The Quin Pod, App and Tag from Quintessential Design won the Digital Innovation in Health, Safety and Wellbeing category at the Digital Construction Awards 2026 last night (18 March).
Sensor technology company Quintessential Design (Quin) is redefining construction safety in the UK by turning ordinary PPE into an active, data‑driven safety network. The system combines the Quin Pod, Quin Within App, and Quin Tag to capture, analyse and share incident data in real-time.
Despite PPE being mandatory on construction sites, the sector still suffers high injury rates. In 2023/24, 31% of non‑fatal injuries were slips, trips and falls, with head injuries remaining a serious concern. Traditional PPE stops at impact: it cannot log events, trigger rapid medical response, or satisfy RIDDOR reporting for near‑misses that often go unrecorded. This reactive model leaves patterns hidden and workers exposed to recurring hazards.
What the judges said
“A good example of a network of technology and software showing demonstrable beneficial impact on the reporting of incidents.”
Quin embeds motion and impact sensors in the Quin Pod, recording up to 6,600 samples per second to detect slips, trips, falls or collisions. When a significant event occurs, the pod alerts emergency contacts and transmits location, severity and condition data. The Quin Within App logs each event, provides analytics and highlights risk patterns for site‑wide safety improvements.
Essential medical information
The Quin Tag stores essential medical and contact information, readable via NFC even if the wearer is unconscious. The technology integrates with existing PPE brands without redesign, and its algorithms are trained on construction‑specific motion data to minimise false positives while preserving worker privacy.
Other finalists
- Below-ground services digital lifecycle process | Laing O’Rourke
- Beyond the gate: redefining digital safety | Hammertech/BW: Workplace Experts
- Competent workforce = safer sites | Persimmon Homes/Construction Skills Certification Scheme
- Digitising site operations at scale | Hill Group/innDex
- Predictive safe space management in a live airport environment | Wilson James/Heathrow Airport
- SafetyEngine | Ramboll
Pilot sites report alerts reaching supervisors within seconds, previously unreported near misses now logged, and real-time data shaping toolbox talks and risk assessments. Faster incident notification improves medical response and RIDDOR compliance, while aggregated, anonymised data guides PPE replacement schedules, safer site layouts and future industry standards.
The Digital Construction Awards are organised by Digital Construction Week, the Chartered Institute of Building, CM and Digital Construction Plus. Read about the rest of the winners.
To find out more about the Awards and enquire about sponsorship or entering next year’s event, visit digitalconstructionawards.co.uk.
