Transparency: This article is written by ABAX Field Operations, which itself supplies an HSE system for construction. We describe competitors as best we can based on publicly available information. The aim is to help you choose the right system — not necessarily ours.

A good HSE (health, safety and environment, HMS) system isn't the one that looks best in a demo. It's the one employees actually use — on the building site, in the van, in the rain. This guide helps you find it.

In short

  • There's no single HSE system that suits everyone. The choice depends on the size of the business, its industry segment, and how integrated the HSE work needs to be with the rest of operations.
  • SmartDok is the market leader with the broadest range of features. Svenn is the most user-friendly choice for small-business tradespeople. Duett suits businesses that want HSE and payroll in one system. Field Ops suits you if you want AI, automated dispatch and field service in one platform.
  • The most important criterion isn't features on paper — it's the barrier to use. A system nobody uses isn't an HSE system.

What must an HSE system for construction be able to do?

The Internal Control Regulations (internkontrollforskriften) set requirements for systematic HSE work — but they set no requirements on the software you use. The requirements are functional: you need routines for detecting deviations, risk assessments, documentation, and a way to follow up (Lovdata, 1996).

An HSE system for construction should as a minimum cover:

  • Deviation reporting (RUH) — simple enough to use from a mobile in the field, with no paper or rework
  • Risk assessment and SJA — Safe Job Analysis (Sikker Jobb-Analyse) for unfamiliar or especially hazardous operations
  • Checklists and forms — customisable, available on mobile
  • HSE handbook — the business's collected routines, easily accessible to everyone
  • Certification tracking — alerts before competence certificates and qualifications expire
  • Traceability — documentation that holds up to inspection

Everything else — payroll, invoicing, dispatch, project management — depends on what the rest of operations requires.

For more on what the law actually requires, see What is HSE, and why is it so important in construction?

SmartDok — the market leader

SmartDok is the most widely used HSE/QA system in Norwegian construction. The company is part of the Visma group and, according to SmartDok itself, is used by more than 4,000 businesses (SmartDok, 2025).

Strengths:

  • Broad feature set: RUH, SJA, checklists, document centre, time registration and machine tracking in one platform
  • MEF integration (SmartMEF) gives access to the Norwegian Federation of Machine Contractors' own HSE templates directly in the system
  • Used as a basis for ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification
  • Norwegian support via phone, chat and email

Weaknesses:

  • Module-based pricing requires contacting them for a quote — hard to estimate cost without going through a sales process
  • A broad platform can feel complex for businesses that only need HSE

Best suited for: Medium to large contractors that want HSE, QA, machinery and time in one system — and that have the resources for implementation and training.

Svenn — SMB-friendly all-in-one for trades

Svenn was founded in 2014 specifically for small businesses in construction and, according to the company itself, has more than 10,000 users across more than 1,000 business customers (Svenn, 2025).

Strengths:

  • HSE templates, HSE handbook and SHA plan prepared by Svenn's own HSE experts — included in the subscription
  • Integrates HSE with project documentation, timesheets and progress plans
  • Integration with Tripletex for payroll and accounting
  • Low implementation barrier — aimed explicitly at newly established and small businesses

Weaknesses:

  • Primarily the Norwegian market; limited functionality for businesses operating in multiple countries
  • Field service, dispatch and work order management aren't the core product

Best suited for: Plumbing, electrical and carpentry businesses with 1–30 employees that want HSE, project management and timesheets in one system at a low price.

Duett — HSE integrated with payroll and accounting

Duett is a Norwegian platform that combines deviation handling, checklists and HSE documentation with time registration, payroll and invoicing (Duett, 2025). What's distinctive about Duett is that the HSE data doesn't live in isolation: deviations, signed forms and checklists from the mobile flow automatically into payroll and invoicing in the same system.

That makes Duett the natural choice if you want to get rid of one more supplier connection — but that's also the downside. If you only need HSE, and you already have Tripletex or Visma, you're buying more than you need. And field service, dispatch and work order management aren't what Duett is built around.

Best suited for: Businesses that want HSE, payroll and invoicing from the same supplier — and that are open to consolidating their accounting with Duett rather than keeping their existing ERP.

Field Ops — AI-native field service platform with HSE

Field Ops is our platform, and we're open about what it is: not primarily an HSE system, but an AI-native field service platform where HSE is one of five modules alongside work order management, dispatch, time registration and invoicing.

For HSE specifically, Field Ops offers deviation reporting with photo and GPS from mobile, configurable checklists and forms, an AI-generated HSE handbook (TEK17-aware), certification tracking with automatic alerts, and lone-worker monitoring. It also includes a scan-to-digital feature: take a photo of a paper form, and it's converted to a responsive digital form — typically in under 30 seconds in normal use.

The differentiator the other systems don't have is the ABAX telemetry integration: real-time vehicle positions directly on the dispatch map, and multi-country HSE covering TEK17 (Norwegian), AFS requirements (Swedish) and CDM/RIDDOR (British) in the same platform.

The drawback is clear: if you're a small trades business that only needs HSE and timesheets, Field Ops is more than you need. And as a younger product than SmartDok and Svenn, we have a shorter reference list in Norwegian construction.

Best suited for: Field and service businesses with 5–200 employees that want HSE, dispatch and work orders in one platform — especially if ABAX integration and AI automation are relevant to operations.

How to choose

CriterionSmartDokSvennDuettField Ops
Primary target groupMedium–largeSmall businesses, tradesTrades + financeField service, service
HSE features★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Dispatch / work orders★★★★★★★★★★★
Payroll / accounting★★★★★★ (Tripletex)★★★★★★★★
AI functionality★★★★★★★★★★★
Recommended forLarge constructionSMB tradesCombined HSE + financeField service

Three questions that decide the choice:

  1. Are field service and dispatch the core of your operations? → Field Ops is built for it. The others are primarily HSE/finance systems.
  2. Are you a small trades business that wants to get going quickly? → Svenn has the lowest barrier and includes expert-prepared templates.
  3. Do you have large projects, a fleet of machinery and ISO ambitions? → SmartDok has the broadest feature set and the longest reference list.

Whichever you choose: test it with the employees who are going to use it. A system nobody logs into isn't an HSE system — it's a cost.

For an explanation of what an HSE system actually has to contain under the Internal Control Regulations, see HSE plan vs SHA plan: what's the difference?. If you want a closer look at deviation reporting specifically, see Deviation reporting (RUH) straight from your mobile.

Want to see Field Ops in practice? Start for free — no credit card, and you can try the HSE module on its own or as part of the whole platform. Or book a 20-minute demo.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pay for an HSE system?

No — you can set up HSE in Word and Excel and meet the legal requirements. But in practice, the barrier to use is what decides whether the system actually gets used. Free solutions and paper-based systems have a high barrier out in the field, and a high barrier means deviations that don't get reported. Most construction businesses are better off with a dedicated digital system.

Is SmartDok the best?

SmartDok is the market leader in Norwegian construction and is a strong choice for medium and large businesses. For smaller businesses, Svenn may have lower complexity and implementation cost. There's no single right answer — it depends on the size of the business, its processes and its level of ambition.

What does an HSE system cost?

None of the systems covered here publish a fixed price — all require you to get in touch for a quote tailored to the size of the business and the modules chosen. Field Ops has a free Starter plan (up to 10 work orders per month) and paid plans from NOK 790/month.

Can I use one system for HSE and another for everything else?

Yes, and many do. Integration is the key: check that the HSE system can export data to your payroll and ERP system, and that the deviation documentation can be shared with the SHA coordinator without manual copying.

Summary

There's no single best HSE system for everyone in construction. SmartDok is the broadest and most widely used. Svenn is the easiest to get started with for SMBs. Duett suits you if you want HSE and finance from the same supplier. Field Ops suits field service businesses that want AI, dispatch and HSE in one platform. The most important criterion isn't features — it's that the system actually gets used out on the job.

Sources