Application of exoskeletons for occupational safety and health management in construction

Babalola, Akinloluwa; Urhal, Pinar; Manu, Patrick; Da Silva Bartolo, Paulo Jorge; Cheung, Clara; Yunusa-Kaltungo, Akilu; Perera, Savindi; Gao, Shang; Francis, Valerie; Paton-Cole, Vidal

Abstract

The construction industry is a high-risk industry due to its poor record of injuries and deaths globally. Recently, exoskeletons, as part of a suite of Industry 4.0 technologies, have emerged as a potential effective technological approach for addressing the unsatisfactory construction occupational safety and health (OSH) performance. To gain a comprehensive view of the application of exoskeletons in addressing the OSH issues in the construction industry, a systematic review of the extant literature on exoskeletons for construction OSH management was conducted. The review reveals that OSH areas/topics covered by exoskeleton-related studies include risk assessment and control and design for safety. Furthermore, exoskeletons have been used to address manual handling hazards, which induce work-related musculoskeletal disorders. These findings could help address the minimal focus of researchers and industry practitioners on the use of exoskeletons for construction OSH management. The various challenges associated with the application of exoskeletons for construction OSH management, which include the discomfort experienced by the users of exoskeletons and the difficulty in using exoskeletons with other PPEs such as fall-arrest harnesses, are also highlighted. Recommendations for future research include investigating ways to improve the design of the exoskeletons so that wearers will feel far less discomfort.

• Publication Date: 2023
• Deposit Date: Jun 8, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 1, 2025
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
• Pages: 249-264
• Book Title: Handbook of Construction Safety, Health and Well-being in the Industry 4.0 Era
• Chapter Number: 21
• ISBN: 9781003213796
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003213796-23
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/10847752
• Publisher URL: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.1201/9781003213796-23