Mobile Proximity Sensing Technologies for Personnel and Equipment Safety in Work Zones

This paper introduces a new proximity alarming technology for roadway work zones. Roadway work zones are dynamic in nature and offer workers with limited work space, contributing to dangerous work environments for construction workers who are constructing and maintaining the infrastructure. Hazardous proximity situations can be encountered especially when the ground workers operate in close proximity to heavy construction equipment. Past research effort has been made in aiming at providing proximity sensing technologies for construction workers. These technologies, however, still have limitations that defer extensive deployment, which include accuracy, cost, required hardware, and ease of use. This study focuses on creating and evaluating a feasible technology that overcomes the drawbacks found in other technologies. Using Bluetooth sensing technology, a proximity detection and alert system was created. Experimental results demonstrate the created system’s ability to provide alerts to equipment operators and pedestrian workers at pre-calibrated distance in real-time. The proximity detection and alert device demonstrated its capabilities to provide, with an appropriate alarm, an additional layer of hazard avoidance to pedestrian workers in roadway work zone environments.