What we really know about wearable sensor technologies for construction OSHW

Occupational safety, health, and well-being (OSHW) management has fully embraced the Construction 4.0 revolution. Technology now offers myriad solutions to worker OSHW, with a notable interest in the adoption of personal wearable sensor technologies. There is a rapidly growing body of work focused on wearables for construction safety; however the technological optimism surrounding this particular ‘digital transformation’ of safety in practice is perhaps misplaced. Following a purposive literature review of a sample from this body of knowledge, analysis reveals some areas of concern, including sources of funding, the methodologies and methods used, the research questions being asked, and the potential consequences of the findings. Yet body of work is not only being used to justify the adoption of wearable sensors on sites, but it also sets precedent for future research as it directs the narrative and agenda. This review is, therefore, both timely and necessary. It seeks to set out what the authors really know about wearable sensors for construction OSHW, and what work remains to be done before they presume them to be a panacea for construction worker safety in the field.