Ibrahim, K; Simpeh, F and Adebowale, O J (2025) Benefits and challenges of wearable safety devices in the construction sector. Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, 14(1), pp. 50-71. ISSN 2046-6099
Abstract
Purpose: Construction organizations must maintain a productive workforce without sacrificing their health and safety. The global construction sector loses billions of dollars yearly to poor health and safety practices. This study aims to investigate benefits derivable from using wearable technologies to improve construction health and safety. The study also reports the challenges associated with adopting wearable technologies. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopted a quantitative design, administering close-ended questions to professionals in the Nigerian construction industry. The research data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings: The study found that the critical areas construction organizations can benefit from using WSDs include slips and trips, sensing environmental concerns, collision avoidance, falling from a high level and electrocution. However, key barriers preventing the organizations from adopting wearable technologies are related to cost, technology and human factors. Practical implications: The time and cost lost to H&S incidents in the Nigerian construction sector can be reduced by implementing the report of this study. Originality/value: Studies on WSDs have continued to increase in developed countries, but Nigeria is yet to experience a leap in the research area. This study provides insights into the Nigerian reality to provide directions for practice and theory.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction management; ergonomics; health and safety; safety; technology; wearable safety devices |
| Index terms: | health and safety, methodology, ergonomics, developed country, construction sector, human factor, health and safety practices, construction organization, environmental concern, Nigeria, global construction, statistics, construction industry |
| Subjects: | occupational health and safety management, industry analysis, mathematical modelling, research methods, health safety and environment, Geography, development economics, strategic management, organization, environmental issues |
| Topics: | Sustainability, Health and Safety, Geographical Context, Business Strategy, Research Practice, International Construction |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
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