Recent advances in virtual reality applications for construction safety management

Purpose To improve construction safety management, the application of virtual reality (VR) has been demonstrated for workers’ safety training and hazard recognition. Although previous review studies have been conducted on VR applications in construction safety management, the recent advances in current uses, challenges and future research directions are still unexplored. Moreover, no framework has been developed to explore VR-based safety directions within the construction industry. Therefore, this paper conducts a systematic literature review and develops a conceptual framework of the current uses, challenges and future research directions of VR applications for construction safety management. Design/methodology/approach The research methods adopted a systematic literature review (i.e. PRISMA guidelines). In total, 58 included articles were retrieved from the Scopus database. Findings It was found that the current uses of VR applications include safety training and education (55%), safety risk management (19%), hazard identification (14%) and prevention through design. (12%) In addition, the challenges facing the adoption of VR applications include technology (software and hardware), social acceptance, culture influence, risk compensation and cost-effectiveness. Based on the identified challenges, future research directions were proposed. Originality/value This review study proposed a framework highlighting future research directions that could help other researchers and practitioners mitigate these challenges and improve construction safety management. Ultimately, it contributes to advancing the theoretical and practical applications of VR technology in construction.