Embedded Safety Communication System for Robust Hazard Perception of Individuals in Work Zones

Although safety is given the topmost priority in the construction industry, reported severe injuries and fatalities indicate insufficient attention to worker safety. Past studies have demonstrated significant progress in identifying potential hazards (i.e., hazard detection); however, such detected hazards are not well communicated to workers. Past research demonstrated that workers often fail to perceive, be aware of, or sense warnings generated by hazard detection systems. Thus, this study explored a method to improve workers’ hazard perception, with a focus on a tactile-based, wearable system to effectively alert workers to previously identified potential hazards. The main objective of this study was to develop a prototype Embedded Safety Communication System (ESCS) and determine its capability to improve workers’ perceptions of hazards that are communicated to them. In this project, the research team developed the ESCS prototype, investigated the system configuration, created tactile messages to send hazard-related messages, and conducted field tests to validate system effectiveness. The test results indicate that the tactile signals transmitted with the ESCS prototype are capable of communicating potential hazards to workers, especially in harsh environments where workers’ innate sensing is limited.