Construction Safety Regulations Research Articles

Token incentive framework for virtual-reality-based construction safety training

Virtual reality (VR) and blockchain are two emerging technologies with significant potential for the construction industry. Numerous studies have investigated the use of VR to improve construction safety training. However, there is a lack of research focused on encouraging employees to participate in VR training. Fortunately, incentive mechanisms are a powerful motivator, capable of driving employees to actively participate in and excel at safety practices. Incorporating blockchain-based incentives into safety training creates a win-win scenario which can substantially improve training outcomes. To this end, this paper proposes a token incentive mechanism based on blockchain technology for VR-based safety training, consisting of unique safety training scenarios and a flexible virtual environment that enables users to acquire knowledge of construction safety regulations. The framework supports real-time interaction and communication among users and provides blockchain-based tokens to incentivize safe conduct and reward individuals who have undergone safety training. A prototype was developed and evaluated through interactive system trials with senior students, site managers, and construction site employees. Results demonstrate that the proposed framework can motivate users to participate in safety training regularly and improve their safety awareness and knowledge before performing tasks at construction sites. In addition, the framework fosters collaboration among employees and assists safety managers in creating novel VR-based safety training scenarios that can be delivered to workers easily. By incentivizing safety training, the proposed framework contributes to establishing a new safety culture wherein workers can effectively acquire knowledge and financial benefits through completing safety training activities.

Deep Learning–Based Named Entity Recognition and Resolution of Referential Ambiguities for Enhanced Information Extraction from Construction Safety Regulations

Deep Learning–Based Named Entity Recognition and Resolution of Referential Ambiguities for Enhanced Information Extraction from Construction Safety Regulations

Deep learning-based relation extraction and knowledge graph-based representation of construction safety requirements

Field compliance checking aims to check the compliance of site operations with applicable construction safety regulations for detecting violations. Relation extraction provides an automated solution to extract relations that describe construction safety requirements from unstructured text. However, previous relation extraction efforts are limited in their extraction capabilities, representation, and automation. To address this gap, this paper proposes a deep learning-based method to automatically extract and represent relations that describe fall protection requirements. The proposed method: (1) uses a CNN-based model, with pre-trained word and position embeddings, to automatically extract domain-specific relations, and (2) represents the extracted requirements in the form of knowledge graph-based queries, which helps decompose complex requirements into manageable units while keeping these units connected in a scalable graph structure. The proposed method was tested on 20 OSHA sections, and has achieved 87.5% precision, 83.4% recall, and 85.4% F-1 measure, which indicates good relation extraction performance.

English

Mixed reality (MR) technology has attracted increasing interest in the architecture and construction industry since the commercial availability of head-mounted MR devices in 2016. With its ability of overlaying digital building models in real construction sites, building owners, architects, engineers, and contractors have quickly recognized the value of MR technology in on-site architectural visualization, construction planning, and as-built verification. Although a few industry practitioners have piloted some initial tests, no thorough reviews on such uses have been reported in the existing literature. To bridge this gap in the body of knowledge, this study aims to evaluate the use of MR technology in architectural design and construction layout through a comparative review of commercially available MR applications. The study employed two HoloLens devices that were attached to a hard hat to meet construction safety regulations and identified nine MR applications developed for architectural and construction purposes. The capabilities of MR technology within these applications were evaluated and compared under different on-site conditions for architectural design and construction layout. It was found that among the various MR capabilities, while some are common features that offer basic information and navigation, several are unique but essential to provide an effective and successful on-site experience for architectural and construction uses. In addition, the limitations of MR technology and the head-mounted MR device for on-site uses were discussed. This paper provides timely and empirical information to help practitioners and researchers better understand MR technology for the architecture and construction industry. Key words: Mixed reality, technology, application, architecture, construction.

Collective Fall Protection for Construction Workers

Construction safety regulations require protection of workers against falls from elevations. The collective fall protection systems, in most cases, allow workers to move freely without wearing individual fall protection gear. The collective systems which prevent falls are preferred over the fall arrest systems. The latter are employed only if prevention of falls is not feasible. Arresting a fall always carries with it a residual risk of injury to the fall victim. The collective fall arrest systems are employed primarily during construction of electricity or telecomm towers. The aim of this paper has been a review of the collective FPS employed in the construction industry.

Has Regulatory Devolution Injured American Workers? A Comparison of State and Federal Enforcement of Construction Safety Regulations

Has Regulatory Devolution Injured American Workers? A Comparison of State and Federal Enforcement of Construction Safety Regulations