IT based system for construction safety management and monitoring: C-RTICS2

In North America, thousands of construction workers get injured and dozens die, on a yearly basis, due to work related injuries and illnesses. This reality prevailed from year 2000 to 2012 without a significant decrease. It seems that advanced health and safety regulations failed to make a positive impact. However, the use of information and communication technologies to improve safety is limited in the construction industry. This paper describes a system that transmits safety related information of multiple construction projects into a centralized database, where real-time safety indicators are generated. The system provides safety indicators related to an individual project or industry-wide figures. On site managers can use such real-time information for informed decisions in work sites. The system can also be accessed by the general public, research institutions, and regulating bodies, to formulate industry-wide safety standards and policies. The proposed system was pilot tested with positive and encouraging results.