Designing Hazards Out: Owner Safety Playbook with Nicole Ivers

OnSite Insights sits down withNicole Ivers, Global Head of Safety, Health & Environment at Brookfield Properties Logistics, to unpack what actually reduces serious injuries on construction projects. Hint: it isn’t more rules, it’s changing the work so exposure never happens in the first place.

TL;DR (shareable takeaways)

• Compliance is table stakes. Owners can set a higher bar and pull contractors with them.
  

• Design hazards out. Thinkparapets ≥39",ground-level assembly, andstair towers instead of ladders.
  

• Use tech that reduces exposure. Drones replace risky inspections; laser scanning cuts rework.
  

• Run a no-blame culture. Swap “near miss” for“good catch.” Leaders show up in the field.
  

• Measure what matters. Focus onSerious Safety Incidents (SSI) andPotential SSI, plus leadership actions.
  

• ESG is landing on EHS. Safety leaders will increasingly own carbon-smart materials and lifecycle decisions.
  
  

1) The Owner Advantage: Standards That Travel

Nicole’s core message is simple:owners set the safety ceiling. Brookfield uses internalphysical health & safety standards that apply across markets. Overseas, third-party frameworks likeISO 45001 are more common; in the U.S., certification is less prevalent, but thebest practices should be the same. As an owner, Brookfield candemand the level of safety performance it expects, then coach contractors to meet it.

“Compliance is the minimum. We design for safety.”

2) Human & Operational Performance: Change the Work

Instead of telling crews to “be careful,” Brookfield changes the job so therisky step disappears.

• Parapets ≥39" so you’re never relying on temporary edge protection.
  

• Assemble at ground level to minimize time at height.
  

• Engineer substitutions that permanently remove exposure.
  

This is human & operational performance in practice: accept that people make errors anddesign systems that make the safe way the easy way.

3) Tech That Actually Reduces Exposure

Nicole draws a bright line: “safety tech” is usefulwhen it lowers exposure or rework.

• Laser scanning ensures first-time quality. Less rework = fewer risky do-overs.
  

• Drones let teams inspect façades, roofs, and tight spaceswithout lifts or climbing.
  

“Safety and quality go hand in hand.”

Where CamDo fits: Both DataLens (plug-and-play 4K camera with built-in cellular) and GoPro/Sony-based SolarUp systems feed site imagery intoCloudX. Teams getautomated uploads, latest-image access, and AI-powered documentation to plan methods, track progress, and validate the safer way, without adding site visits.

4) Culture Without Blame

When incidents happen, the question isn’t “who’s at fault?” It’s “why did that make sense at the time?” Brookfield emphasizeslearning reviews, leadership presence in the field, and language that encourages reporting.

• Replace“near miss” with“good catch.”
  

• Leaders attendall-hands safety meetings andjob walks to model expectations.
  
  

“Take blame out of safety, learn instead.”

5) Metrics That Matter

Stop optimizing for paper cuts. Brookfield focuses on eliminating Serious Safety Incidents (SSI), fatal and life-altering events, and investigating Potential SSI to prevent repeats. They alsotrack leadership actions (Are executives showing up in the field? Are they talking about risk?) because behavior at the top drives behavior on site.

6) Case Snapshot: Ladders → Stair Towers

On a past project, the main access ladders exposed many people to falls. After a ladder fall (and the cost that came with it), the team replaced ladders withstair towers. Result: no more ladder falls at the access points, and the substitution costsless than the incident.

Lesson: The cheapest safety investment is often theone that eliminates the task you keep managing with rules.

7) ESG Meets EHS

Nicole’s prediction: ESG will increasingly sit with safety. Fromlower-carbon materials to LEED strategies and LED lighting that reduces lifecycle maintenance risks, EHS leaders will shape choices that aresafer and more sustainable across the asset’s life.

8) Industrial Hygiene 101 (The “Inside” Hazards)

If traditional safety manages what hurts you from theoutside,industrial hygiene manages what harms you from theinside, airborne particles, skin exposures, vibration, and especiallysilica dust. These risks don’t make headlines like falls, but they drivelong-term harm and require equal attention.

How to Apply Nicole’s Playbook This Quarter

1. Write the owner standard. Publish a one-pager that sets expectations beyond compliance for every project.
   

2. Run a design review for exposure. Identify where you canassemble at ground,raise parapets, orswap ladders for stairs.
   

3. Replace a risky inspection with a drone flight. Document the method and expected exposure reduction.
   

4. Language reset. Adopt “good catch” in every meeting; run one no-blame learning review and share the outcome.
   

5. Change what you measure. AddSSI andPotential SSI to monthly dashboards; logleadership field actions.
   

6. Visual evidence, automatically. Turn on site imagery with CloudX so teams cansee progress,validate safer methods, andreduce unnecessary site visits.
   
   

For Different Stakeholders

Safety Managers: Standardize ano-blame incident review, then prove impact with Potential SSI reductions.
Project Managers: Use imagery + scanning tokill rework cycles; track schedule gains from ground-level assembly.
Tech Leaders: Integratedrones + CloudX so photos/videos auto-upload and tag to locations, not inboxes.
Finance Leaders: Fund the first substitution (e.g., stair towers). Compare cost vs. prior incident severity and insurance implications.

Watch, Share, Implement

Nicole’s message is refreshingly practical: change the work, not just the paperwork. Start with one engineered substitution and one language change this month. Then scale the wins.

About the Tools Mentioned

• DataLens— Affordable, plug-and-play4K time-lapse & jobsite camera withbuilt-in cellular. Instant access to the latest site images andAI-powered insights inCloudX, no extra hardware needed.
  

• GoPro/Sony-Based SolarUp — Modular, high-resolution time-lapse for long deployments and creative requirements. Flexible hardware withUpBlink; solar-ready; also connects toCloudX for automated uploads and AI documentation.
  

Both solutions use CloudX for automated image uploads, progress tracking, andAI-powered documentation, so your safer methods are easy to plan, prove, and share.

Want a 10-minute walkthrough of CloudX with DataLens or SolarUp? Book a demo.

FAQ

Q1. Why should owners set safety standards?
Owners define the “ceiling.” By publishing expectations, they pull contractors up rather than just enforcing compliance.

Q2. How do tech tools like CloudX reduce risk?
Automated image uploads and AI insights help teams validate safer methods and reduce unnecessary site exposure.

Q3. Can CloudX replace site visits completely?
No, but it reduces the number. CloudX provides the latest site images and documentation, so visits can be more targeted.