Special Issue Engineering in General Information Sciences Others

Detecting Near-Miss Actions and Estimating Physical Fatigue among Construction Workers Using Wearable Sensors

Labor shortages in the construction industry have become a serious issue in developed countries, particularly in Japan, where workforce aging and declining recruitment of young workers are significant challenges. In this context, ensuring worker safety has become increasingly critical. While occupational accidents in Japan's construction industry have decreased annually due to proper safety measures, the construction industry still has the highest number of fatalities among all industries. Falls from height and falls on the same level are the leading causes of injuries and fatalities. Therefore, detecting near-miss incidents (such as tripping and slipping) that precede falls, along with physical fatigue, could help prevent occupational accidents. This study investigated the feasibility of detecting near-miss incidents and estimating fatigue levels using wearable sensors suitable for continuous monitoring at construction sites. We conducted validation experiments simulating near-miss actions and fatigue conditions. Results showed that applying a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to data collected from an iPhone® placed in workers' trouser pockets achieved an F1-score of 0.95 in detecting near-miss actions. Additionally, by comparing body sway magnitudes before and after fatigue, we confirmed the potential for estimating physical fatigue.

View more >>