Hallowell, M R; Hardison, D and Desvignes, M (2016) Information technology and safety: Integrating empirical safety risk data with building information modeling, sensing, and visualization technologies. Construction Innovation, 16(3), pp. 323-347. ISSN 1471-4175
Abstract
Purpose The architecture, engineering and construction industry is known to account for a disproportionate rate of disabling injuries and fatalities. Information technologies show promise for improving safety performance. This paper aims to describe the current state of knowledge in this domain and introduces a framework to integrate attribute-level safety risk data within existing technologies for the first time. Design/methodology/approach The framework is demonstrated by integrating attribute safety risk data with information retrieval, location and tracking systems, augmented reality and building information models. Findings Fundamental attributes of a work environment can be assigned to construction elements during design and planning. Once assigned, existing risk and predictive models can be leveraged to provide a user with objective, empirically driven feedback including quantity of safety risk, predictions of safety outcomes and clashes among incompatible attributes. Practical implications This framework can provide designers, planners and managers with unbiased safety feedback that increases in detail and accuracy as the project develops. Such information can support prevention through design and safety management in advanced work packaging. Originality/value The framework is the first to integrate empirical risk-based safety data with construction information technologies. The results provide users with insight that is unexpected, counter-intuitive or otherwise thought-provoking.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | it strategies,health and safety,it management |
| Index terms: | building information modelling, designer, planner, work environment, information retrieval, construction industry, prevention, fatalities, health and safety, injury, manager, accuracy, strategy, augmented reality, methodology, information technology, advanced work packaging, safety performance, visualization, safety management |
| Subjects: | health conditions and diseases, data management, occupational health and safety management, information systems, industry analysis, research methods, design practice, manufacturing engineering, health risk and incident analysis, management, financial risk, professional development, health safety and environment, visualization, profession, computing systems, practitioner |
| Topics: | Health and Safety, Business Strategy, Cost Management, Engineering Principles, Information Management, Research Practice, Roles and Professions, Digital Applications, Design Practice, Organizational Design |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
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