Real-time Construction Site Safety Risk Detection for On-foot Building Construction Workers Using RFID THESIS Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Nabeel Ali Mahmood Graduate Program in Civil Engineering The Ohio State University 2016 Thesis Committee: Dr. Tarunjit Butalia, Advisor Dr. Rachel Kajfez Dr. Charles Toth Copyright by Nabeel Ali Mahmood 2016 Abstract The construction industry is deemed to be among one of the most dangerous industries for on-foot workers because of the unique nature and uncertainty of its environment. Although the construction industry is regarded as one of the main pedestals of economic development, the current safety evaluation solutions have not been developed well enough to adequately control safety risks. The large number of detrimental accidents indicate the need for replacing incomprehensive, inconsistent, and lagging risk evaluation approaches with a more consistent, uniform, and reliable technological solution for identification, prioritization, detection, evaluation, and control of safety risks. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) based real-time risk detection solution for early identification and evaluation of predictable individual triggering risks presented in this research goes beyond the state-of-the-art of proximity sensing for safety risks. This study systemizes basic triggering risk events and uses fuzzy logic to play a key role of hosting the subjective linguistic risk evaluation values into computational values. Nevertheless, construction risks are not only limited to triggering risks as on-foot workers may be concurrently affected by several risks. The future work could achieve a real-time safety risk assessment system for the evaluation of the combined effect of comprehensive risk drivers concurrently being exposed to on- foot construction worker. This could help in systemizing the basic triggering, basic enabling, and conditional risk drivers into a fuzzy fault tree model being a holistic prognostic approach for real-time risk assessment intelligent system that could be integrated with the methodology of real-time interactive risk detection. The real- time evaluation solutions make risks more recognizable and measurable for on- foot workers at the time of exposure to enhance adequate responses and proactive decisions for risk control, accidents prevention, and health protection. ii Dedication Dedicated to the souls of all the innocent casualties from the past and future. iii Acknowledgments I acknowledge the continuous support of my advisor, Dr. Tarunjit Butalia, advisory committee members, Dr. Rachel Kajfez and Dr. Charles Toth, and my family who enriched my potentials and enhanced me to explore. iv Vita January 2011................................................... Civil Engineering B.E. December 2011 ...............................................Engineer Intern August 2013 ....................................................LEED Green Associate November 2013 ...............................................Project Management Professional My key qualifications are the consolidation of engineering and leadership skills attained from working with professional and international organizations dealing with civil engineering and management disciplines. Moreover, I have a unique life story that drives my passion to strive for success in all my life events and projects. Fields of Study Major Field: Civil Engineering v Table of Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................ii Dedication ............................................................................................................ iii Acknowledgments ................................................................................................iv Vita ....................................................................................................................... v Table of Contents .................................................................................................vi List of Tables ........................................................................................................ix List of Figures ....................................................................................................... x List of Abbreviations ............................................................................................ xii 1 Chapter One: Introduction .............................................................................. 1 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................ 1 1.2 Statement of Problem ............................................................................. 5 1.3 Scope and Limitation of Study ................................................................ 7 1.3.1 Objective of Study............................................................................... 7 1.3.2 Scope of Study ................................................................................... 8 1.4 Value of Research ................................................................................ 10 1.5 Research Outline ................................................................................. 13 2 Chapter Two: The Methodology for Safety Risk Detection Using RFID ....... 15 2.1 Methodology Outline ............................................................................ 15 2.1.1 Introduction ....................................................................................... 15 vi 2.1.2 Methodology Principle Steps ............................................................ 15 2.2 The Methodology for the Analytical Research ...................................... 16 2.2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................... 16 2.2.2 Risk Detection Process Design ........................................................ 16 2.2.3 Risk Detection Intelligent System Research Methodology ................ 19 2.2.3.1 Introduction............................................................................... 19 2.2.3.2 Accident Causation Analysis .................................................... 19 2.2.3.3 Risk Drivers Systemization ....................................................... 20 2.2.3.4 Risk Analysis ............................................................................ 22 2.2.3.5 Risk Detection Intelligent System ............................................. 24 2.2.4 Risk Detection Method Design ......................................................... 24 2.2.4.1 RFID Technology Compatibility Analysis (State-of-the-art) ...... 24 2.2.4.1.1 Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Overview ................ 24 2.2.4.1.2 RFID Technology Use in Risk Management ....................... 27 2.2.4.2 Real-time Risk Detection Method Design ................................. 32 2.2.4.2.1 Introduction ......................................................................... 32 2.2.4.2.2 Risk Prioritization ................................................................ 33 2.2.4.2.3 Risk Detection ..................................................................... 46 2.2.4.2.4 Risk Evaluation ................................................................... 48 2.2.4.2.5 Risk Control ........................................................................ 49 2.2.4.2.6 Detection Method Summary ................................................ 51 3 Chapter Three: Systemization of Construction Safety Triggering Risks ....... 52 3.1 Introduction .......................................................................................... 52 3.2 Domino theory ...................................................................................... 54 vii 3.3 Systemization of Construction Safety Risks ......................................... 56 3.3.1 Introduction ....................................................................................... 56 3.3.2 Basic Triggering Construction Risk Events ....................................... 58 3.3.2.1 Basic Triggering Risk Events Classification ............................. 58 3.3.2.1.1 Falls, Slips, Trips Risks ....................................................... 61 3.3.2.1.2 Struck by/Caught in Falling Objects Risks .......................... 66 3.3.2.1.3 Struck by/Caught in Moving Objects Risks ......................... 68 3.3.2.1.4 Exposure to Harmful Substances or Environments Risks ... 70 4 Chapter Four: Simulation of Risk Detection Method .................................... 74 4.1 Introduction .......................................................................................... 74 4.2 Detection Method Simulation Program ................................................. 74 4.2.1 Simulation Program Process ............................................................ 74 4.2.2 Simulation Program Algorithm .......................................................... 75 4.2.3 Simulation Program Cases ............................................................... 79 5 Chapter Five: Conclusion ............................................................................. 94 5.1 Summary and Conclusion .................................................................... 94 5.2 Recommendations ............................................................................... 97 5.3 Future Work ........................................................................................