Integration of Construction Worker Safety in Design Through the Use of BIM

Abstract

The construction industry has incurred the most fatalities of any United States industry in the private sector in recent years. Although many factors may contribute to this statistic, one likely cause is due to designers who often lack knowledge of design for construction safety, which results in many safety hazards being built into project models. To improve the situation, this research was undertaken to identify the possible influence of Building Information Modeling technology on construction safety. After identifying the extent of the positive impact of BIM technology on safety, the research entailed the development of a design for a construction worker safety tool that efficiently makes suggestions regarding designing for safety available to designers and constructors. Particular emphasis was placed on falling accidents because falls are the most frequently occurring cause of fatalities on construction sites.