COMPUTER VISION FOR SAFETY: APPLICATIONS AND CHALLENGES IN THE SINGAPORE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Abstract

Safety in construction has been a priority, as Singapore seeks to work towards Vision Zero. Across industries, construction has always had the highest number of fatalities and drastic measures should be taken to prevent such accidents from happening. The advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution has put new methods on the table to monitor safety. Computer Vision is one such technology that has found numerous applications in construction safety and this study aims to better understand the main obstacles preventing wider use of Computer Vision throughout the industry.

Data was collected through a survey questionnaire, regarding industry perceptions towards construction safety, use of Computer Vision for safety purposes, as well as to determine the main challenges facing the industry in the adoption of such technologies. The key challenges that organisations may face are data security and personal data protection, as well as high initial investment required for pioneering application of Computer Vision in this field and hiring the professionals.

Despite acknowledgement of the improvement that Computer Vision could bring, it was not necessarily considered for safety uses and saw a gap in its application in the industry. If the industry recognises smart technologies as the way forward, organisations must be willing to explore its applications and consolidate data for development of Computer vision for Safety.