Streamlining information representation during construction accidents

Abstract

This study illustrates an approach to streamline information representation from construction workers to construction managers during construction accidents. Since frequent construction accidents affect many countries, promoting occupational safety and health in the construction industry has become important. However, if construction accidents occur at outdoor construction sites, this study identifies two problems: inconvenience in reporting emergency scenarios for construction workers; and difficulty in confirming emergency scenarios for construction managers. As a result, emergency responses are delayed. Therefore, this study proposes a solution (i.e., a Mobile Emergency Response Information System [MERIS]). Integrating several information techniques, MERIS supports ubiquitous information computing and also offers location-based information representation. Moreover, this study evaluated conventional methods (i.e., oral communications, on-site observations, electronic maps) and MERIS in a freeway construction project. Based on the results, MERIS had better efficiency. Through MERIS, while construction workers relayed emergency scenarios more effectively, construction managers understood the details of the scenarios more appropriately. Emergency responses were executed more rapidly. Consequently, this study is useful for construction safety management.