Using Building Information Modeling (BIM) in Construction Worker Safety Training

Construction worker safety and safety training continue to be main issues in the construction industry. In order to promote safety awareness among workers, it is imperative to develop a more effective and efficient safety training. With the same goal, this study aimed to examine two contrasting methods in safety training: 1) a conventional lecture method and 2) an alternative method using the Building Information Modeling (BIM) simulation.

An experiment was conducted, in which the two types of training are implemented and then assessed on their effectiveness by testing the trainees' understanding. Both training methods included the same contents about safety standards and guides in building high-rise apartments; the contents were selected from those of Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA); the contents were then produced into two types of training methods. The statistical analysis performed on the data obtained from the safety training experiment showed that the 3D BIM simulation is more effective in improving trainees' understanding of the training contents, compared to the conventional safety training. (Full text of this dissertation may be available via the University of Florida Libraries web site. Please check http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/etd.html)