Engineering a safer future for industrialized construction

Construction workers routinely work in environments that can pose serious safety risks, such as from heavy machinery, falls, weather or unpredictable site conditions. Industrialized construction—a modern approach to building whereby many parts of a structure are built off-site in factories, then assembled quickly on-site—reduces many of these hazards. But it introduces new risks associated with repetitive motion, confined workspaces, and human-machine interactions in factory settings.

Even with heightened vigilance, workplace injuries can happen any time, resulting in physical harm for workers and financial losses for companies. Dr. Xinming Li, an interdisciplinary engineer with the University of Alberta, works with industry partners to make industrialized construction safer for workers. NSERC talked to Dr. Li about her work in this innovative field.

Dr. Li, how did you become interested in engineering, and what led you to this career path?

I chose to pursue engineering after high school, earning a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering, followed by an MSc and a PhD in construction engineering and management. This multidisciplinary background allowed me to stay in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta while continuing my research in ergonomics and human factors in industrialized construction, and further expanding my research to occupational health and safety.

Nowadays, the boundaries between disciplines are getting more blurry; that’s why research is increasingly interdisciplinary. Based in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, I collaborate closely with teams across mechanical, civil and biomedical engineering as well as medicine. Because of my background, I solve issues from a mechanical engineering and civil engineering perspective, and I’d consider myself more of an interdisciplinary engineer.

Your research aims to create healthier working environments in industrialized construction. What prompted your focus on this issue?

Thanks to my research focus on construction and engineering management, I tend to collaborate closely with construction companies. Working closely with those in the industrialized construction sector, I began to notice that safety was always a key concern. That’s because although assembly in industrialized construction is comparatively safe—it’s done in a more controlled environment with the use of advanced tools—statistics show that the labour is intensive and involves lots of repetitive movements, forced exertions and awkward body postures. In addition, the dynamic nature of work in a factory, the layout of the factory and the processes and machines used all have an impact on risks and injuries.

This awareness led me to focus on identifying, assessing and preventing risks that arise when humans and machines interact. Ever since I was a PhD student, local companies have been saying there's a need for such research due to the high number of injuries and worker claims. Thus creating healthier work environments in industrialized construction is research driven by the needs of industry.

How have your collaborations with industry partners advanced your research?

We've been working closely with the industry, and their engagement motivates us tremendously. Engineering is about applying scientific knowledge to solve real-world problems. I’m thankful for the support of the partners who provide a welcoming environment for us to do our research and give us real-time feedback and access to the information we need.

Working with these partners also motivates our students, who can see how the knowledge they acquire through courses, literature and lab results is put into practice. We are working toward a win-win situation that allows us to advance our research while developing technologies or systems that benefit the broader construction sector, not to mention other fields that include human-machine interaction.

NSERC’s support, which helps us share our research ideas with industry, is everything for us. My local industry partners appreciate the support too, because industry alone cannot always sustain an entire project. NSERC funding creates opportunities for us to put things into practice.

What types of tools do you use in your day-to-day research activities?

We use three key types of tools. The first is 3D modelling and numerical simulation, which uses computer-based calculations to predict how a design will perform under different conditions. We use this approach if a facility doesn’t exist yet—for example, if it’s still in the design phase and there’s limited budget to build a prototype. With 3D simulation, you can proactively assess risk to determine which option will provide the best outcome in terms of health, safety and cost.

We also do physiological measurements, which involve placing sensors on people to detect their feelings, performances and actions. Examples include motion trackers, eye trackers, electromyography and bio-sensors. This is how we collect real human signals.

Our third tool is a virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) platform. We would use this in a test case, such as when we don't have access to a facility, or if we want to provide training and assistance to a worker. We’re developing lots of different projects that combine real and virtual elements to support workers and improve both their productivity and their safety.

Can you describe any innovations that have been put into practice?

Ever since I was a PhD student, I’ve been working on updating the standard documentation, called physical demands analysis (PDA). The PDA document outlines the physical requirements for a specific job, and is strongly recommended by the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) of Alberta, especially when a company is developing a modified work (or return-to-work) plan for an injured employee. The WCB provides insurance coverage for workplace injuries and partners with employers to reduce injury-related costs. Its premiums are based on a company’s history of injuries and claims, which means companies that invest in workers’ health and safety can reduce their claims—and, in turn, their premiums.

One of the research projects we worked on involved helping industry partners update their PDA documentation and proactively assess as well as prevent the risks, with the goal of automating the process in the future. We also helped them build a robust return-to-work program that leads to significantly reduced injuries and claims. In addition, injured individuals who cannot continue with their previous tasks can be assigned to a new role based on the PDA, so they can continue to contribute to the company. This project led to a reduction in the total number of claims and injuries and a 15% rebate on the company’s WCB premium—a significant saving.

Once, a local industry partner printed out our research presentation and posted it in its factory. The frontline workers could see our research outcomes, think about our recommendations, and put them into practice. Sometimes when we go into the factory, workers want to talk to us to report problems or discuss solutions to improve safety. Seeing end users wanting to improve their health and safety—that’s what makes me happy.

What advice would you give to someone who might be interested in following a similar career path?

My first advice would be about trust. Building and maintaining trust is key to fostering relationships, not only within your own research team, but with partners and collaborators. For example, the opportunity to work with a company is based on mutual trust because you’re both new to this partnership. Trust is critical for the successful completion of a project.

Secondly, be passionate. I always tell my PhD students that it's going to be four or five years, and you have to commit to the entire journey. You must be passionate about your research, otherwise it's going to be painful. Grasp every opportunity to see what's out there in the world.

The third piece of advice is to be humble and listen when others are talking. There is talent everywhere — not just on research teams, but among industry partners and students at every level. I’ve had summer students from high school with brilliant ideas. In my experience, frontline workers can give you lots of ideas as well, because they are the end users of any product. All ideas around the table should be considered.

The last advice is about persistence. My former supervisor always asked me: what do you want to be in the future? Since my PhD, I've been wanting to be an expert in health and safety, and more specifically in ergonomics and human factors. So hopefully I'll continue to persist and contribute more advancements in the field.

This interview has been edited for conciseness and clarity.

About Dr. Xinming Li

Dr. Xinming Li is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Engineering and the Director of the Occupational Ergonomics Research Lab at the University of Alberta. Dr. Li’s research seeks to improve industrialized construction by evaluating ergonomic risks and investigating corresponding corrective measures to secure the health and safety of workers and enhance workplace productivity. Her work has yielded results that have directly benefited construction manufacturing and building management enterprises in tangible ways.

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