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Journal of Industrial Safety Engineering Review Article

Safety in the Construction Industry: A Literature Review

  1. Syed Shafahaduddin Quadri

Abstract

The construction industry remains one of the most hazardous sectors of the global economy, consistently reporting disproportionate rates of fatal and non-fatal injuries relative to its share of employment. Over the past two decades, research on construction safety has expanded from traditional accident statistics and compliance-based approaches toward a more holistic understanding of safety performance, safety culture and climate, safety leadership, and the growing role of digital technologies such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), wearable sensors, virtual reality (VR), and computer vision. This paper presents a literature review of twenty peer-reviewed studies published in leading construction, safety, and engineering management journals, including Safety Science, Automation in Construction, the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Construction Management and Economics, the Journal of Applied Psychology, and other well-regarded outlets. The review synthesizes findings across seven thematic areas: safety performance conceptualization and measurement, safety culture and climate, safety management systems and leading indicators, safety leadership, BIM-enabled safety risk management, wearable and IoT-based monitoring, and immersive and AI-based training and detection technologies. The review finds that while measurement and management frameworks have matured considerably, persistent gaps remain in standardizing definitions, integrating human and technological factors, and translating digital innovations into consistent field-level safety outcomes, particularly in developing- country contexts. The paper concludes by outlining directions for future research aimed at closing these gaps.

Keywords

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