IT technician Alex Wiggins, from Chandler's Ford, has received a special award for an initiative that is improving safety on construction sites.

Alex received the Safety Initiative and Innovation Award at the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (Southern) training awards in London.

While working as an IT technician with Southampton-based Dyer & Butler, Alex developed a close call reporting system using a standard QR code to provide the link to a secure reporting website via a mobile app, which can be easily reported via smartphone.

With more than 6,000 close calls submitted since it was launched, Dyer & Butler has achieved 2.8 million-man hours of work and gone 18 months without a RIDDOR(Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) accident.

Employees can now openly raise concerns and a number of accidents have been prevented.

David Allen, CECA (Southern) Executive Director, said: “Alex has made a fantastic start to his working life and I hope his success will encourage others of his generation to find out more about the wide range of professional and vocational careers on offer. We are working hard to welcome more men and women from diverse backgrounds and other industries into our profession – it’s an exciting and rewarding sector with lots of opportunities for progression.”

The CECA (Southern) Training Awards are presented annually to trainee civil engineers, apprentices and lifetime achievers in recognition of exceptional performance and dedication.

Alex received a trophy and cheque for £500 from Brian Crofton, Chairman of CECA (Southern), at the ceremony held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.