BMD is Australia’s leading integrated engineering, construction, and urban development business. As the largest privately owned civil contractor in Australia, BMD has contributed to the development of necessary new and upgraded infrastructure for communities across the country. 

While projects vary drastically in size and challenges, every new project is approached with the same safety-first mentality: all incidents are preventable. 

With a HSEQ-focused culture, BMD is committed to providing its people with the skills and technology needed to identify hazards in the workplace. In 2021, the team added Blindsight by Presien to its safety arsenal to support crews. Blindsight detects, alerts, and informs on site teams of high-risk people-plant interactions.

Getting in early on AI vision 

With a laser focus on achieving HSEQ excellence, BMD became the first adopter of Blindsight in Queensland, Australia. The company’s foray into AI vision began with four Blindsight systems installed on machines as part of the Deception Bay Road Upgrade for the Department of Transport and Main Roads. This pilot program allowed the crew and HQ to get familiar with the technology that alerts vehicle operators and crew to objects in blind spots. 

As part of the initial rollout, Presien’s team of AI engineers worked closely with BMD to optimise the solution and AI. While Presien's AI vision models recognise people, machinery, vehicles, and objects with accuracy, each site has unique elements that need tailored solutions. For Executive General Manager of BMD Constructions, Jeff Gallus at BMD, customising the technology to meet specific site requirements was essential.

“Presien’s engineers worked closely with us to understand how we operate. It’s incredibly reassuring for our teams to know that the AI vision supporting their work is customised to our sites. It certainly builds confidence.”

While the technology is optimised in line with customer needs, Blindsight is built on 100,000 hours of development on real sites ensuring real-world AI performance. 

Going on all in on AI vision 

Following a successful pilot of Blindsight in Queensland, BMD committed to deploying 50 Blindsight systems across its operations—the largest adoption of AI safety technology in Australia at the time.

"Seeing Blindsight in action convinced us it was an essential safety measure we needed for our teams. The added bonus was how it improved visibility for our leaders, giving them an even better grasp of site conditions and risk management."

The 50 additional units were rolled out on various machine types including graders, water trucks, rubber tyred excavators and posi track loaders, and spread across projects over the country including Western Sydney Airport, Centenary Bridge Upgrade, Rockhampton Ring Road, Fitzsimons Lane Upgrade, Western Treatment Plant, Darwin Ship Lift and Fitzroy to Gladstone Pipeline.

Major adoption, major impact 

As BMD’s use of Blindsight grew, the team developed a clearer understanding of site conditions and risks, enabling them to drive real-time improvements quickly and effectively.

“Detections are available in the cloud 24/7, so we can understand why certain onsite behaviours are happening within minutes and tweak our safety programs to tackle any issues. No safety program should ever be stagnant. The regular data from Blindsight allows us to continuously adjust our processes for the better.” 

With the addition of Blindsight to its safety practices, BMD has built out additional baseline safety metrics across its machines, sites, and projects. This allows the team to compare risk and safety across different equipment types, sites, operating times, and subcontractors. 

Today, Blindsight is an essential tool for BMD's onsite crew, HSEQ team, and leadership. It provides real-time operator alerts, data for daily reporting, and safety benchmarks, enabling BMD to continuously assess and monitor worksites. This proactive approach allows for immediate action based on emerging trends and data insights.

Thanks to AI vision, BMD always has an eye on improvement.

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