Design and Evaluation of a Prototype of an Airbag-Based Wearable Safety Jacket for Fall Accidents in Construction Working Environments

Abstract

Construction workspace is identified as aggressive work environments. The number of fatalities from falls is growing continuously due to dynamic heavy objects, dangers approaching from multiple directions, trip hazards, challenging surroundings, blind spots, and irregular walk surfaces, which pose severe risks to workers’ safety. Although safety training and organizational monitoring systems are required and are worked as layered protection to the workers, these are often insufficiently effective and lack of body protection systems. This study introduced a prototype of a wearable safety jacket using airbag system developed by advanced weaving technology and optimal sensor and inflator manufacturing technology. The jacket was designed to protect the human body from fall from less than the heights of 5 m without sacrificing productivity and user convenience. The fall shock absorption can be achieved by the advanced inflator system using precision sensors, and by the novel airbag design to minimize air leakage and to manufacture high durability air bag fabric against external impact. The free fall tests were conducted to evaluate the feasibility of the airbag-based wearable safety jacket and assessed the expandability and shock absorption performance among three prototypes. The test results suggested optimum airbag volume and minimum airbag expansion trigger timing to minimize impact and protect human body from falls.