Applying advanced technology to improve safety management in the construction industry: a literature review

Technology application is deemed an effective way to further construction safety management. Various technologies have been adopted for construction safety, including information communication technology (ICT), sensor-based technology, 3S (GIS/GPS/RS) technology, radio frequency identification (RFID) and virtual reality. A review of previous studies in the area of technology applications for construction safety would be indispensable for the main stakeholders in this field to share innovative research findings and gain access to future research trends. A three-step method was used to obtain relevant publications (119 papers met the ultimate selection criteria) and compile a database of the findings. The results present a general review of technology application for construction safety from the aspects of number of papers published annually, publication type, publication name, country/region of distribution, research level, project phase and project type. Corresponding analysis was performed with the collected data and the radar chart was used for analysing the trend of technology application for construction safety and the trend of research topics. Five research gaps were identified in the review process. The trends and gaps can serve as motivation for researchers and practitioners to work on the next generation of studies and the development of future effective measures, which can ensure a safe construction environment.