Solve the three major on-site safety management issues with helmet position information!

Table of Contents

• Issue 1: Unable to grasp workers' real-time locations

• Issue 2: Unable to prevent entry into hazardous areas in advance

• Issue 3: Difficult to respond quickly in emergencies

• Simple surveying with LRTK

• Summary

• FAQ

Safety management at construction and civil engineering sites is always the top priority. Yet in reality, many occupational accidents still occur. For example, in 2024, as many as 232 people in the construction industry lost their lives due to occupational accidents. In addition, tens of thousands of incidents resulting in four or more days off work occur annually, which calculates to about 35 people being injured on-site per day. Despite growing calls for safety measures and many initiatives, the truth is that “unseen hazards” still exist on sites.

Why do accidents continue to occur even after strengthening safety patrols, providing safety education to workers, and conducting hazard prediction (KY) activities? The background includes several issues that conventional safety management methods cannot fully cover. It is difficult to track all workers’ movements on large sites, it is nearly impossible to completely prevent entry into hazardous areas, and initial response to accidents can be delayed—problems that are hard to solve by site supervisors’ efforts alone.

One solution attracting attention in recent years is the use of “helmet position information.” By attaching location-tracking devices to workers’ helmets and implementing a system to track each person’s location in real time, significant progress in safety management can be expected. This approach is also regarded as part of DX (digital transformation) in the construction industry and aligns with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s push for smart construction (i-Construction). This article addresses the three major on-site safety management issues and explains how a helmet position information system can solve each of them.

Issue 1: Unable to grasp workers' real-time locations

Current situation: On large construction sites and plants, it is difficult to always know where every worker is and what they are doing. Even if site supervisors or safety officers make regular rounds or communicate by radio, blind spots and oversights are unavoidable. In addition, labor shortages and an aging skilled workforce in the construction industry have made it increasingly difficult to allocate sufficient safety personnel, so there are limits to human monitoring. It becomes even harder to know people’s locations on sites with complex terrain or elevation differences, or during night work. When “who is where” is unknown, there is a risk of overlooking signs of danger. For example, if a worker has entered an area they shouldn’t be in or is moving differently from the plan without the manager noticing, small near-misses (startling incidents) can be overlooked and lead to serious accidents.

Solution via helmet position information: By attaching devices with GPS or beacons (Bluetooth, etc.) to workers’ helmets, each worker’s location can be obtained in real time. Managers can see at a glance on a computer or tablet screen who is where on site, achieving a visualization of workers' movements. This makes it possible to monitor workers in remote areas that rounds could not cover, and to immediately notice if someone is approaching a hazardous location. Because all workers’ movement histories are stored as data, it is also possible to verify later “who was working where at what time.” These data are useful not only for safety management but also for improving work plans. Furthermore, the reassurance of always knowing everyone’s locations reduces the need for frequent roll calls and rounds, allowing site supervisors to concentrate on more substantive safety management tasks. By introducing a helmet position information system, site supervisors can grasp people across wide sites without blind spots, and as a result reduce oversights due to human error.

Issue 2: Unable to prevent entry into hazardous areas in advance

Current situation: Sites have clearly defined “hazardous areas,” such as zones where heavy equipment operates, high-altitude work zones, and no-entry areas. Typically, these are physically separated by cones, barricades, and signs, with warnings like “No Entry” or “Caution: Keep Away.” However, human attention is limited, and workers sometimes inadvertently approach or enter hazardous areas during busy work or fail to notice the signs. There is always a risk that someone will enter a blind spot not easily seen by heavy equipment operators, leading to collision accidents. In fact, even when guides are stationed, a worker can momentarily slip into a heavy equipment blind spot and a contact accident can occur. Such human monitoring inevitably has gaps, and it is difficult to make the risk of entry into hazardous areas zero. It is not realistic to station guards to watch the entire site at all times, so completely preventing unintentional entry into hazardous areas is currently difficult.

Solution via helmet position information: Using position information from helmets, it is possible to create virtual “safety fences.” Specifically, coordinates for hazardous or no-entry areas are preconfigured in the system, and an alarm is raised when a worker approaches or enters those zones. For example, if you set a 5 m (16.4 ft) perimeter around a heavy equipment operation area as a hazardous zone and a person tries to enter it, the helmet device can vibrate or emit a warning sound to alert the worker. At the same time, a warning appears on the manager’s device so they immediately know who is approaching or has entered the hazardous area. This allows workers to notice before they step into a dangerous zone and prevents accidents in advance. For more advanced uses, integration with systems that command heavy equipment to slow down or stop when a person enters the hazardous area is also possible. The helmet position information system functions as a digital protective fence that watches the site 24/7 in place of human eyes, greatly reducing the risk of accidents caused by unintended entry into hazardous areas. Moreover, by analyzing recorded alert histories, you can identify hotspots for near-misses and use that information to improve safety training and work flow.

Issue 3: Difficult to respond quickly in emergencies

Current situation: The speed of initial response when accidents or disasters occur is critical to minimizing damage. However, on large sites, the discovery and reporting of an incident are often delayed. For example, if a worker falls from scaffolding or collapses from heatstroke on a hot summer day and there are no nearby people to notice, delays in rescue can be fatal. Unfortunately, there have been reported cases where delayed discovery and rescue led to deaths that might have been preventable. In large-scale emergencies such as earthquakes or fires, it is also difficult to quickly determine whether everyone on site has safely evacuated. If you only find out who is missing after people gather at the assembly point, it takes time to carry out rescue and safety checks.

Solution via helmet position information: Combining sensors built into helmets with a position information system dramatically improves emergency response. For example, if a helmet is equipped with an accelerometer, it can automatically send an alert when it detects a fall or a strong impact. If a helmet detects abnormal acceleration indicating a “fall” and the worker remains motionless for a set time, the system immediately sends an alarm to managers. Managers can then check the worker’s exact position on a map, eliminating the need to search around to find “who is down where.” This enables rapid rescue instructions and shortens the time to first aid or transfer to medical facilities. Additionally, temperature or heart-rate sensors attached to helmets can monitor workers’ physical condition and the surrounding environment, allowing early detection of heatstroke signs and issuing warnings. When abnormalities are detected, notifications are sent to the worker and managers, prompting immediate rest or countermeasures to prevent health damage.

Helmet position information also proves powerful during large-scale disasters. If someone has not gathered at the emergency assembly point, the system can immediately show that person’s location, allowing rescue teams to prioritize areas where people may be left behind. Managers can grasp the real-time distribution of personnel across the site and carry out appropriate evacuation guidance according to changing conditions. Furthermore, incorporating this system into regular evacuation drills enables accurate recording of who had difficulty evacuating and where, and analysis of drill results can be used to refine safety measures. With a helmet position information system, emergency response shifts from “searching” to “immediately going to help,” greatly improving the likelihood of minimizing damage and protecting workers’ lives and safety.

Simple surveying with LRTK

Helmet position information systems not only solve safety management issues but also bring new possibilities for improving on-site operational efficiency. One example is “simple surveying using LRTK.” LRTK is a solution that makes RTK (real-time kinematic), a high-precision positioning technology, easy to use; by combining a dedicated small GNSS receiver with a smartphone, centimeter-level positioning accuracy (cm level accuracy (half-inch accuracy)) can be achieved. Traditionally, accurate coordinate measurement on construction sites required specialized surveying equipment like total stations and skilled technicians. However, with LRTK, site supervisors and workers themselves can perform surveying tasks with simple operations.

Specifically, by attaching an LRTK terminal to a helmet or pole and standing at a point of interest, you can obtain latitude, longitude, and elevation coordinate data instantly by pressing a button on a smartphone. The acquired data are stored in the cloud and can be easily reflected on drawings or maps and shared among stakeholders. This makes it possible for on-site staff to quickly perform simple measurement tasks that previously required waiting for a surveying team (for example, confirming the placement of temporary structures, recording the positions of buried utilities, and recording as-built conditions). LRTK, which enables real-time acquisition of high-precision position information, can be a powerful tool for on-site DX (digital transformation) beyond safety management. By internalizing surveying work, you can reduce outsourcing costs and waiting times, allowing those resources to be reallocated to other safety measures.

Positioning devices attached to helmets and technologies like LRTK will be key to supporting both safety and efficiency on future construction sites.

Summary

By utilizing helmet position information systems, risks that were previously hidden in site blind spots can be visualized and a new approach to preventing accidents becomes a reality. This does not negate human intuition or experience; rather, it supports site supervisors and workers with technology so they can work together to enhance safety. By effectively incorporating IoT and sensor technologies, even tiny danger signs that humans might overlook can be detected, enabling a more robust safety management system.

In fact, some sites are already achieving continued zero occupational accidents by using smart devices for safety management. A safe workplace not only gives workers peace of mind but also enhances a company’s reliability and image, and can lead to productivity improvements and better talent retention. Safety management using helmet position information is expected to become the on-site standard and a trump card for reducing occupational accidents. Furthermore, as accumulated safety data are analyzed by AI to predict potential hazards and issue warnings before accidents occur, preventive safety management is becoming increasingly realistic.

FAQ

Q1. What exactly is a helmet position information system? A. It is a system in which small location-tracking devices are attached to workers’ helmets, using GPS or beacons to grasp each worker’s whereabouts in real time. The system displays the site map on dedicated software so managers can check “who is where” at any time. Some models include fall sensors and SOS buttons, providing alert functions in emergencies. All acquired location data are stored in the cloud, which helps analyze safety conditions later or prepare reports. Evidence that could not be left by visual management alone is recorded as data, enabling more objective and continuous safety improvements.

Q2. What kinds of sites are suitable for this system? A. It is particularly effective for construction and civil engineering sites, as well as plants, factories, shipyards, mines, tunnel construction—any site where people are spread over a wide area and hazardous spots are scattered. It is also powerful in sites with high-altitude or underground work, or in large projects with hundreds of workers where it is difficult to grasp personnel. In short, it can be applied across industries wherever “people’s safety management” is important and complex. It can be implemented both indoors and outdoors, and is especially suitable for outdoor sites where GPS signals are available, ranging from small-scale works to projects with hundreds of workers.

Q3. Are there privacy concerns or worker resistance? A. Some workers may feel uncomfortable being tracked. However, the purpose of this system is to protect workers’ safety, not to monitor performance or evaluate individuals. In many cases, rules considerate of privacy are established, such as not recording location data outside working hours or during breaks, and operating with workers’ consent. Feedback from sites that have implemented the system includes comments like “It’s reassuring to know I can be found quickly in an emergency.” With proper explanation and operational rules, most implementations gain workers’ understanding and cooperation.

Q4. How accurate is the location information? A. When using ordinary GPS, errors are said to be on the order of several meters. However, helmet position information systems incorporate measures to improve accuracy for construction sites. When GPS signals are weak due to buildings or underground areas, BLE beacons or UWB (ultra-wideband) installed on-site are used to reduce errors. Moreover, using RTK technology such as LRTK can measure positions with an error of several centimeters (cm level accuracy (half-inch accuracy)) under open skies. By combining appropriate technologies according to the use case, sufficiently accurate position information can be obtained.

Q5. What is simple surveying with LRTK? A. LRTK (sometimes called Low-cost RTK or Light RTK) is a mechanism that makes RTK high-precision positioning technology easy to use. By linking a dedicated small GNSS receiver with a smartphone, anyone on site can perform centimeter-level surveying (cm level accuracy (half-inch accuracy)). For example, tasks such as laying out building foundations or recording the positions of buried utilities can be performed quickly by a single person. By enabling on-site staff to carry out some surveying tasks that previously required specialists, LRTK helps shorten construction schedules and alleviate labor shortages. Coupling digitized safety management with improved surveying efficiency allows simultaneous improvements in site productivity and safety.

Q6. Is installation and operation difficult? A. Helmet position information systems and LRTK have become very user-friendly due to recent technological advances. At installation, you typically just attach dedicated devices to helmets, set up receivers or base stations, and start the system—special wiring work is usually unnecessary. Many services manage location information in the cloud, so if you have an internet connection you can use the system from a site computer or tablet right away. Most devices are battery-powered, and charging or battery replacement is typically required about once a month (some devices do not require battery replacement for several years). Manufacturers and providers offer support, so even site personnel who are not IT-savvy can usually operate the system without problems.

Q7. Is the effect worth the introduction cost? A. Introduction of a helmet position information system involves costs, of course, but the expected benefits can outweigh them. A single serious occupational accident can cause enormous losses for a company in terms of medical and compensation costs for the victim, project delays, and loss of reputation. Conversely, preventing even one accident can be worth that avoided loss. A safe workplace also boosts worker motivation and helps retain talented personnel, so in the long run you can expect benefits such as improved productivity and talent acquisition. Considering these factors comprehensively, you can expect sufficient returns to justify the introduction cost.