Enhancing Safety on Construction Sites: A UWB-Based Proximity Warning System Ensuring GDPR Compliance to Prevent...

Area of Science:

• Construction Safety Engineering
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Construction is a high-risk industry with frequent worker-vehicle collisions.
• Existing proximity warning systems (PWS) often overlook practical deployment factors.
• Need for effective, affordable safety solutions for small and medium-sized construction firms.

Purpose of the Study:

• Design and develop a prototype sensor-based PWS for construction sites.
• Address cost, environmental challenges, and data protection in PWS design.
• Provide real-time collision risk warnings to workers and operators.

Main Methods:

• Developed a low-cost, ultra-wideband (UWB)-based proximity detection system.
• System designed for flexible deployment, with or without fixed anchors.
• Integrated General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance and privacy-by-design principles.

Main Results:

• A functional prototype PWS was successfully designed and developed.
• The UWB system offers a cost-effective solution for collision avoidance.
• The system incorporates robust data protection mechanisms.

Conclusions:

• The developed PWS offers a practical solution for enhancing construction worker safety.
• The system's design considers key factors like cost, environment, and data privacy.
• Further real-world evaluation and data interpretation studies are recommended.