HSC Pipeline Engineering utilises Hubble to Enhance Infrastructural Pipeline Safety

About HSC Pipeline Engineering

HSC Pipeline Engineering Pte Ltd was founded in 1993, and now has over 28 years of experience in Singapore. They specialise in infrastructural pipeline construction and related engineering services: mainly for gas, water, telecommunications, and power industries. They are also capable of laying pipelines of different steering, pipe diameters, or other requirements for different industries. As HSC Pipeline Engineering grew over the years, they took on more and more challenging projects, including infrastructural projects, and are now one of the best gas transmission pipeline contractors in Singapore.

HSC's Challenges

As the company grows, so do its challenges. Working in the construction industry means that safety will always be of major concern, and as the number of projects increases, so does the amount of Permit-to-Work applications to handle. With the growing concerns, HSC Pipeline Engineering went out to search for a solution that could help them solve these problems.

Inefficiency from Unsynchronised PTW Processes and Paperwork

HSC Pipeline Engineering sought to close certain gaps in their Permit-to-Work management, eliminate hassles from paperwork, and to streamline their work processes. The typical construction work process, namely the ‘hardcopy’ Permit-to-Work system, had site supervisors making their applications every day. They needed to queue up at safety offices for permits to be verified and assessed. Afterward, they had to bring it to the worksite to hand it over to the Project Managers, where they would then have to assess and approve these permits. This process took up a lot of time, especially for HSC, as they had to handle multiple projects all over Singapore at the same time.

“We wanted to see if we were able to close these gaps while ensuring that we were in compliance with the safety requirements. We also needed to ensure that we had the day-to-day overview of all PTW applications – the overview of the situation on the ground.”

- Mohammad Ikbar, WSH Manager

Hubble Solutions for Paperless and Streamlined PTW

HSC has opted for Hubble Safety Management System as a solution to help them with bridging these gaps. The system helps HSC cut down on the time and effort needed to manually submit their PTWs daily and provides them with an overview and insight of all their PTWs.

Hubble’s electronic PTW (e-PTW) system allows HSC to:

• Create, approve, reject, close, and revoke PTW on mobile devices
• Ensure accuracy of the records using GPS tracking of PTW locations
• Attach photographs and e-signature for accountability
• Get real-time tracking and notifications of every PTW
• Create & manage PTW any time, anywhere – even when Internet connection is not available

One of the first Pipeline Contractors to Fully Adopt Digital PTW

In 2019, HSC first started implementing the Hubble Safety Management System at their worksites. The Company was one of Singapore’s first infrastructural pipeline contractors to fully adopt a digital PTW system for their projects. Hubble has been with HSC on this digital transformation journey from the very beginning. Together, we fine-tuned the system to ensure that every pain point was addressed. We took in their comments, feedback, and requests, to ultimately provide a well fleshed out system that could support them for years to come. This solution was seen to be a positive change amongst everyone who was involved in these PTW applications, and this has led to extended usage throughout the company and within their projects.

“Hubble’s application, technology, and process flow were very well thought out. They conducted research into the current state of the construction industry and how our work processes should be. Whenever we had concerns about certain things, they were able to react quickly and work together with us to come up with a system that addressed our pain points.”

- Mr. Shane Shi, Managing Director

Key Results

• 50% Improvement in Safety Processes
• 3hr saved/day per Project Manager
• $100k+ saved/yr from operational processes

Tremendous increase in productivity and efficiency

As HSC progressed in their digital transformation, they realised that Hubble’s solutions helped to play a big role in making their processes more efficient as they reap the benefits of the adoption of technology. Mr. Shane Shi, MD, had observed an increase in productivity and accountability. The project managers can now focus on the real problems – of whether it's an authority, site, or engineering related. They are able to spend the additional 2–3 hours per day on higher-value work, instead of commuting from sites to sites. In addition to raising their workforce’s productivity and time saved, the Hubble System also managed to save HSC on ‘unseen costs’, such as commuting time, fuel, and transportation fees, which, in turn, promoted a healthier work environment.

The system helped HSC cut down on the time and effort needed to manually submit their PTWs daily, which led to an overall increase in efficiency. Mr. Ikbar, WSH Manager, mentioned that with Hubble’s e-PTW, everything is hassle-free. Permits are automatically archived and he is able to retrieve these documents anytime, anywhere. With a reported 36 hours/week improvement in operational processes related to safety management (previously at 72 hours/week) and estimated savings of up to S$119,625 on e-PTW processes in the past year, HSC Pipeline Engineering has seen an improvement in their overall work processes and a maintained high-performance safety culture.

“With Hubble’s digital PTW – there is the ease of just signing-off permits. The involved approving managers are automatically notified to endorse the PTWs, which helps us to save a lot of time on the process.”

- Mohammad Ikbar, WSH Manager

Digital Transformation in a Growing Company Overcoming Challenges with Digital Solutions

The transition towards digitisation was a challenging journey. HSC Pipeline Engineering had its own set of challenges with getting their teams to shift into a digital environment. Mr. Ikbar mentioned that people were skeptical initially, saying things like: ‘oh this is difficult, I do not know how this system works, why can’t we just go to the paper system?’. As such, HSC’s digitisation steering committee proceeded to guide and show them that it is faster and more efficient to manage their PTW digitally. “You don’t have to think about your documents getting wet or misplaced, because all you need now, is your handphone or tablet, and it is always with you.” added the WSH Manager. With digitisation taking its place in HSC, efficiency goes on the uptrend. With the adoption of technology, they continue working towards becoming a construction company with foresight.

The construction industry moves slowly towards digitisation, but with technology rapidly progressing across the landscape, the adoption of digital solutions rises to the forefront, now more than ever before. Mr. Shane Shi, MD, shared that the adoption of technology has helped HSC Pipeline Engineering to significantly improve their productivity, quality, and efficiency in their work processes – which would bring their business to the next level.

“Technology can save us a lot of money, and that is what matters to companies. We were able to improve our quality and efficiency, and this helped us to push our business forward. We are now able to better engage our employees in higher-value work – digitisation provides a win-win situation for both the employer and employees. This will allow us to bring our companies to the next level.”

- Mr. Shane Shi, Managing Director

Manage and monitor your worksites’ safety in real time on the most advanced safety management system ever developed for the construction industry! Schedule a demo with us today.