Lin, Ken-yu; Tsai, Meng-han; Gatti, Umberto C.; Lin, Jacob Je-chian; Lee, Cheng-hao; Kang, Shih-chung. (2014). A User-centered Information And Communication Technology (ict) Tool To Improve Safety Inspections. Automation In Construction, 48, 53 – 63.
Abstract
Occupational safety is imperative in construction, and safety inspection is among the most common practices that help enforce job safety on site. The safety inspection process, however, suffers from several drawbacks that hinder the efficiency, effectiveness, and analytical learning capacity of the process. Dedicated tools for user-centered information and communications technology could significantly reduce such drawbacks. This paper discusses the use of an original two-step user-centered design approach to develop and evaluate an iPad application that aims to address such drawbacks and improve the day-to-day practices and management of safety inspections. Evaluation results indicate the usefulness and practicality of the application and identify innovative uses not previously envisioned. Furthermore, the developed tool allows consistent data collection that can eventually be used to aid the development of advanced safety and health data analysis techniques. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords
Information & Communication Technologies; Industrial Safety; Data Analysis; Technological Innovations; Ipads; Construction Safety; Field Data Collection; Field Inspection; Information And Communication Technology; Research To Practice; Safety Audit; Safety Inspection; Safety Technology; Site Inspection; User-centered Design; User-centered Information And Communication Technology Tool; Safety Inspection Process; Occupational Safety; Job Safety; Analytical Learning Capacity; Communications Technology; Two-step User-centered Design Approach; Ipad Application; Innovative Uses; Consistent Data Collection; Construction; Advanced Safety-health Data Analysis Techniques; Construction Industry; Information Technology; Inspection; Occupational Health; User Centred Design; Construction Site Safety; Management-system; Design; Productivity