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Full Title:
Enhancing Hazard Recognition in Construction: Developing Personalized Safety Training to Overcome Cognitive Limitations

Abstract:
Maintaining situational awareness in the dynamic construction environment is crucial for hazard identification and risk management. Despite advanced site-monitoring techniques and safety systems, over 50% of construction hazards remain unrecognized. Human errors, such as attentional failures and flawed risk perception, cause up to 80% of accidents. This study proposes an AI-informed personalized safety training program using 360-degree panoramas and wearable sensors to address individual cognitive limitations and enhance hazard identification capabilities. Evaluations of this program show its potential to significantly improve learners' hazard identification by providing customized training addressing their cognitive failures. The implications extend beyond immediate safety improvements, suggesting a paradigm shift in how safety training is conceptualized and delivered across the construction industry. By laying the groundwork for cognitive factors affecting safety performance and offering a blueprint for more effective training designs, this study contributes valuable insights with the potential to transform safety practices and reduce workplace accidents.

Bio:
Behzad Esmaeili, Ph.D., is an associate professor with joint appointments in the School of Industrial Engineering and Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering at Purdue. His research focuses on making breakthrough discoveries in human factor–related theories and applying data analytics to advance occupational safety in the construction industry. His research group—Safety, Risk Management and Decision Making (SARMAD)—has established a sustainable research program that charts his research course and paves the way for the future growth of his students and colleagues. SARMAD’s motto is to set the standard in quality and innovation. Dr. Esmaeili’s research in this field has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Construction Industry Institute (CII), Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT), Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), Indiana Department of Transportation (InDOT), Department of Labor (DOL), and Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR). Dr. Esmaeili’s work has repeatedly been recognized nationally and internationally: most notably, he received Spain’s “Jaume Blasco Award” for innovation; his conference paper received the “Best Paper” award from the ASCE Construction Research Congress; his journal paper was selected as the “best paper” of the ASCE Journal of Management in Engineering; another journal paper was awarded the “best paper runner-up” for ASC International Journal of Construction Education and Research; and his research was featured in several construction management magazines internationally. Dr. Esmaeili actively serves on the Construction Industry Institute’s Safety Community of Business Advancement (CII SCBA) and AFH10 committee at the Transportation Research Board (TRB).