Blockchain-based Digital ID Management for Construction Workers
Sector: Tertiary sector · Industry: Rail transport · Organisation: Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB) · Maturity level: Pilot
SBB has developed a proof-of-concept for blockchain-based digital ID management to digitize the cumbersome and error-prone manual verification of qualifications and certificates of construction workers on construction sites. The system uses Ethereum blockchain and uPort technology to manage digital identities and control access to construction sites via QR code scanning. The successful PoC demonstrates how blockchain-based solutions can replace paper-based processes in construction site management.
Documentation status
- Project status: Pilot
- Evidence: Evidence high
- Editorial review: Ufuk Avci, 15 April 2026
Description
SBB operates thousands of construction sites with over 30,000 employees across Switzerland. On each site, workers from various subcontractors are active, all of whom must be medically fit and certified for their tasks — for example, welding. The problem: multiple companies, multiple certification bodies, thousands of construction sites. SBB developed a blockchain pilot with Linum Labs and uPort (ConsenSys), where workers, certification bodies, and supervisors receive unique digital identities on the Ethereum blockchain. Check-in and check-out are done via QR code scan using the uPort app.
In 2018, SBB completed a blockchain pilot project for qualification management on construction sites together with Linum Labs — a Swiss blockchain specialist — and the uPort identity solution (ConsenSys). SBB operates thousands of construction sites with over 30,000 employees; many are subcontractors from various companies. Swiss law prescribes who is allowed to work on tracks and with which certificates — railway accidents are often due to errors. The pilot ran from May to November 2018 on the Ethereum test network Rinkeby — as a proof of concept alongside regular paper documentation. This is how the system works: Workers download the uPort app and register their identity on the blockchain. Certification bodies issue digital certificates stored in the worker’s app. On site, the supervisor scans the worker’s QR code, checks certificates, and confirms check-in. A hash of the check-in/check-out activities is stored on the blockchain and is auditable. Personal data remains off-chain on the worker’s smartphone — GDPR compliant. A small team developed the entire architecture in just five weeks. Whether the project will continue was, according to an SBB spokesperson, still undecided after the pilot’s conclusion.
Perspectives
B2B — organisations perspective
Subcontractors on SBB construction sites can equip their employees with self-managed digital identities, which the supervisor on site verifies via QR code scan. Since the identity belongs to the worker themselves (Self-Sovereign Identity), they can carry it unchanged from company to company.
Employees perspective
Workers register once in the uPort app and receive their certificates digitally — without needing to carry or show paper documents. Check-in and check-out on site take seconds via QR code scan.
Benefits
General
- Digitalisation eliminates time-consuming manual verification processes and reduces the risk of errors or forged documents.
- The blockchain-based solution increases transparency and traceability of qualification checks.
- The system enables more efficient site management through automated access controls.
B2B — organisations
- Companies can significantly reduce their administrative costs by automating qualification checks.
Employees
- Construction workers experience faster and simpler check-in processes without long waiting times.
Challenges
General
- Implementation requires comprehensive training of employees in handling the new digital technology.
- Data protection compliance, especially the right to be forgotten under GDPR, presents technical challenges.
B2B — organisations
- Companies must invest in new IT infrastructure and mobile devices for all construction sites.
Employees
- Employees must adapt to new digital workflows and require appropriate technical support.
Technology foundation
The system is based on the Ethereum blockchain in conjunction with uPort, an open-source technology from the ConsenSys portfolio for managing digital identities. Personal data is not stored directly on the blockchain; only hashes of check-in/check-out activities are published, while sensitive information remains off-chain on the workers’ smartphones.
Implementation examples
SBB Blockchain ID Management Pilot
The SBB wanted to digitise the complex and error-prone manual processes for verifying worker qualifications on construction sites. The aim was to increase administrative efficiency while simultaneously enhancing safety through reliable qualification checks.
The SBB tested blockchain-based digital identities to simplify the qualification verification of construction workers on sites.
The Swiss Federal Railways conducted a six-month proof-of-concept for blockchain-based digital ID management from May to November 2018. The project used the Ethereum testnet blockchain and uPort technology to manage digital identities of construction workers. Linum Labs developed a mobile app that enabled certificate verification via QR code scanning. The system stored personal data off-chain on smartphones and only published hash values of check-in/check-out activities on the blockchain.
The project addressed the time-consuming manual verification of certificates and qualifications, which often took hours or days. Additionally, it solved issues with forged or outdated documents as well as the complex management of construction site access.
Tags
Digital Identity, Access Control, Qualification Management, Construction Site Safety, Blockchain