Digital Safety Navigation for Tower Crane Climbing Process from a Systematic Perspective: Risk Identification, Safety Information Requirements, and Related Intelligent Platform

The tower crane climbing process is one of the most hazardous operations due to its complexity and technical challenges, making it difficult to ensure both structural and worker safety. To address this issue, this study proposes a systematic control framework based on digital navigation. This framework integrates theoretical risk analysis, safety information requirements, and the practical implementation of a safety intelligent navigation platform (SINP). Key safety-critical points in the tower crane climbing process are identified through process analysis, and worker situation awareness requirements are derived using goal-directed task analysis (GDTA). The SINP is designed to digitally capture safety-related data, assess safety conditions intelligently, and provide automated safety guidance. The platform enables systematic control of tower crane safety through three key functions: (1) real-time navigation and alarms for workers via an edge intelligent control device (EICD); (2) synchronous monitoring and interaction for on-site supervisors using mobile devices; and (3) remote inspections for management through cloud-based platforms. Two experimental scenarios were conducted to simulate real-world engineering conditions and evaluate the framework’s effectiveness. Results show a significant improvement in worker performance and process safety, which are attributed to the advantages of SINP, which include (1) timely and efficient information sharing; (2) accurate and orderly safety guidance; (3) real-time and effective alarms; and (4) positive psychological reinforcement for workers. This study introduces a proactive safety management approach that can prevent accidents at their source and enhance worker performance throughout the tower crane climbing process.