Real-time risk assessment of multi-parameter induced fall accidents at construction sites

Abstract

In this research, a risk assessment model was developed that concurrently considers the location and physiological risk factors for fall accidents in workers at construction sites. In terms of location risk, data on 1683 occupational fall accidents involving 1718 worker casualties in the construction industry were collected for the period 1996–2016 from the Institute of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health (ILOSH), Taiwan. Next, the locations of these fall accidents were identified and defined as hazardous areas, with each area assigned a fall-risk level based on the average number of occupational accidents per year. In terms of physiological risk, the thermal hazard evaluation model, Recommended Alert Limits/Recommended Exposure Limits (RALs/RELs), developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), USA was used in this study. This model uses metabolic heat and wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) to recommend hourly rest/work times for workers. Using WBGT and one hour as the basic unit of time, varying degrees of metabolic heat, defined as metabolic heat loading severity (MHLS), were obtained. An optical heart rate (HR) sensor was applied in this study to measure HR, which was subsequently converted to a metabolic heat value using the Malchaire J metabolic heat evaluation model. Next, metabolic heat loading risk level was evaluated based on the MHLS. Finally, the location-based fall-risk level was multiplied by the MHLS, generating a risk evaluation model for fall accidents. The evaluation results identify the real-time fall-risk level of each worker and, if needed, suggest actions to be taken to mitigate the elevated risks of fall accidents identified by the model.