Sherratt, F; Wong, P and Sherratt, S (2024) What we really know about wearable sensor technologies for construction OSHW. Proceedings of Institution of Civil Engineers: Management, Procurement and Law, 177(4), pp. 253-263. ISSN 17514304
Abstract
Occupational safety, health, and well-being (OSHW) management has fully embraced the Construction 4.0 revolution. Technology now offers myriad solutions to worker OSHW, with a notable interest in the adoption of personal wearable sensor technologies. There is a rapidly growing body of work focused on wearables for construction safety; however the technological optimism surrounding this particular 'digital transformation' of safety in practice is perhaps misplaced. Following a purposive literature review of a sample from this body of knowledge, analysis reveals some areas of concern, including sources of funding, the methodologies and methods used, the research questions being asked, and the potential consequences of the findings. Yet body of work is not only being used to justify the adoption of wearable sensors on sites, but it also sets precedent for future research as it directs the narrative and agenda. This review is, therefore, both timely and necessary. It seeks to set out what the authors really know about wearable sensors for construction OSHW, and what work remains to be done before they presume them to be a panacea for construction worker safety in the field.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction; construction workers; industry 4.0; occupational safety; OSHW; safety; wearable sensor technologies; wearable sensors; wearables |
| Index terms: | literature review, body of knowledge, construction safety, methodology, well-being, narrative, transformation, industry 4.0, construction 4.0, occupational safety, construction worker, funding, wearable sensor |
| Subjects: | computer vision, research methods, economic analysis, knowledge management, practitioner, digital engineering, environmental health, occupational health and safety management, qualitative and interpretive research, technology adoption, data analysis and analytics, business, mental health and wellbeing |
| Topics: | Business Strategy, Information Management, Research Practice, Roles and Professions, Digital Applications, Health and Safety, Sustainability |
| 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