Boosting safety and productivity on construction sites

Ensuring safety and productivity on a construction site is challenging due to the dynamics of the workers’ activities and constant movements. In a study published in Automation in Construction, researchers at Concordia University’s Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science have developed a real-time monitoring system to address this challenge.

Conducted by Mohammadali Khazen, MSc, along with professors Mazdak Nik-Bakht and Osama Moselhi from the Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, the research introduces a system that tracks workers' locations, body orientations and productivity states using wearable sensors on their wrists, chests and hard hats. This system leverages Bluetooth signal strength and body acceleration data to provide valuable insights into workers' activities.

The study was conducted in partnership with reelyActive and AtkinsRéalis, with funding provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

This system was tested in a laboratory environment simulating a construction site and proved to have several potential applications. It can enhance safety by alerting workers to potential hazards based on their location and orientation. It also improves productivity by providing detailed data on work states, helping project managers optimize workflows and identify inefficiencies. Its modular and easily extendable design makes it suitable for various construction sites with minimal dependency on hardwiring.

Furthermore, the data collected from this system can be used for long-term analysis, helping construction companies develop better safety protocols and productivity benchmarks. By continuously monitoring and analyzing worker activities, companies can identify patterns that lead to inefficiencies or safety risks and take proactive measures to address them.

This article was adapted and republished with permission from Concordia University.

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