Yang, R J; Gunarathna, C L; McDermott, V; Lingard, H; Zhao, H and Liu, C (2020) Opportunities for improving construction health and safety using real-time H&S management innovations: A socio-technical-economic perspective. International Journal of Construction Management, 20(5), pp. 534-554. ISSN 1562-3599
Abstract
The potential health and safety (H&S) benefits of advanced technologies are not currently being optimized in the construction industry. This research aims to identify the technical, economic and social issues and their respective solutions of real-time H&S management technologies during their implementation and operation. A comprehensive literature review is conducted to analyse the technical, economic and social aspects of a number of example real-time H&S management technologies. Using the information gathered from the literature review, Social Construction of Technology approach is used to theoretically analyse each real-time H&S management technology by considering four aspects: technology, social groups who utilize or interpret the technology, problems encountered by each social group and solutions or mechanisms to solve those problems. The study shows that the most common technical issues are occlusions, background disturbances, disturbed line-of-sight and low battery power. Most of these systems have high implementation cost. There is a considerable resistance to physical tagging due to health and privacy concerns. Researchers continue to explore ways to solve the technical issues. However, attention to solving the economic and social issues is relatively low in comparison. The research outcomes will contribute to future innovations and improvements in performance and productivity associated with construction H&S.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction health and safety; real-time management innovations; socio-technical-economic perspective |
| Index terms: | literature review, health and safety, social aspect, privacy, productivity, time management, socio-technical, construction industry, implementation, social construction of technology, management innovation |
| Subjects: | data analysis and analytics, contractual arrangements, health safety and environment, research methods, management, professional ethics, industry analysis, sociology, project controls |
| Topics: | Legal Issues, Time Control, Research Practice, Engineering Principles, Business Strategy, Health and Safety, Procurement |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 CTA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here