Proposal for temporary safety facilities for fall protection using 4DBIM to meet OSHA standards

Abstract

Temporary Safety Facilities (TSFs) constitute a vital support infrastructure ensuring the safety of workers throughout construction operations, with the overarching goal of averting accidents onsite; However, the schedule and location of installation and dismantling of technical support facilities is still based on work experience, and is often omitted from official drawings or documents. This leads to thousands of accidents in the construction sector, especially in small and midsize construction enterprises construction firms due to many limiting factors; Therefore, this study proposes automatic workspace planning for temporary safety facilities (in our case guardrails for fall protection) based on construction activities, which is a structured approach for SMEs working in construction to practice Occupational Health and Safety (OHSA). By employing Building Information Modeling (BIM), safety facilities can be simulated and visually incorporated into the assigned workspace. Utilizing 4D-BIM, the devised system facilitated the installation of temporary safety features, such as fall protection railings, which underwent validation via a case study involving a mall project. The results indicated that integrating temporary safety facilities with the model enhances comprehension of safety protocols throughout project execution. Additionally, temporary facility workspace planning provides an affordable approach that stimulates safety practices; Thus, significantly enhancing the management effectiveness of construction safety measures