buildings

Review
Big Data Technology in Construction Safety Management:
Application Status, Trend and Challenge
Qingfeng Meng 1 , Qiyuan Peng 1, * , Zhen Li 1 and Xin Hu 2

1 School of Management, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China; [email protected] (Q.M.);
[email protected] (Z.L.)
2 School of Architecture and Built Environment, Deakin University, 1 Gheringhap Street,
Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia; [email protected]
* Correspondence: [email protected]

Abstract: The construction industry is a high-risk industry with many safety accidents. The popularity
of Internet information technology has led to an explosion in the amount of data obtained in various
engineering fields, and it is of necessary significance to explore the current situation of the application
of big data technology in construction safety management. This paper systematically reviews
66 articles closely related to the research topic and objectives, describes the current status of big data
application to various construction safety issues from the perspectives of both big data collection and
big data analysis for engineering and construction projects, and categorically lists the breakthrough
results of big data analysis technology in improving construction safety. Finally, the trends and
challenges of big data in the field of construction safety are discussed in three directions: the
application of big data to worker behavior, the prospect of integrating big data technologies, and
the integration of big data technologies with construction management. The aim of this paper
is to demonstrate the current state of research on big data technology fueling construction safety
management, providing valuable insight into improving safety at engineering construction sites and
Citation: Meng, Q.; Peng, Q.; Li, Z.; providing guidance for future research in this field.
Hu, X. Big Data Technology in
Construction Safety Management: Keywords: big data; big data analysis; construction safety; machine learning; literature review
Application Status, Trend and
Challenge. Buildings 2022, 12, 533.
https://doi.org/10.3390/
buildings12050533 1. Introduction
Academic Editors: Tao Wang, Jian The construction industry is an important material production sector and one of the
Zuo, Hanliang Fu and Zezhou Wu pillar industries of China’s national economy, and it is also a high-risk industry with a high
Received: 16 March 2022
incidence of safety accidents [1]. According to research studies, construction workers are
Accepted: 18 April 2022
three to six times more likely to be involved in safety accidents than other industries [2].
Published: 22 April 2022
Construction safety accidents cause injuries, deaths and significant direct and indirect losses
to construction workers. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of safety management on
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral
construction sites is of great importance and has a profound impact on the sustainable
with regard to jurisdictional claims in
development of the construction industry. Over the last decade, various stakeholders in
published maps and institutional affil-
construction projects have attempted to improve safety in the construction process from a
iations.
number of angles, such as the implementation of construction safety-related systems and
the development of construction safety management systems [3]. Despite the efforts made,
the construction industry still faces significant challenges in terms of safety issues [4].
Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.
In the era of rapid information technology development, data are everywhere all the
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. time, and a pool of big data with remarkable diversity and complexity is invariably born,
This article is an open access article referred to as “Big Data” [5]. Due to the large scope and classification of data, it is difficult for
distributed under the terms and people to collect information efficiently and comprehensively if they use manual methods
conditions of the Creative Commons or a single computer device. Instead, they need to use big data technology and some high-
Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// tech means to collect, classify and technically process data to fully explore the value of data
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ and information. The emergence of big data has prompted various industries to re-examine
4.0/). scientific research methods and has triggered a series of technological revolutions. As a

Buildings 2022, 12, 533. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12050533 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/buildings

Buildings 2022, 12, 533 2 of 19

branch of scientific research, the field of construction safety management is also exploring
ways to make use of big data [6]. The construction industry is now already dealing with
large volumes of heterogeneous data. With the commoditization of technologies such as
the Internet of Things and the advent of the cloud era, this figure is expected to grow
exponentially [7].
Many scholars both nationally and internationally have already conducted in-depth
studies on the application of big data to construction safety. For example, Ayhan and
Tokdemir [8] developed a new model using real data collected anonymously from various
construction sites to predict engineering construction accidents using a technical approach
of potential class clustering analysis and artificial neural networks (ANN) and suggesting
necessary preventive measures. In addition, Guo et al. [9] developed a big-data-based
worker behavior observation platform by combining traditional behavioral observations
with advanced technology to identify unsafe behavior patterns so that strategies and tech-
niques could be implemented to improve safety at their construction sites. Other scholars
such as Su et al. [10] proposed a data-driven approach that aims to use convolutional neural
network (CNN)-based image recognition techniques to develop automated data-driven fire
detection and alarm systems that improve safety at engineering construction sites, allowing
for efficient prevention and rapid identification of unexpected emergencies in engineering.
Although scholars have made some progress in their research on the application of
big data to construction safety, the research is limited to a single or a few technical means
of big data analysis and does not provide a systematic understanding of how existing big
data analysis techniques can serve the construction safety field. However, the question of
how to extract valid information and create value from big data remains paramount in the
face of the sheer volume and greater complexity of data. Despite the increasing research on
big data in the scientific community, there is little comprehensive research by scholars on
the current state of knowledge. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to review and
screen the literature of the last decade of management research on the application of big
data to various construction safety issues, to systematize the technical means of big data
analysis, and to explore the current status, trends and the application of big data in the
field of construction safety from three research topics: big data applied to worker behavior,
the prospect of integrating big data technology, and the integration of big data technology
with construction management challenges. This paper aims to provide valuable insights
into improving safety at engineering construction sites and to provide guidance for future
research in this field.
The innovation of this paper lies in the following aspects: (1) At present, there are few
papers that comprehensively classify and sort out the big data technologies applied to the
field of construction safety, and more studies focus on a specific big data technology applied
to a specific construction safety problem. (2) This paper classifies the papers based on four
forms of big data collection and big data analysis, and comprehensively summarizes the
research status of big data analysis technology in construction safety in four forms: text
analysis, audio analysis, video analysis and prediction analysis, which ensures the integrity
of the literature review and the scientific and effectiveness of the guidance for engineering
construction. (3) On the basis of a comprehensive summary of the existing literature, the
paper discusses three aspects of big data application to workers’ behavior, the integration
of big data technology and the combination of big data with a construction management
system, and provides an outlook on future research on the sustainable development of
engineering construction safety.
The sections are organized as follows: Section 2 presents the methodology of the
paper: the criteria by which the literature was collected and classified, and the keyword co-
occurrence presentation of the sample literature through the VOS viewer literature analysis
software. Section 3 provides a detailed list of existing technical tools and the current state
of application of big data collection and big data analysis. Section 4 discusses three aspects
of big data application to worker behavior, the integration of big data technologies, and the
Buildings 2022, 12, 533 3 of 19

integration of big data with construction management systems. Finally, Section 5 contains
the conclusion section.

2. Research Methodology
2.1. Framework Design of Research Methodology
The aim of this paper is to systematically analyze how the increasing application of
big data analytics in engineering construction activities after the big data revolution has
had a positive effect on construction safety, and to comprehensively sort out the technical
means of big data collection and big data analytics in construction safety. In addition, we
discuss what opportunities and challenges are still facing several dimensions of big data
applications in the field of construction safety.
Based on this research theme and objective, the target literature will be screened and
analyzed, and the detailed process of literature screening is described in Section 2.2. Next,
in Section 2.3, the target literature will be analyzed for clustering of keywords in order to
understand the current research issues and frontier hotspots in the relevant literature in order
to prepare the groundwork for a better classification of the literature on the one hand, and to
try to clarify the current research status and find the future frontier issues on the other.

2.2. Literature Source

When searching the literature, we first searched the Web of Science (WoS) database
using the subject term “Big Data” and found that the literature on Big Data has been around
since 1974, and as of September 2021, the number of papers on Big Data has been increasing
and has exceeded 140,000 papers. However, of these, the number of articles published under
“Big Data + construction” (5095 articles)/“Big Data + engineering (18,542 articles)”/“Big
Data + building” (12,573 articles)/“Big Data + architecture” (10,703 articles) search came
up with 46,913 references on engineering and construction, accounting for 32% of the
literature on big data. Additionally, since the relevant literature was found to be published
mainly between 2011 and 2021, we focus on this decade as the main research object, in
which the application of big data in construction safety becomes increasingly important
and has more reference value. Through extensive literature reading, it was found that some
articles did not cover the field of construction safety, so the search was then narrowed
down. In order to further refine the literature, we will use various keyword combinations
for secondary screening, such as “Big Data, Machine learning, learning, Prediction model,
Data mining”, and “Construction safety, Construction safety, Worker safety, Construction
risk, Engineering risk”, as shown in Table 1, and 2128 documents were obtained.

Table 1. Literature searching query.

Step Title/Abstract/Keywords Document Type Language

(“Big data”) AND (“Construction” OR
Research articles/Conference
Step1 “Engineering” OR “Building” English
articles/Literature reviews
OR “Architecture”)
(“Machine learning” OR “Prediction model” OR
“Data mining”) AND (“Construction” OR Research articles/Conference
Step2 English
“Engineering” OR “Building” OR “ Architecture” articles/Literature reviews
OR “worker”) AND “safety” OR “risk”)

Further manual review was carried out on the following selection criteria while
ensuring the quality and relevance of the articles.
(1) Inclusion criteria: The research object of this paper is the current situation of big
data service in the field of construction safety. We collect all kinds of big-data-related
technical means acting in the field of construction safety, and conduct a comprehensive
sorting based on the collection of big data in the field of construction safety and the four
forms of big data analysis technology, so whether the research content of the literature is a
 data service in the field of construction safety. We collect all kinds of big-data-related tech-
nical means acting in the field of construction safety, and conduct a comprehensive sorting
based on the collection of big data in the field of construction safety and the four forms of
big data analysis technology, so whether the research content of the literature is a general
overview of the impact of big data on the field of construction safety, or the impact of a
Buildings 2022, 12, 533 4 of 19
separate big data analysis technology on the field of construction safety, or the impact of
a separate big data analysis or the impact of a single big data analytics technique on a
particular dimensiongeneralof overview
constructionof thesafety,
impactallof were included
big data in our
on the field literature screening.
of construction safety, or the impact
(2) Exclusion criteria: Literature completely unrelated to engineering
of a separate big data analysis technology on the field of construction and safety,
construc-
or the impact
tion safety was eliminated.
of a separateOur big main exclusion
data analysis wasimpact
or the literature on specific
of a single big data equipment con-
analytics technique on a
struction, software particular
design dimension
and other of construction
completely safety, all
technical were included
aspects, which did in ournotliterature
meet the screening.
(2) Exclusion
research theme and objectives criteria:
of this Literature completely unrelated to engineering and construction
paper.
safety was eliminated. Our
(3) In-depth search: After manual screening, main exclusion was literature
we obtained on specific
50 papers with equipment
high rele- construc-
tion, software design and other completely technical aspects, which did not meet the
vance to the research topic of this paper. On this basis, we started to screening the refer-
research theme and objectives of this paper.
ences listed in these papers. Based on the selection of databases in the references and the
(3) In-depth search: After manual screening, we obtained 50 papers with high rele-
guarantee of thevancequality of research
to the the articles, wethis
topic of cooperated
paper. On thiswith Google
basis, Scholar
we started to conduct
to screening the references
searches related to the in
listed research topic.Based
these papers. At theonsame time, during
the selection the research
of databases process of
in the references this
and the guaran-
paper, the literature
tee ofwill
the be continuously
quality searched
of the articles, and supplemented
we cooperated with GoogleinScholar
the Web of Sci- searches
to conduct
ence database. related to the research topic. At the same time, during the research process of this paper, the
literature
We eventually will be
identified 66continuously
papers thatsearched
met theand supplemented
research criteria in
forthe Web
this of Science
paper. The database.
We
process is shown in Figure 1. eventually identified 66 papers that met the research criteria for this paper. The
process is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Framework of research methodology.

12, x FOR PEER REVIEW 5 of 19

Figure 1. Framework of research methodology.

Buildings 2022, 12, 533 5 of 19

2.3. Literature Analysis

2.3.1. Co-Occurrence AnalysisAnalysis
2.3. Literature of the Literature
This section2.3.1.
performs a co-occurrence
Co-Occurrence Analysisanalysis of keywords in the literature. In gen-
of the Literature
eral, the number of keywords
This sectionfor co-occurrence
performs analysis
a co-occurrence should
analysis of be between
keywords 200literature.
in the and 500.In general,
The number of keywords
the number inofthe literature
keywords forcited in this paper
co-occurrence is 201,
analysis which
should is suitable
be between for 500. The
200 and
number of keywords in the literature cited in this paper
keyword co-occurrence analysis. Figure 2 shows the current situation of the application is 201, which is suitable for
keyword co-occurrence analysis. Figure 2 shows the current
of big data technology in construction safety management keyword co-occurrence, which situation of the application
of big data technology in construction safety management keyword co-occurrence, which
with the help of the visual analysis tool VOS viewer shows the relationship between each
with the help of the visual analysis tool VOS viewer shows the relationship between each
keyword and different colored sets of words. Different colors represent different sets, and
keyword and different colored sets of words. Different colors represent different sets, and
the frequency of the
the frequency
keyword of being cited is indicated
the keyword being citedby the size of
is indicated bythe
the legend node.
size of the Thenode. The
legend
strength of the relationship
strength of the relationship between each node is indicated by the distancethe
between each node is indicated by the distance between between the
nodes: the more distant themore
nodes: the nodes are, the
distant the nodes
weaker are,the
therelationship between the
weaker the relationship keyword
between the keyword
and other keywords, and the
and other closer the
keywords, and nodes are,the
the closer thenodes
easier it the
are, is toeasier
cluster
it isthem to form
to cluster them to form
co-occurring
co-occurring phrases. phrases.

40
35
35

30 28
Number of Papers

26
25

20

15
11
10
6 6
5 2 3 3
1 1
0
2008 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Year

Figure 2. Keywords co-occurrence

Figure map
2. Keywords of references.
co-occurrence map of references.

Based on the resultsBased of

on the co-occurrence
the results clustering,clustering,
of the co-occurrence Table 2 Table
summarizes the five
2 summarizes the five main
main sets of co-occurrence clusters in Figure 2 and shows that “Big Data” is the centercenter
sets of co-occurrence clusters in Figure 2 and shows that “Big Data” is the of of the
the five keyword clusters and is closely connected to the other four. Of course, it is alsois also the
five keyword clusters and is closely connected to the other four. Of course, it
largest in terms of legend size. In group 1: “Big Data analytics”, “Cloud computing”,
the largest in terms of legend size. In group 1: “Big Data analytics”, “Cloud computing”,
“Construction”, “Data analytics”, “Hadoop” and “Safety” show several existing forms of
“Construction”, “Data analytics”, “Hadoop” and “Safety” show several existing forms of
big data technology and the current state of big data technology for construction safety.
big data technology and the
In group currentlearning”
2 “Machine state of big
anddata technology
“Activity for construction
recognition” as the research safety.
and discussion
In group 2 “Machine learning” and “Activity recognition” as the research and discussion
points. The “Machine learning” and “Activity recognition” are representative of the big
points. The “Machine learning”approaches
data technology and “Activitystudiedrecognition” are In
and discussed. representative of the learning”,
the case of “machine big for
data technology approaches
example, the studied and discussed.
use of machine In the case
learning methods canof “machine
help to assesslearning”,
safety risksfor
through the
example, the useinput of datalearning
of machine and the aid of a series
methods can of algorithms.
help to assess “Processing”, “Deep learning”
safety risks through the and
input of data and “Construction
the aid of aworkers”
series ofin algorithms.
Groups 3 and“Processing”,
4 refine the specific
“Deeptechniques
learning” used
andfor big data
analytics in the field of construction safety. Many of the articles examine the safety of
“Construction workers” in Groups 3 and 4 refine the specific techniques used for big data
construction workers in terms of audio and video process analysis. In Group 5, “Motion
analytics in the field of construction safety. Many of the articles examine the safety of con-
capture”, “Motion recognition” and “Motion sensor” show how motion recognition is an
struction workersimportant
in termspart
of audio
of bigand
datavideo process
analytics appliedanalysis. In Group
to construction 5, “Motion
worker cap-
safety. Recognition is
ture”, “Motion recognition” and “Motion sensor” show how motion recognition is an im-
portant part of big data analytics applied to construction worker safety. Recognition is a
Buildings 2022,12,
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of19
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ahot
hottopic
topicininthe
theapplication
applicationof of big
big data
data analytics
analytics to
to construction
construction safety
safety management.
management. In In
addition,
addition, keyword hotspot maps were also developed by using VOS viewer(Figure
keyword hotspot maps were also developed by using VOS viewer (Figure3).
3). As
As
shown
shown in
in Figure
Figure 3,
3, the
the research
research hotspots
hotspots mainly
mainly include
include big
big data
data analytics,
analytics, deep
deep learning,
learning,
machine learning, and construction safety. This also confirms that the main research
machine learning, and construction safety. This also confirms that the main research content
con-
focuses on “The positive impact of big data analysis technology on construction
tent focuses on “The positive impact of big data analysis technology on construction safety”.
safety”.
Table 2. Keyword co-occurrence phrase summary.
Table 2.Group
Keyword co-occurrence phrase summary.
Keyword Co-Occurrence Phrases
Group Keyword
big data; big data analytics;Co-Occurrence Phrases
data analytics; cloud computing; construction;
Group 1
big data; big data analytics; data Hadoop; safety
analytics; cloud computing; construction;
Group 1
Group 2
Hadoop;
machine learning; activity safety construction industry;
recognition;
safety management
machine learning; activity recognition; construction industry; safety man-
Group 2
Group 3 construction safety; construction
agement workers; motion capture
Group 34
Group construction safety; construction
audio processing; workers;
deep learning; motion sound
environmental capture
Group 45
Group audio processing; deep learning; environmental
motion recognition; motion sensor sound
Group 5 motion recognition; motion sensor

Figure3.
Figure 3. Keyword
Keyword hotspot
hotspotmaps.
maps.

2.3.2.
2.3.2. Literature
Literature Publication
Publication Source
SourceAnalysis
Analysis
Our
Ouranalysis
analysisofofthe
theliterature extracted
literature from
extracted the the
from paper shows
paper that the
shows thatpublication time
the publication
statistics (Figure
time statistics 4) show
(Figure 4) that
show from
that2011
fromto2011
the end of 2021,
to the there
end of 2021,is an increasing
there amount
is an increasing
of literature
amount related torelated
of literature big data toand
big the
dataapplication of big dataofinbig
and the application engineering is becoming
data in engineering is
more and more important, with the most literature matching the theme
becoming more and more important, with the most literature matching the theme of this paper of
in this
the
journal
paper in Building Automation,
the journal Buildingand more attention
Automation, can attention
and more be paid tocan
thisbejournal
paid tointhis
thejournal
future to
in
obtain more relevant content.
the future to obtain more relevant content.
, x FOR PEER REVIEW
Buildings 2022, 12, 533 7 of 19 7 of 19

16

14 15

12
Number of Paper

10

8 9

6 7
6 6
4 5
4
2 3
1 2 2
0
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
year

Figure 4. Number of papers in references.

Figure 4. Number of papers in references.
3. Overview of Big Data Technologies
3. Overview of Big Data Technologies
In recent years, the popularity of Internet information technology has led to an ex-
plosion
In recent years, the in the amountofofInternet
popularity data available in various
information engineering
technology fields
has led[11].
to anAtex-
the same
time, the expanding storage capacity and continuous advances in computing technology
plosion in the amount of data available in various engineering fields [11]. At the same
have enabled the information value of big data to be captured in a timely and effective
time, the expandingmanner [12]. capacity
storage The natureand continuous
of big advances
data is ambiguous. The in computing
nature technology
of big data is ambiguous and
have enabled therequires
information value
extensive of bigto data
processes to the
identify be data
captured in a timely
and transform them and effective
into new insights [13].
manner [12]. The nature of big data is ambiguous. The nature of big data is ambiguous
Therefore, we need to mine large structured and unstructured datasets using a number of
non-traditional
and requires extensive processesdata filtering tools
to identify to provide
the data useful data
and transform insights
them into[14].
newHence, Big Data
insights
Management, which analyses and extracts value from the data collected, has emerged. This
[13]. Therefore, we need to mine large structured and unstructured datasets using a num-
section will review and analyze the current state of application of big data technology in
ber of non-traditional data filtering
construction tools to provide
safety management based onuseful data insights
the literature [14].screened,
that has been Hence, in Bigterms of
Data Management, which analyses and extracts
both big data collection and analysis. value from the data collected, has
emerged. This section will review and analyze the current state of application of big data
3.1. Big Data Collection
technology in construction safety management based on the literature that has been
screened, in terms of both bigdevelopment
With the data collectionof computer technology and a range of high-tech technologies,
and analysis.
there are more and more means of collecting big data. For example, Han et al. [15] devel-
oped a human motion capture framework based on visual recognition technology that
3.1. Big Data Collection
can extract 3D human skeletal motion models from live videos and use the motion data
With the development of computer
to identify unsafe technology
movements andYu
of workers. a range of high-tech
et al. [16] proposed atechnologies,
parametric approach
there are more and more means of collecting big data. For example, Han et al. [15]workers
based on an image skeleton to identify unsafe behavior of construction devel- in real
oped a human motion capture framework based on visual recognition technology that canleading
time, which develops the behavior recognition process by identifying the relevant
gestures and their parameters, determining a range of standard values for the parame-
extract 3D human skeletal motion models from live videos and use the motion data to
ters and proposing an early unsafe behavior recognition method. Alwasel et al. [17] also
identify unsafe movements of workers.
utilized inertial measurement Yu units
et al.(IMUs)
[16] proposed
and cameras a parametric approach
to collect kinematic data from
based on an image skeleton
masonry to identify
workers unsafe
and identify behavior
posture offrom
clusters construction
them. Yu etworkers in real
al. [18] made a detailed
time, which develops the behavior
classification of data recognition process
collection related by identifying
to construction workers’the relevant
work postureleading
and evaluated
gestures and theirthe performance
parameters, of each posture-related
determining a range ofdata collection
standard method
values comparatively
for the parameters to show
and proposing an early unsafe behavior recognition method. Alwasel et al. [17] also uti- for
the advantages of motion sensors and RGB image-based worker posture estimation
safety management.
lized inertial measurement units (IMUs) and cameras to collect kinematic data from ma-
sonry workers and identify posture clusters from them. Yu et al. [18] made a detailed
classification of data collection related to construction workers’ work posture and evalu-
ated the performance of each posture-related data collection method comparatively to
show the advantages of motion sensors and RGB image-based worker posture estimation
for safety management.
Buildings 2022, 12, 533 8 of 19

A new management approach in big data collection and management is behavior-

based safety (BBS), which is used to observe, analyze and modify workers’ behavior in
construction [19]. Guo, Ding, Luo and Jiang [9] developed a big-data-based employee
behavioral observation platform to collect and identify unsafe behavior patterns to im-
prove safety on its construction sites by combining traditional behavioral observation with
advanced technology. The specific implementation is to first establish a knowledge base
of behavioral risks and a list of unsafe behaviors to focus on at construction sites, then
conduct construction behavior data collection through video surveillance observation of
workers’ behavior during construction and on-site photo observation, and store the unsafe
behavior image data and on-site photos collected from the surveillance video in a big data
cloud platform, classify the data, and through a distributed file manager, storing the data.
This management approach to data collection not only saves time and effort, but it also
does not require human observation of a large number of samples, and does not require
the cooperation of workers.

3.2. Big Data Analysis

Big data comes from different data sources that have different forms of data and are
processed by different organizational entities, thus forming a big data chain [20]. In addition
to the sheer volume of data, big data has characteristics that traditional data do not have. Big
data includes structured, semi-structured and unstructured data, and unstructured data are
increasingly becoming a major part of the data and require more real-time analysis [21,22].
As a result, Lee [23] pointed out that the acquisition, storage, management and analysis
of large collections of data that are significantly beyond the capabilities of traditional
database software tools cannot simply be performed using traditional data management
and analysis techniques, but require special techniques to effectively handle large volumes
of data that are tolerated over elapsed time. Additionally, Gandomi and Haider [12] found
that discussions of big data have focused on structured data, ignoring the fact that big data
often exists in the form of audio, images, video and unstructured text. With unstructured
data accounting for up to 95% of big data, there is a need to develop sound and effective
analytics to capture the value of the vast amount of heterogeneous data in unstructured
text, audio and video formats, which should also include the development of various
classification and prediction systems to examine trends and patterns and then interpret the
results [24]. Manyika et al. [25] listed 26 common data analysis methods in the 2011 report.
The five most frequently used methods in the current research literature are simulation,
predictive modelling, optimization, statistics and regression, with around a third of papers
using these methods [11]. However, there are about ten big data analytics techniques that
are applicable to the engineering and construction safety field. Gandomi and Haider [12] of
the study divided these techniques into five categories, with text analytics, audio analytics,
video analytics, social media analytics and predictive analytics by type of data structure
format. Among them, construction safety management is less involved in social media
type of data; therefore, this paper focuses on big data analysis techniques in the field of
construction safety and divides them into four categories, namely text analysis, audio
analysis, video analysis and predictive analysis, and the specific big data techniques are
shown in Table 3.
Buildings 2022, 12, 533 9 of 19

Table 3. Technical summary.

Technology Data Format

Motion sensor Worker posture
Identification of pose clusters
Big data collection Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and camera
from kinematic data
Extract 3D human bone
Motion capture & recognition framework
motion model from video
Statistical analysis The text data
Data mining The text data

Text analysis Regression tree (CART) data mining The text data
Principal Component Analysis (PCA) The text data
A hybrid model combining GRU & symbiotic
The text data
search (SOS)
Audio signals and machine learning Audio data
Audio signal classification method based on
Audio data
deep belief network (DBN)
New CMC system with mixed
Audio analysis Audio data
acoustic characteristics
Deep recurrent neural network based on
Audio data
LSTM unit
Sensors and calculations and
Audio data
analysis programs
Based on CNN image recognition technology Video data
Video analysis
Big data analysis A visual unsafe behavior detection framework
Video data
based on CNN image recognition technology
GM (1,1) model Statistical data
Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) Image data
Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and
Statistical data
Long- and Short-Term Memory (LSTM)
Latent Class Clustering Analysis and Artificial
Statistical data
Neural Network (ANN)
Random Forest (RF) and Random Gradient
Statistical data
Forecast analysis Tree Increment (SGTB)
Machine learning Autoregressive Network
Probability Prediction (DeepAR) model based Statistical data
on time series and probability prediction
Support vector machine (SVM) algorithm Statistical data
Logistic regression, decision tree, random
Statistical data
forest and AdaBoost analysis
Linear Artificial Colony
Statistical data
Programming (LABCP)

3.2.1. Text Analysis

Text analysis (text mining) is the technique of extracting information from textual
data, transforming unstructured initial text into computer-recognizable, structured infor-
mation [12].
Buildings 2022, 12, 533 10 of 19

Common construction accidents are dominated by textual data, and the analysis of con-
struction accident data is one of the most effective ways to improve safety on construction
sites. Statistical analysis, as a common textual analysis technique, has been used by many
researchers to analyze accidents. For example, Chong and Low [26] analyzed the causes
and behaviors behind construction safety problems in Malaysia through the identification
study of past statistics and court cases, and with the help of actual statistics, took effective
safety measures and remedial measures to prevent and reduce the recurrence of future
construction injuries. Using a large amount of previously collected accident data, Xu and
Xu [27] used cluster analysis to rank the severity of fatal engineering construction accidents
and predict the potential fatalities caused by engineering construction accidents in 2020
based on the GM (1,1) model, the results of which can be used as a basis for preventing engi-
neering construction accidents in practice. Yang et al. [28] developed a statistical analysis of
14,578 construction accidents in Korea based on big data, including specific data on accident
causes, worker behavior, injury areas and injury factors, which provides a reference for
the improvement of the construction project management system (CPMS) construction
operation accident information service content. The issue of worker safety awareness is a
major concern on construction sites, as hazardous working conditions are attributed to the
dynamic and complex nature of construction sites, making the analysis of accident data in
construction sites particularly valuable. Park et al. [29] and Shin et al. [30] examined the
intuitive knowledge between multiple attributes of construction accidents expressed in the
form of association rules, using 98,189 mass casualty accidents that occurred on construc-
tion sites in Korea from 2006 to 2010. Kim and Kim [31] analyzed the causes of construction
site fire accidents not provided in the statistics in detail and applied Principal Component
Analysis (PCA) to infer seasonal specific factors of construction site fire accidents, providing
a solution for the prevention of such workplace accidents. Cheng et al. [32] developed a
hybrid model combining a gated circulation unit (GRU) and symbiotic biological search
(SOS), named Symbiotic Gated Circulation Unit (SGRU), to assist in the safety assessment
of construction projects by using natural language processing techniques to pre-process
text data for a priori classification. Li, Zhang, Wang and IEEE [14] used statistical analysis
to characterize accidents as a cornerstone for future construction accident prevention. In
summary, the textual analysis focuses on the collection and analysis of past accidents and
the advance avoidance of construction safety from a preventive perspective.

3.2.2. Audio Analysis

Audio analytics is the technique of analyzing and extracting information from un-
structured audio data, transforming unstructured speech information into a structured
index [12].
In recent years, there has been an increasing number of techniques to analyze audio
data generated in the construction sites of engineering projects. Lee et al. [33] investigated
an accident detection system based on audio data, which identifies construction accidents
through audio information and provides real-time safety information to workers. Rashid
and Louis [34] proposed a method using audio signals and machine learning to identify
manual construction safety activities in a modular construction plant. Scarpiniti et al. [35]
proposed a Deep Belief Network (DBN)-based audio signal classification method to identify
and detect construction safety issues on site through remote monitoring of work activities
on engineering construction projects. Scarpiniti et al. [36] proposed a deep recurrent neural
network (DRNN) method based on LSTM units to collect and classify audio data recorded
at engineering construction sites for hazardous behavior detection and activity range
monitoring, and this network can be used in construction sites where a rapid response is
required. During construction, the use of construction machinery causes serious damage
to underground pipeline networks, affecting people’s lives as well as construction safety.
Therefore, Wang et al. [37] proposed a new CMC system based on new hybrid acoustic
characteristics and proposed two new acoustic feature extraction methods for the collected
audio data, acting for the identification and monitoring of construction equipment. The
Buildings 2022, 12, 533 11 of 19

analysis of engineering construction operations based on audio data relies primarily on

advanced hardware facilities and targeted software techniques to achieve satisfactory func-
tionality [38]. Vulnerable construction environments require advanced safety monitoring
and event detection methods. In order to provide a complementary approach to safety
monitoring, Xie et al. [39] built an autonomous audio-based safety monitoring system
that uses machine learning techniques to accurately classify sound types based on sound
training data refined to project progress and safety data, and to provide early warnings
based on any irregularities detected. Park, Cho and Khodabandelu [29] used a sensor-
based tracking system to collect and use location data from individuals. A procedural
model has also been developed to quantify the potential risk to workers by analyzing and
calculating the safety of individual workers. As each operational activity in an engineering
construction site generates its own characteristic sound, its signage provides important
information about the nature of the operation, the process, the space in which the operation
takes place, etc., and safety-related issues. Therefore, Zhang et al. [40] developed a sound
recognition technique for engineering construction activity identification and task oper-
ation performance analysis, extracting Mel-frequency cepstrum coefficients representing
the characteristics of six types of sound data in construction and classifying the sound
data using a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) machine learning algorithm, a technique that
promises to reliably perform construction sound recognition reliably, making great use
of construction monitoring, performance assessment, and safety monitoring methods. In
view of this, audio analysis can be used to identify safety problems on construction sites by
analyzing sound (both human sound and any sound collected on site) to provide timely
or early warning; it can also be used as a reliable means of analysis after a safety incident
has occurred.

3.2.3. Video Analysis

Video analytics, also known as video content analysis (VCA), are a variety of tech-
niques for separating the background from the target in a video stream to track, monitor
and extract meaningful information [12].
In recent years, an increasing number of intelligent methods have been used for con-
struction management. With the continuous development of image recognition technology
driven by big data, construction sites of engineering projects have a more comprehensive
intelligent construction [10]. Han et al. [41] proposed a vision-based unsafe behavior de-
tection framework for behavior monitoring, and an experimental study is conducted on
motion datasets extracted from videos to detect predefined unsafe behaviors in videos.
Han et al. [42] also developed a computer vision-based motion capture technique for motion
tracking of 3D skeleton motion models extracted from video, and a motion classification
technique for automatic detection of worker movements was proposed. Subsequently,
Han, Lee and Peña-Mora [15] also converted the motion data collected from construction
workers during ladder climbing to the same space for motion detection with the 3D human
skeleton model extracted from the video and the a priori model. Afterwards, Han and
Lee [43] captured motion data using Kinect depth sensors to monitor and automatically
analyze the construction workers’ behavior. Using new big-data-driven technologies, Su,
Mao, Jiang, Liu and Wang [10] transformed the traditional engineering construction site
management problem into a computer graphics processing problem, introducing a system
developed based on CNN image recognition technology for model development, which
greatly improves the efficiency of engineering construction safety management through the
analysis of construction site processes. Tang and Golparvar-Fard [44] proposed a method
for predicting the severity level of individual workers from collected site images and video
clips. Worker activity recognition is further improved by a spatio-temporal graph neural
network model that uses the identification of worker activity per frame, detection of tool
and material bounding boxes, and estimation of worker posture, with great potential for
real-time worker safety detection and severity assessment. Video surveillance systems
provide a large amount of on-site unstructured image data for worker safety equipment
Buildings 2022, 12, 533 12 of 19

inspections, but there is a need for automated computer vision-based solutions for real-time
detection. Therefore, Li et al. [45] developed a video data-driven real-time construction site
helmet detection method based on applied deep learning techniques. The deep learning-
based model proposed using the SSD-Mobile Net algorithm is able to detect unsafe helmet
wearing failures on construction sites with good accuracy and efficiency. Tang et al. [46] pro-
posed an activity prediction framework for construction safety management to model the
uncertainty in prediction using a mixed density network (MDN), where a long short-term
memory (LSTM) encoder–decoder network is proposed to predict future locations, and
the movements of workers and equipment are predicted using the movements observed
from previous video data, which has a significant effect on the control of unsafe behavior
of workers at construction sites. As can be seen, video analytics allows for more flexibility
in analysing construction site conditions and is a more necessary means of analysis than
other big data analytics.

3.2.4. Predictive Analysis

Predictive analytics refers to algorithms and techniques based on historical and current
data that contain algorithms and techniques that can be used in structured and unstructured
data to predict future outcomes [12]. Predictive modelling refers to a set of rules specified
in mathematical language formulas so that the observed quantitative relationships and
changing trends between things reveal, to some extent, the inherent regularities between
things. Han and Wang [47] believed that prediction is at the heart of big data. Predictive
analytics techniques can be divided into two categories: some techniques such as mov-
ing averages, which extrapolate future developments from historical outcome variables,
and another category such as linear regression, which predicts from the interrelationship
between outcome and explanatory variables.
As smart construction grows and we collect more and more data, there is a new
trend towards big-data-driven and machine learning approaches to help with construction
safety risk assessment [48]. Many examples of successful applications using machine
learning techniques in the field of construction safety can be found in the literature [2]. The
study uses machine learning techniques to analyze 16 key factors that contribute to safety
incidents, employing eight algorithms—Logistic Regression, Decision Trees, Support Vector
Machines, Parsimonious Bayes, k-Nearest Neighbor, Random Forest, Multilayer Perceptron
and AutoML—to make predictions and to assess the effectiveness of combinations of
unsafe factors in predicting the severity of construction incidents. Tixier et al. [49] applied
two advanced machine learning models, Random Forest (RF) and Stochastic Gradient
Tree Addition (SGTB), to provide reliable probabilistic predictions of possible accidents.
Zhu et al. [50] applied, validated and compared the effectiveness of different machine
learning methods in classifying the severity of construction safety accidents in China. The
results are analyzed based on valid prediction models that can reveal some unique safety
risk patterns. Dong et al. [51] introduced a machine learning autoregressive network
probabilistic prediction (DeepAR) model based on time series and probabilistic prediction
into the project to predict slope displacements. It provides good safety control during
construction and reduces the number of slope instability incidents at building construction
sites. Choi, Gu, Chin and Lee [2] compared the effectiveness of machine learning methods
for prediction in construction safety management by using publicly available national data
to develop a predictive model for fatal accidents on construction sites, which can reduce
the likelihood of fatal accidents and provide more proactive management of construction
safety. Abbasianjahromi et al. [52] proposed a framework to develop an innovative machine
learning tool, Linear Artificial Bee Colony Planning (LABCP), to generate predictive models
for automatically finding and identifying the relationship between safety criteria and
project safety performance based on the data collected. By applying the results of LABCP
to practical research, the developed model will be able to predict future project safety by
measuring the valid performance criteria.
Buildings 2022, 12, 533 13 of 19

Neural networks are the construction of artificial neural network models that techni-
cally simulate certain intelligent activities of the human brain through learning algorithms
in order to solve real-world problems. Neural network models are widely used in big
data analysis techniques. Artificial neural networks are currently the most widely used
machine learning method in engineering construction risk assessment [48]. For example,
Lee and Han [53] proposed a convolutional neural network (CNN) to learn unsafe action
patterns by simulating workers’ unsafe behavior, which can prevent accidents related to
falls from heights by continuously monitoring workers at height and providing non-stop
feedback. Su, Mao, Jiang, Liu and Wang [10] also proposed a data-driven approach based
on convolutional neural networks (CNN) for the development of an automatic data-driven
fire detection and alarm system for engineering construction sites using CNN-based image
recognition techniques. The method is applicable to a variety of construction environ-
ments and is capable of recognizing live fires in real time and building a fire recognition
model while maintaining a high level of accuracy. Ding et al. [54] developed a new hy-
brid deep learning model integrating Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Long-
Short-Term Memory (LSTM), which automatically identifies unsafe conditions of workers.
The learning model is used to (1) identify unsafe worker behavior; (2) capture live video
and extract motion data; (3) extract visual features using a CNN model; and (4) rank the
learned features of the LSTM model. Ayhan and Tokdemir [8] developed a new model
for predicting construction accidents using potential class clustering analysis and artificial
neural networks (ANN) and proposed the necessary preventive measures. Using real data
collected anonymously from various construction sites, an artificial neural network (ANN)
is used to perform the severity analysis of the incidents.

4. Discussion
This study summarizes big data analytics techniques in the field of construction
safety applied to different types of data, but whether there are other types of big data
analytics techniques (e.g., inference and induction-based paradigms, abstraction-based
paradigms, simplification-based paradigms) that can be applied to construction safety
problems is subject to further research. Existing research on classification and identification
suggests that innovative applications of big data solutions are not directly related to
the construction process, but rather complement and improve the processes of major
construction projects [55]. Therefore, many questions remain such as: (1) How can big data
be applied to construction worker behavioral safety and what are the challenges? (2) How
can big data technologies be integrated into construction safety? (3) How can big data
technology be integrated with construction management systems? We will discuss these
questions in this study and answer them in the conclusion.

4.1. Challenges of Applying Big Data to Worker Behavioral Safety

In construction, worker behavior is one of the main causes of workplace accidents and
injuries (which includes not wearing protective equipment such as helmets and seat belts,
being struck by vehicles and construction equipment, maintaining unhealthy postures, etc.),
with approximately 80–90% of accidents being related to unsafe worker behavior [43].
Therefore, their behavioral safety needs to be given the utmost attention to reduce the
incidence of safety accidents [9]. However, this control process is not an easy task as their
unsafe behavior exhibits various characteristics and is influenced by numerous factors.
Therefore, the development of big data technologies for monitoring construction sites to
limit this unsafe behavior remains an unfinished challenge [56].
In the past, observing workers on the job site was more difficult, while the advent of
big data technology has provided a reliable and automated means of observing workers.
In terms of data collection, Yu, Umer, Yang and Antwi-Afari [18] revealed the widespread
use of motion sensors and RGB (red, green and blue) cameras for worker posture-related
data acquisition. Alwasel, Sabet, Nahangi, Haas and Abdel-Rahman [17] used an inertial
measurement unit (IMU) and a camera to collect kinematic data from the mason. In terms of
Buildings 2022, 12, 533 14 of 19

data recognition, Han and Lee [43] proposed a vision-based unsafe motion detection frame-
work for behavioral monitoring, where a 3D human skeletal motion model extracted from
live video and motion data are used to identify unsafe movements of workers. Xie et al. [57]
proposed a convolutional neural network-based helmet detection algorithm, through which
the model is trained to identify the exact helmet wearing pattern and computer vision
techniques are used to check the helmet wearing rate. Sanhudo et al. [58] proposed activity
classification of complex construction worker activities using accelerometers and machine
learning to guide workers from performing safer activities. Lee and Han [53] proposed a
convolutional neural network (CNN) to learn unsafe worker movement patterns, a method
that can prevent fall-related accidents by continuously monitoring workers at height and
providing real-time feedback. Huang et al. [59] found that the deep learning-based helmet
wearing detection algorithm optimizes the prior dimensionality algorithm for a specific
helmet dataset and improves the loss function to accurately detect whether the helmet
meets the wearing criteria, in combination with pixel feature statistics for image processing,
using a deep learning algorithm to monitor construction site safety procedures. However,
defining rules and templates for all unsafe behaviors is a challenge. As a result, others
have developed artificial-intelligence-based big data systems for construction worker safety
management to achieve better safety management with less human input and lower cost
resource investment [60]. In summary, the control of unsafe human behavior continues to
evolve and remains the primary challenge in the field of construction safety management.

4.2. Prospects and Challenges for the Integration of Big Data Technologies
With the progression of science and technology, information technology provides new
ideas for the development of the construction industry and the solution of various problems
in engineering and construction, and information technology to help the development of
the construction industry is bound to be the new direction [61]. Big data, as the blood of
information technology, has an extremely important role to play in the development of the
construction industry. By analyzing large datasets collected from different projects in differ-
ent places and under different conditions, we can extract the main factors that jeopardize
sustainability, so that they can be dealt with appropriately over time in subsequent projects
elsewhere [62]. Fragmented big data technologies have had a positive impact on all aspects
of construction safety on engineering projects, but it is our future challenge to integrate big
data technologies into a more comprehensive and integrated system.
Many scholars and companies have conducted a lot of research on the integration of
big data technologies applied to construction sites. For example, Liu, Hou, Xiong, Nyberg,
Li and IEEE [61] built a cloud platform for intelligent construction sites, which is based
on a cloud computing platform to realize a technical integration system that integrates
information such as mobile data collection, data mining and intelligent feedback pushing
for workers by managers, which can provide better supervision services and convenience
for managers. Zhou et al. [63] established a metro construction accident database to collect,
validate and store 548 records from the metro construction accident database (SCAD)
on the basis of six potential data sources. Based on these accident cases and the SCAD
coding scheme, in-depth analysis was conducted to identify accident trends and patterns
in multiple dimensions such as severity, consequences and causal factors to prevent future
metro construction accidents.
Big data is characterized by multi-source heterogeneity, time constraints, spatial and
temporal correlation, concurrency and synchronicity. The requirements for an efficient big
data collection process in construction projects and the requirements for “big and sparse in-
formation” construction site domain knowledge cannot be met by existing data integration
and calculation theories and methods, so new theories and methods for data processing
need to be set up for multi-scale convergence calculation and dynamic maps of big data,
and the need for new types of integration and collaboration of big data technologies is an
unfinished challenge.
Buildings 2022, 12, 533 15 of 19

4.3. Combining Big Data Technology with Construction Management Systems

Building construction involves more links and the management of complex content.
In all construction there are certain security risks, in the management of the need to
use modern technology to enhance the management level and improve the traditional
management model, to make up for the shortcomings of management work. At present,
big data technology plays an important role in the construction of engineering buildings,
and its application to the construction site management, to achieve the wisdom of the
construction site management, can bring more comprehensive protection for engineering
construction safety.
In pre-construction management, Li, Wei, Han, Huang and Wang [45] used big data
video analysis in conjunction with system management to check whether workers were
wearing safety equipment. It is also possible to measure and calculate the cognitive
state of construction workers based on EEG [22] and use intelligent design techniques
to study the application of new technologies in construction from a “human-centered”
perspective [64]. In construction process management, audio analysis, video analysis
and predictive analysis can be combined with system management to monitor the unsafe
behavior of workers during construction [46]. The system can be used to monitor the unsafe
behavior of workers [45] and environmental unsafe warnings [65]. This can be achieved
through a combination of audio analysis, video analysis and predictive analysis. Choi,
Gu, Chin and Lee [2] designed the construction end-of-construction management system
to monitor workers’ unsafe behavior during construction, and early warning of unsafe
behavior of equipment (early warning of environmental safety and better prevention of
construction accidents through predictive analysis). In the case of safety accidents in end-
of-construction management, accident data can be collected and analyzed through big data
text analysis [32]. Public health safety in engineering construction should not be ignored
either [66], which can all be monitored to some extent in the future by applying big data
analysis technology, which will provide data support for the comprehensive development
of engineering construction safety systems in the future.

5. Conclusions
The construction industry is an important material production sector and one of the
pillars of China’s national economy and is also a high-risk industry with a high incidence
of safety accidents. Construction safety accidents cause death, injury and significant
direct and indirect losses to construction workers. Therefore, an in-depth understanding
of safety management on construction sites is of great importance. Additionally, with
the development of computer technology and a range of high-tech technologies in the
engineering field, big data management techniques have emerged to analyze and extract
the value of the data collected. This paper systematically reviews 66 articles that are closely
related to the research topic and objectives and composes and analyses the current situation
of the application of big data technology in construction safety management from two
aspects: big data collection and analysis, providing valuable insights for improving safety
at engineering construction sites and guiding future research in this field.
Specifically, this review compares the current situation of big data applied to various
construction safety issues from the perspectives of big data collection and big data analysis
in engineering construction projects focuses on big data analysis technologies in the field
of construction safety and divides them into four categories, namely text analysis, audio
analysis, video analysis and predictive analysis, and lists the breakthrough achievements
of big data analysis technologies in improving construction safety. Finally, the trends and
challenges of big data in the field of construction safety are discussed in three directions: the
application of big data to worker behavior, the prospect of integrating big data technologies
and the integration of big data technologies with construction management.
From our research, we conclude that while big data analytics has been used in con-
struction safety for a long time, the more flexible and powerful integration of big data
technologies with construction safety has been relatively slow, and since these technologies
Buildings 2022, 12, 533 16 of 19

have broad applicability in many areas, and the big data trend is gradually spreading
throughout the engineering and construction industry, with emerging trends such as the
Internet of Things, cloud computing and smart buildings, further amplifying its applica-
bility, the integration of big data technologies with construction management systems is a
new future trend in construction safety. To our knowledge, this is the first in-depth look
at the application of big-data-related technologies to construction safety. In our work we
have identified a number of potential application areas and potential technologies that can
be combined and applied to construction safety, practically demonstrating that big data
technologies can improve the state of the art in construction safety in a number of ways.
This work is practical and relevant for all construction researchers and practitioners who
wish to exploit big data in the field of construction safety d construction.
Despite the extensive review, this study has the following limitations. Firstly, there are
many more big data techniques that can be applied to construction safety and there may
be other data collection tools with better performance that could not be included in this
review. Secondly, there is more than one factor affecting construction safety both on site,
and off site, and other force majeure factors including earthquakes were not considered in
the study.

Author Contributions: Conceptualization, Q.M. and Q.P.; methodology, Q.M. and Q.P.; software,
Q.P.; validation, Q.M., Q.P. and X.H.; formal analysis, Q.M. and Z.L.; investigation, Q.M. and Q.P.;
resources, Q.P.; data curation, Q.P.; writing—original draft preparation, Q.M. and Q.P.; writing review
and editing, Q.M., Q.P., Z.L. and X.H.; visualization, Q.M. and Q.P.; supervision, Q.M.; project
administration, Q.M. and Z.L.; funding acquisition, Q.M. and Z.L. All authors have read and agreed
to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos.
72071096, 71971100, 71671078); Social Science Fund of Jiangsu Province (19GLB005, 19GLB018);
The Key Project of Philosophy and Social Science Research in Colleges and Universities in Jiangsu
Province (2018SJZDI052); sponsored by Qing Lan Project of Jiangsu Province; Key Research Base
of Universities in Jiangsu Province for Philosophy and Social Science “Research Center for Green
Development and Environmental Governance”.
Data Availability Statement: The data presented in this study are available on request from the
corresponding author.
Acknowledgments: The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their invaluable
and constructive comments.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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