Computer modelling to improve safety on construction sites

Research impact

Computer modelling to help improve work health and safety: How do we get there?
The global construction industry globally was estimated to be worth between $8.9-13.9 trillion USD. Productivity and safety gains in construction projects will have far-reaching effects across economies. The prestigious International Standards Organisation (ISO) community has initiated the drafting of a new standard: ISO 19650-6 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM) – Information management using building information modelling – Part 6: Health and Safety. This new standard will have extraordinary economic and social impact as it will be adopted by all ISO member countries and implemented on every major construction site within those nations. In 2023, as a result of this seminal study, Professor London was invited to be a member of this prestigious group.

Torrens University Australia led the research study in collaboration with the NSW Government’s Centre for Work Health and Safety and Western Sydney University. This co-designed research project focused on examining the best practices and implications of using BIM in WHS management.

BIM is currently being used around the world to not only build a digital model of the building but to also assist in reducing WHS risks on site. The project draws on international experience and expertise to help us understand its benefits to the NSW construction industry.

BIM, a multi-dimensional, model-based digital information process, maps the physical and functional characteristics of a structure. Over the past decade, it has become an invaluable tool for decision-making across the planning, design, construction and management phases of building and infrastructure projects.

Although BIM has been around for a while, there are varying levels of industry adoption. The integration of WHS management into BIM in Australia is ad hoc, which highlights an opportunity to augment a readily available technology with WHS management functionality, thereby enhancing workplace safety. One step towards achieving this includes the development of guidelines that promote safety through improved asset planning, information requirement development, procurement, tendering and supply chain monitoring.

David Philp, Global BIM/IM Consultancy Director at AECOM and an international leader in BIM adoption, highlighted in discussions with the research team that in the UK, establishing a data thread to support WHS and the safe use of built assets stands as a key driver for BIM adoption. This underscores the link between data and WHS as fundamental to industry transformation.

With a decade of BIM implementation in Australia, it was timely to reflect on these experiences to take us to the next level of adoption in targeted areas such as WHS management.

Project outcomes

The research culminated in the production of three comprehensive technical research reports, a decision-making framework for the integration of WHS management within BIM and a new suite of four guidelines for the integration of BIM and WHS management.

Academic publications

The technical research reports underwent peer review by both an academic and an industry reviewer. Further details can be found here and a summary video of the research study can be viewed below.

• Technical Report 1
• Technical Report 2 
• Technical Report 3

Industry publications

The key outcome was the development of a suite of four Industry Guidelines for integrating WHS management in BIM. These guidelines can be viewed here.

• 1B - Best Practice Matrix

• 2A - Guidelines to Procurement, Tendering and Supply Chain Monitoring

• 2B - Guide to Completing Project Information Requirement Template

The research outcomes provide both public and private sector clients and project leadership teams with the necessary tools to collaboratively develop the optimal information environment and data ecosystem for their assets from the outset.

The guidelines are designed to leverage BIM for identifying and mitigating WHS risks at an organisational level. The research also provides background concepts for information management in a BIM environment, introduces organisational, asset, project and exchange information requirements, and a self-assessment matrix to evaluate capabilities and capacity for integrating BIM and WHS management in project settings. It outlines principles and processes for developing project-specific information requirements for procurement, tendering and supply chain monitoring. The guidelines also include a case study on a project for a small contractor, complete with checklists and recommendations.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) for WHS management | Centre for Work Health and Safety

Media and events

Two events were held for this project: one for students at Western University and University of Technology Sydney, and the other targeting industry professionals. Both sessions were held online due to the ongoing Covid restrictions.

Key notes

Executive education

• For more information on the executive education program “Built Environment and Urban Transformation: Collaborative Practice to Deliver Change”, please see this brochure

Research team

Torrens University Australia

• Professor Kerry London (Chief Investigator)
• Associate Professor Zelinna Pablo (Senior Research Fellow)

Centre for Work Health and Safety

This study was conducted in partnership with the NSW Government’s Centre for Work Health and Safety, Western Sydney University, and was funded by Lendlease as a result of an Enforceable Undertaking.

• Skye Buatava - Director, Centre for Work Health and Safety
• Dr Gregory Zelic - Research and Development Manager, Centre for Work Health and Safety
• Angelica Vårhammar - Centre for Work Health and Safety
• Daniel Craig - Science Outreach Manager, Centre for Work Health and Safety
• Niamh Murray - Senior Program Officer, Centre for Work Health and Safety
• Ron Keelty - Centre for Work Health and Safety

Industry Advisory group

• Ross Trethewy, Lendlease
• Ying Chan, Lendlease
• Luke Belfield, Office of Projects Victorian State Government
• Simon Marr, Men from Marrs Contracting
• Cathy Hayes, CBP Contractors
• Eric Bugeja, CIMIC
• Medy Hassan, Haus Holdings
• Annelise Cannon, Lendlease
• Joe Amodeo, Richard Crookes
• Mark Glading, Lendlease
• Mark Holliday, LIPMAN
• Matthew Kehoe, Office of Projects Victorian State Government
• Oskar Casasayas, Office of Projects Victorian State Government
• Vik Goundar, Benchmark Drafting Services
• Alex Scotts, F&D Normoyle Engineering

Western Sydney University

• Associate Professor Payam Rahnamayiezekavat
• Associate Professor Yingbin Feng
• Dr Gurvin Kaur
• Dr Peng Zhang
• Adjunct Professor Gabrielle Wallace
• Associate Professor Swapan Saha

Research objectives

• Understand, in depth, the place of alcohol in the lives of women in different SES groups and the perceived risk for breast cancer, exploring:
  • Experiences of the past and present function of alcohol in women’s lives;
  • Knowledge and perceptions of the risk and role of alcohol (and other risk factors) in breast cancer;
  • Critical awareness of, and trust in, information sources about risks for breast cancer.
• Statistically analyse the perceived risk of alcohol in the development of breast cancer and perceptions of the role of alternative risk factors against potential modifiers (such as SES, trust, social networks).
• Synthesise data from the above objectives to develop an evidence-based compendium of perceived risk factors for breast cancer (differentiated by SES group), including women’s accounts for/against the risk, appropriate for research translation to lay and professional audiences.
• Subject the outcomes of the synthesis to Deliberative Symposia with women in different SES groups to facilitate informed and critical discussion of alcohol and risks for breast cancer, and develop innovative, appropriate, and tailored alcohol-related communication strategies for middle-aged women in different SES groups.

Research approach

The research presents 10 international and four Australian case studies mapped across six knowledge domains, showcasing various methods by which clients and leadership teams have integrated BIM and WHS management. The methodology included co-design with the Centre for Work Health and Safety. Throughout the study, there was close collaboration with the Industry Advisory team, with extensive feedback being incorporated into the guidelines.