Application of Sensing Technology to Safety Management

In recent years, researchers have made considerable efforts to develop proximity sensing technologies that provide workers and equipment operators with an audible warning when predefined proximity thresholds have been breached. Examples of such technologies include RFID and Ultra-wideband sensors. Despite the practical applications of these technologies to safety management, implementation of such devices on active construction projects is very rare. In this paper, the authors identify the potential barriers and enablers associated with integrating sensing technologies within existing safety management strategies by interviewing safety managers throughout the United States. Using the findings from these interviews, the authors offer a framework for effective integration. It is expected that this framework can be used by construction practitioners to better understand how sensing technologies can complement existing efforts and by researchers who aim to better understand the potential role of such technologies in safety management.