**6. Emerging technologies**

#### **6.1 Safety training through computer-aided technologies**

The development of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) have embedded worker training systems and become significant costeffective and safer ways to educate workers. The immersive VR/AR/MR environments within computer-generated simulations have also gained popularity in safety training to identify the potential hazards as well as educate moving vehicle operators on the job site. Hazardous construction scenarios can be simulated interactively with the working environment, workers' behavior, high-risk equipment, and working sequence [52]. Researchers also found that many VR/AR systems had been proved as efficient, usable, applicable, and accurate approaches in hazard identification, safety training, and education, and safety inspection [52].

#### **6.2 Integrating BIM and safety**

Numerous studies and industrial applications evidenced that safety and BIM integration can assist in safety planning and execution of projects, for example to automatic checking of construction models and schedules for preventing

**77**

**7. Conclusions**

*Industrial Safety Management Using Innovative and Proactive Strategies*

fall-related accidents; automated scaffolding-related safety hazard identification [53], visualization [54], and prevention [55], blind spots identification and mapping [56], path planning [57], near-miss information reporting and visualization

Many proximity avoidance systems have been developed by utilizing various technologies, such as an ultrasonic-based sensor [60], radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensing technology [61–63], radar [60, 64], GPS [65, 66], and magnetic field generators [67], to prevent contact accidents, particularly for accidents due to being struck by equipment. Most of these technologies provide some form of warning signals to workers when they are close to heavy equipment. These signals could

A wide range of wearable devices has been applied across different industrial sectors including health care, manufacturing, mining, and athletics [69]. Some of these devices have proven to be very useful and beneficial to these industries and efforts are being made by both researchers and industry practitioners to improve on these technologies and learn from their initial implementation [70]. With the attention being gained by wearable devices worldwide, mobile devices are becoming part of everyday life and the number, types, and forms of wearable devices are increasing exponentially in recent years [71]. The most widespread adoption and implementation of wearable devices have been in the healthcare industry for the continuous monitoring of a user's physiological status [72]. For instance, wearable devices are used in the healthcare sector by patients personally to continuously monitor their physiological parameters and manage their health and well-being on a personal basis, or grant physicians remote access to their health data and receive personalized medical care [73]. Similarly, wearable devices incorporated with sensors such as the GPS, heart rate monitors, and pedometers are widely used in sports and fitness for tracking performance through unobtrusive and noninvasive monitoring and measurements [69]. Wearable sensors are integrated into a multitude of equipment used by professional athletes to monitor and measure their performance and safety [74]. For instance, sensors are incorporated into the helmets of National Football League (NFL) players to detect concussions and wired smart compression shirts are used to measure arm movement, and techniques are deployed to determine a pitcher's effectiveness in Major League Baseball (MLB). These different categories of wearable sensing devices can be efficiently deployed for safety and health data collection and analysis to provide real-time information to

workers in industrial environments for accident prediction and prevention.

This chapter has discussed multiple industry safety-related topics including safety

culture, hazard identification, safety leading and lagging indicators, safety data collection, analysis and sharing, and emerging technologies that can be embedded in safety management, training, and design. Multiple case studies and references were introduced to explain the different safety topics. Many more safety topics were not/ briefly discussed in this chapter but still very important to know, for example, safety laws and regulations, design for safety, safety activity analysis, safety and productivity, heavy equipment management, occupational health illness-related topics, etc.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93797*

**6.3 Proximity detection devices**

**6.4 Wearable sensing devices**

[58], towel crane location optimization [59], etc.

be visual, vibratory, or audible warning signals [68].

#### *Industrial Safety Management Using Innovative and Proactive Strategies DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93797*

fall-related accidents; automated scaffolding-related safety hazard identification [53], visualization [54], and prevention [55], blind spots identification and mapping [56], path planning [57], near-miss information reporting and visualization [58], towel crane location optimization [59], etc.
