•VR and MR are successful in operationalising authenticity and groupwork factors.•The perceived guidance factor influences the perceived effectiveness of the lesson.•The motivation of the students is ...influenced by the perceived authenticity and groupwork factors.•The study derived three proposed guidelines for using VR and MR in safety management education.
Effective safety management education is essential for improving safety within the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. While new information technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality (MR) are increasingly explored to improve safety management education and training, they are currently limited by the lack of pedagogies to guide the design and development of learning content. This paper aims to address this issue by utilising the authentic learning framework to guide the design of a VR/MR lesson for safety management education. The study developed an immersive VR/MR simulation-based activity based on the authentic learning framework. The effectiveness of the safety management lesson using an immersive VR/MR simulation is compared to a recorded video lesson. The results showed that the VR/MR simulation is more beneficial to the participants’ motivation than the video lesson, but not for knowledge improvement and perceived lesson effectiveness. The results can be attributed to the difficulties in operationalising the guidance factor in the authentic learning framework. The key contributions of this study are threefold: (1) the study demonstrates that the authentic learning framework can be used for guiding the development of VR/MR simulation and recorded video lessons for safety management education; (2) the analysis finds that the VR/MR simulation improves motivation for learning, but not knowledge and perceived effectiveness of the lesson; and (3) three guidelines are suggested to improve the design of VR/MR educational applications.
•A five-step framework was proposed to conduct construction safety research review.•Topics were grouped into the process, individual/group features, and accident data.•The first group is studied from ...the aspect of safety management process.•The second group aims to explore the impact of individual/group features on safety.•The third group focuses on utilizing accident data to improve safety performance.
Persistent endeavors have been made to promote construction safety, but fatalities still plague the industry. Recently there had been an emergence of a variety of construction safety research focusing on topics such as safety competency, accident statistics, design for safety, and safety culture. A large number of construction safety studies with the variety of topics make it difficult for stakeholders to have an overview of this field. Hence a systematic review of previous studies is paramount for facilitating sharing useful research findings and accessing future trends in construction safety research. A five-step framework was proposed in this review. The analysis focused on publication year, journal title, country/region distribution, organizational level, project phase, project type, innovative technology application and research topic. Three groups of construction safety research were identified. The first group of research is conducted from the perspective of safety management process, such as safety assessment and safety program. The second group aims to explore the impact of individual and group characteristics in relation to construction safety, such as worker behavior, perception, and safety climate. The third group utilizes accident/incident data to improve safety performance. In order to better capture construction safety research trend, these studies were discussed from chronological and thematic perspectives. Four main research findings including construction safety research perspectives, construction safety research trends, innovative technology applications in construction safety, and safety information flow, were gained. Finally, this review identified and discussed research gaps and corresponding agenda which can serve as guidance for future construction safety research.
•The antecedents model of construction workers’ safety cognition is established.•54 antecedents of safety cognition and 309 relationships between them are identified.•Future research directions ...include exploring antecedents of safety cognition from a holistic perspective, the causal antecedents of safety cognition and the mechanism of safety cognitive failure.
The issue of construction workers’ unsafe behavior has been a global challenge. Behavior is a product of human cognition, and research from a cognitive perspective can potentially curb unsafe behavior at its source. Hence, safety cognition research is proliferating quickly. Many studies have explored the antecedents of safety cognition, but most focused on just a few antecedents or stages of safety cognition. No research provides a comprehensive compilation and review of the antecedents of safety cognition. Thus, to fill this research gap, this paper aims to 1) systematically summarize the current state of research on the antecedents of construction workers' safety cognition and 2) provide directions for future research. To achieve these aims, we collected 198 papers and proposed the antecedents model of construction workers’ safety cognition, which consists of four levels: social factors, organizational factors, work situational factors, and individual factors. Then, content analysis was used to extract antecedents, relationships among antecedents, and relationships between antecedents and safety cognition. Finally, some suggestions for future research were presented based on the in-depth discussion, including 1) exploring antecedents of safety cognition from a holistic perspective 2) exploring the causal antecedents of safety cognition and 3) exploring the mechanism of safety cognitive failure. This systematic review not only improves the theoretical understanding of antecedents of construction workers' safety cognition but also provides practical guidance to safety managers on how to rectify workers' biased safety cognition to reduce unsafe behaviors.
•An extended cognitive model of construction workers is developed and workers’ cognitive failure is classified.•Publications related to the cognitive mechanism of construction workers’ unsafe ...behavior are identified following the PRISMA statement.•Content analysis identifies types of workers’ cognitive failure, interactions among cognitive failures, relationships between cognitive failures and unsafe behavior, and measurements of cognitive failures.•Research gaps and future research directions of the cognitive mechanism of construction workers’ unsafe behavior are discussed.•An integrated conceptual framework is developed to illustrate how multiple types of cognitive failures interact to cause workers’ unsafe behavior.
Construction workers’ unsafe behavior is one of the most frequent and direct causes of site accidents, thus a good understanding of its associated mechanisms is essential for the development of targeted interventions. Among all, the cognitive mechanism of construction workers’ unsafe behavior (CM-CWUB) is key to understanding reasons underlying unsafe behavior. However, an overview of research on CM-CWUB is still lacking. This study aims to address this gap by systematically reviewing the CM-CWUB literature. A thorough literature search was conducted via the databases of Web of Science, Scopus and ScienceDirect, resulting in 53 eligible articles included in the final review. Through content analysis, the specific types of construction workers’ cognitive failures, interactions among workers’ cognitive failures, relationships between workers’ cognitive failures and unsafe behavior, and measurements of workers’ cognitive failures were identified. Further in-depth analysis revealed that current studies on CM-CWUB have deficiencies in the terminologies of cognitive failures, the interactions among cognitive failures, influencing mechanisms of cognitive failures on unsafe behavior, measurements and monitoring of cognitive failures, and empirical examination on interactions among cognitive failures and relationships between cognitive failures and unsafe behavior. Future research is suggested to put efforts into these aspects. In addition, an integrated conceptual framework for CM-CWUB was developed to illustrate how multiple types of cognitive failures interact to induce unsafe behavior. By providing the current status, gaps, and future agenda of CM-CWUB research, this study contributes to the improvement of both theory and practice.
One way to encourage adoption of prefabrication and off-site manufacturing (OSM) techniques, such as modular construction, is to improve the efficiency of site operations, which makes the technology ...more attractive to non-adopters. Lean principles have been widely applied to improve the productivity and efficiency of construction operations, while simulation augments Lean theory by allowing its benefits and issues to be analyzed quantitatively before actual implementation. Thus, this study aims to conduct a detailed simulation study of modular construction operations, otherwise known as Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) in Singapore. In contrast with existing research, which are frequently focused on the barriers and drivers to the adoption of prefabrication, this study will provide and evaluate recommendations to improve modular construction efficiency through application of Lean concepts. A detailed baseline (As-Is) simulation model of an ongoing PPVC project case study was first developed. Lean Construction principles were then applied to the baseline simulation model. Key Lean Construction principles and concepts implemented includes Total Quality Management, E-Kanban based Just-In-Time deliveries, cross training and the use of construction robotics. Lean (To-Be) simulation models were developed based on the Lean Construction principles. The outputs from the baseline and Lean models were compared to assess the impact of the proposed improvements. The findings demonstrated that through the application of Lean concepts, reductions in cycle time and process time, and increases in process efficiency and labor productivity can be achieved. The case study also provides a detailed description of the simulation approach, which is a useful reference for future application of simulation in offsite construction research.
•A Discrete Event Simulation (DES) model of modular construction lifting operations is developed.•Areas of waste in modular construction: Idle resources, large Work in Process (WIP), Low yields•Lean recommendations include Total Quality Management, Just in Time systems, Cross Training and robotics•Future state DES model outputs show improvements to cycle and process times, process efficiency and labor productivity.
•A systematic review on situation awareness in construction safety was conducted.•The roles of digital technology in enhancing situation awareness were analyzed.•Theoretical advances and issues of ...situation awareness for construction safety.•Technology-based situation awareness enhancement mechanisms.
The dynamics of construction processes pose significant challenges for workers to perceive, understand, and anticipate hazards on sites. Maintaining an adequate level of situation awareness (SA) is critical for safety. Recent years have seen increasing research interests in SA and digital technology (DT) in the construction safety field. However, there lacks a systematic review that elucidates the impacts of DT on workers’ cognitive processes involved in hazard identification. To fill the research gap, the paper aims to conceptualize the role of SA and DT in construction safety management and provide a theoretical basis for the future development of technology-enabled situation-aware construction safety management systems. This study employed a five-step systematic review approach with a scientometric analysis to provide an unbiased and comprehensive overview of research concerning SA in construction safety. The results suggested that current research on the cognitive processes related to hazard identification has been fragmented and has caused theoretical confusion. There is a need to develop a cognitive framework for hazard identification. Four specific research directions were recommended: (1) develop and validate a real-time SA measurement, (2) identify SA information requirements, (3) develop a cognitive model of hazard identification, and (4) develop a technology-enhanced SA system. By synthesizing the current literature, this review paper identified and analyzed the theoretical roles of SA and DT in worker hazard identification, shedding light on the potential for developing a technology-enabled situation-aware construction safety management system. It also offered a valuable perspective to review and re-design safety management practices.
•The impact of the pandemic on the number of construction accidents is forecasted.•SciNettime seriesmodel and correlation analysis were used for analysis.•The impact of the pandemic on construction ...safety is weak and lagging.•Construction safety was affected by the pandemic more rapidly in China.•Pandemic has a short-term impact on construction safety in the U.S.
Many studies indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic had significant impacts on construction safety. However, the studies had differing views on whether the pandemic increased or decreased construction safety performance. Furthermore, past studies did not adopt a comparative time series approach to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on construction safety. Thus, this study explores the differences in the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on construction safety in China and the United States. This study used SciNet to forecast the number of construction accidents without the pandemic. Subsequently, the forecast was compared with the actual number of accidents since the outbreak, and the analysis showed a reduced number of construction accidents during the pandemic. However, there were minimal changes and even a slight worsening of fatality rates. Moreover, the correlation analyses showed that the effect of the pandemic on construction safety was weak and lagging. Construction safety was significantly affected by the pandemic in China, and the impact is relatively rapid. In comparison, outbreaks did not have a major impact on construction safety in the U.S. in the early stage. Since the pandemic is still raging worldwide, this research helps governments or project stakeholders formulate more targeted and data-driven safety countermeasures to improve construction safety during the crisis. The study also helps nations respond to future pandemics and crises to prevent adverse effects on construction safety.
•Civil and structural (C&S) engineers are generally positive about DfS.•Key barriers to DfS include cost consideration & lack of early contractor involvement.•Most C&S engineers have some awareness ...of DfS.•Most respondents felt that a dedicated DfS coordinator should be appointed.
Design for safety (DfS) (also known as prevention through design, safe design and Construction (Design and Management)) promotes early consideration of safety and health hazards during the design phase of a construction project. With early intervention, hazards can be more effectively eliminated or controlled leading to safer worksites and construction processes. DfS is practiced in many countries, including Australia, the UK, and Singapore. In Singapore, the Manpower Ministry enacted the DfS Regulations in July 2015, which will be enforced from August 2016 onwards. Due to the critical role of civil and structural (C&S) engineers during design and construction, the DfS knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of C&S engineers have significant impact on the successful implementation of DfS. Thus, this study aims to explore the DfS KAP of C&S engineers so as to guide further research in measuring and improving DfS KAP of designers. During the study, it was found that there is a lack of KAP studies in construction management. Therefore, this study also aims to provide useful lessons for future applications of the KAP framework in construction management research. A questionnaire was developed to assess the DfS KAP of C&S engineers. The responses provided by 43 C&S engineers were analyzed. In addition, interviews with experienced construction professionals were carried out to further understand perceptions of DfS and related issues. The results suggest that C&S engineers are supportive of DfS, but the level of DfS knowledge and practices need to be improved. More DfS guidelines and training should be made available to the engineers. To ensure that DfS can be implemented successfully, there is a need to study the contractual arrangements between clients and designers and the effectiveness of different implementation approaches for the DfS process. The questionnaire and findings in this study provided the foundation for a baseline survey with larger sample size, which is currently being planned. In contrast to earlier studies, the study showed that the responding C&S engineers were supportive of the DfS. The study showed that the key to improving the DfS KAP of C&S engineers is by improving clients’ motivation for DfS.
In recent years, investigations into major incidents often highlight poor safety culture as one of the key causal factors. These investigations are often assisted by causal analysis tools that help ...to ensure that the investigation and the information captured are systematic. However, current causal analysis tools are not designed to analyse dynamic complexity of major incidents and safety culture, which arises from the interactions between actors and the temporal and spatial gaps between actions and consequences. This is because most causal analysis tools model events and causal factors linearly. In contrast, systems thinking, a discipline of seeing systems holistically, emphasises the circular nature of complex systems, i.e. cause and effect are not distinguishable. This paper proposes that traditional causal analysis tools and investigation should be enhanced with the use of systems thinking tools.
One of the systems thinking tools that is particularly useful in analysing major incidents and safety culture is causal loop diagrams. The diagrams can be used to explain the systemic structure sustaining a safety culture and identify effective interventions to improve the safety culture and prevent a recurrence of a major incident. The paper demonstrates the use of systems thinking and causal loop diagrams through a case study on Bellevue hazardous waste fire in Western Australia. The case study shows how different actors in the system, each acting in reaction to pressures that they are facing, produced and sustained a poor safety culture that was a major contributory factor to the fire in 2001.
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