Choosing the Right Safety Management System: Hubble or Novade?

Construction safety management has come a long way — and so have the tools that support it. From digital inspections to real-time alerts, today’s platforms are expected to do more than record data. They need to fit how your site actually runs.

If you’re comparing options, Hubble and Novade are two of the most widely adopted safety systems in Singapore. Both offer strong capabilities  — but the way they support site teams, enforce protocols, and integrate with the rest of your operations differs in key ways.

Here’s what you need to know when choosing the right fit.

Core Capabilities: What Both Platforms Offer

Both Hubble and Novade support:

• Digital permit-to-work (PTW) systems
• Toolbox meetings and safety briefings
• Mobile safety inspections and audits
• Incident and near-miss reporting
• Safety dashboards and analytics
• Workflow automation and form customisation
• Offline access via mobile apps
   

In short: both platforms help you move safety processes off paper and into the field — with improved visibility, accountability, and audit readiness.

Key Differences: Where Hubble and Novade Take Different Approaches

While both platforms support digitisation, they take different approaches to how safety is managed across your project.

1. Integration and System Design

Novade is modular. You can deploy safety tools independently or alongside other systems through third-party integrations. It’s often chosen for its flexibility, especially when digitising specific workflows quickly.

Hubble, in contrast, is part of an integrated platform. Safety connects directly with workforce, document control, access control, PTW, and more — all linked by default. This means a safety breach can automatically pause a permit, notify the relevant zone lead or subcontractor, and update worker’s access status — without middleware or manual syncing.

→ If your safety team is working closely with operations, workforce, and project controls, an integrated approach may offer long-term efficiency.

2. Permit-to-Work Enforcement

Novade offers one of the most configurable PTW setups available. You can build workflows by type of work with different risk assessments, validate personnel or equipment, detect permit conflicts, and monitor real-time PTW status with dashboards. 

While also configurable, Hubble focuses on automated enforcement as well. Permits are auto-flagged if a worker lacks valid certifications or has missed the required toolbox meeting — all linked through biometric check-ins and workforce records. Safety breaches can trigger permit suspension (via Stop Work Instructions) or access revocation instantly.

→ If strict PTW control and real-time verification are critical to your site, this level of enforcement can help reduce manual gatekeeping and human error.

3. Incident Management and Follow-Up

Both platforms allow site teams to log incidents and assign follow-ups.

In the case of Novade, field teams can log incidents quickly with photos, assign corrective actions, and generate reports. Custom workflows allow teams to match internal SOPs, and dashboards show resolution progress and trends.

Hubble goes further with auto-assignment based on breach severity, zone, and role. Incidents can escalate into suspended or revoked PTWs, are linked to subcontractor profiles, and feed into a “Lessons Learnt” module to track recurrence and root causes.

→ Both help ensure issues are closed. Hubble helps strengthen feedback loops for continuous safety improvement and accountability.

4. Real-Time Awareness and Timely Intervention

Novade focuses on safety trends from submitted data — useful for identifying trends over time and areas for improving training and SOPs.

Hubble, on the other hand, adds a second layer of active, tech-driven monitoring, prompting action when situations change or unexpected conditions develop:

• AURA tracks worker, equipment, and material locations using BLE/GPS tags — cross-referenced with approved PTWs and dynamic active boundaries — so the right person should be doing the right work in the right place
• AI Video Analytics detects live breaches (e.g., missing PPE, zone intrusion, workers under lifted loads), triggering not just report creation but also corrective actions with permit impact directly.
   

→ If your site involves multiple risk zones or high-activity areas, this kind of alerting supports faster action and stronger control.

So, Which Should You Choose?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer — it depends on your operational goals.

Both Hubble and Novade are trusted platforms used by contractors across Southeast Asia. This isn’t about which is better — it’s about which fits your site’s needs today, and scales with your processes tomorrow.

If your team is looking to standardise field processes or starting your digital journey, Novade may be a good starting point.

But if you’re ready to take a more integrated, real-time approach to safety enforcement — that works across workforce, risk zones, and compliance-critical environments — Hubble is purpose-built to support you.

Interested in seeing how Hubble Safety works on active sites? Check out our Hubble Safety Management System or book a personalised walkthrough today.