, temperature, and rainfall can result in making smarter decisions on site, reducing risks, and keeping projects on track. All weather and noise data is visible through the same dashboard used for CCTV and other sensors, so you can monitor conditions alongside other key risks.
AI-driven compliance frees site managers from manual spot checks, giving them back time to prioritise higher-value tasks. Auto-detecting hard hats, boots, and high-vis can help safety and maintenance compliance without site and project managers having to carry out manual checks. Intruder detection can cut unnecessary call-outs as audio-deterrence is available in real-time, and improve the deterrence of theft.
Platforms, like Stellifii, offer automated reporting on an all-in-one dashboard, creating auditable, shareable records for stakeholders in an efficient and easy-to-navigate platform. All videos, alerts, and reporting are immediately uploaded to the cloud, saving time between site and project managers and stakeholders.
Future standard
What is next for the construction industry? If it is consistently evolving, how can managers keep up? Digital maturity and compliance standards are changing, and integrated AI systems are the new standard. “The next decade looks promising for the safety of construction sites, and there is no better time to begin implementing ScaaS systems, or sites run the risk of falling behind as technology advances”, comments Gilbertson. Safety monitoring, compliance reporting, and theft deterrence within the one service will become the default for site security, ensuring efficiency across the business.
Not only is theft deterrence a priority, but noise, dust, and weather monitoring will become the new expectation. AI continues to evolve, and with predictive analysis, more opportunities for further ensuring compliance arise. Platforms like Stellifii are the start of the future through its cloud-native, AI-driven, modular platform.
Traditional CCTV can’t keep up with construction sites and their problems. ScaaS is smarter, scalable, and delivers compliance, meeting safety regulations and deterring theft. Construction sites need to reevaluate the way they carry out reports and ensure safety across sites, as the task is becoming time-consuming, leading to project delays due to manual checking and more inconveniences.
Those who embrace intelligent, service-based safety now will set the standard; those who delay will face higher risks, stricter penalties, and falling behind in digital maturity.
