Review of the Application of Wearable Devices in Construction Safety: A Bibliometric Analysis from 2005 to 2021

Abstract

Wearable devices as an emerging technology to collect safety data on construction site is gaining increasing attention from researchers and practitioners. Given the rapid development of wearable devices research and the high application prospects of wearable devices in construction safety, a state-of-the-art review of research and implementations in this field is needed. The aim of this study is to provide an objective and extensive bibliometric analysis of the published articles on wearable applications in construction safety for the period of 2005–2021. CiteSpace software was used to conduct co-citation analysis, co-occurrence analysis, and cluster identification on 169 identified articles. The results show that 10 research clusters (e.g., attentional failure, brain-computer interface) were extremely important in the development of wearable devices for construction safety. The results highlight the evolution of wearable devices in construction-safety-related research, revealing the underlying structure of this cross-cutting research area. The analysis also summarizes the status quo of wearable devices in the construction safety field and provides a dynamic platform for integrating future applications.

The Impact of Wearable Devices on the Construction Safety of Building Workers: A Systematic Review

“…In construction, wearable devices are used for physiological monitoring, environmental sensing, proximity detection, and location tracking. The main purpose of using wearable devices is to ensure construction safety and to promote a safe working environment, which is supported by monitoring various psychological and physiological factors of wearers, leading to an improved worker health and increased work efficiency [8][9][10][11]. Common wearable devices are wristbands, head-mounted sensors, and smart garments.…”

Safety Wearable for Miners

“…Not only in mines, in Construction environment safety is mandate and it helps to improve the productivity in the society without creating the issues in the construction field and the importance of wearable devices based on the survey over 16 years and bibliometric data based analysed for individuals working in construction environment [2].The existing safety technologies and measures have either failed to monitor multiple vital features that could lead to fatalities, or to provide adequate and appropriate rescue resources in time to help the miners in danger. ESP8266 NODEMCU has been used as the computing device that interfaces the sensors that monitors the external temperature and humidity, body temperature, pulse and SpO2 levels and the concentration of Carbon Monoxide and Methane gas in mines [3]; deliver this continuous stream of data to the concerned supervisor via an application and alert them, as well as those present in the mines, if any emergency arises [4]. Hence, the combination of these sensors and the Wi-Fi module could result in rescue operations being held in a much faster manner, thus ensuring better safety protocols for the miners [5].…”

The Adoption Intentions of Wearable Technology for Construction Safety

“…More than that, previous studies focus on limited types of WTs, such as wristbands [12], smart vests [13], or wearable sensing devices [14], rather than providing a comprehensive list of market-ready WTs. The functions and properties of WTs differ significantly, so the influential factors may vary among WTs [15]. As such, it is essential to provide a holistic view to effectively better comprehend the influential factors of various WTs' adoption intentions for construction safety.…”