Technologies such as virtual reality (VR), online databases, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Building Information Modelling (BIM), Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), 4 D Computer-Aided Design (4 D CAD), wearable robotics have been adopted to improve construction site health and safety. However, little attempt has been made to map global research on construction health and safety technologies. Therefore, this paper conducts a review of technologies for construction health and safety management to reveal emerging research trends. A bibliometric review adopting a two-step literature selection method was conducted to compile relevant publications from the Scopus database. In total, 240 related papers were examined. VOSviewer was used to develop a co-occurrence network based on the bibliographic data obtained. The analysis focussed on co-authorship per country, country/region distribution, the number of publications annually, publication source and source and trend of research topics. Findings revealed that emerging trends in construction health and safety technologies research focussed on project health and safety design and planning, visualisation and image processing for construction projects, digital technologies for project monitoring, information management and Internet of Things, automation and robotic systems, health and safety and accident prevention and structure evaluation.

Purpose This paper aims to provide a bibliometric analysis of advances in building information modeling (BIM) research globally. It provides a recent state-of-the-art assessment on trends as it relates to the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. Being a vastly emerging research area, there is a need for the appraisal of research trends. Design/methodology/approach A comprehensive bibliometric analysis was conducted using a dual step filtering system on an initial volume of 2347 documents in the first stage between 2010 and 2020, and of 311 publications in the final stage of the analyses which emphasized more on 2015–2020 from the WoS database. Frequency analyses on the sources, affiliations, authors and country/ region of publication were assessed in the first stage of the analyses. Co-authorship and evidence of author collaboration were also examined. The second stage included a co-occurrence keyword network analysis. Further, text mining/mapping of the abstract of the documents was performed. Findings Emerging trends in the field of BIM research include but are not limited to historical building information modeling (h-BIM) applications, the use of blockchain technology, digital twin, Construction Operations Building information exchange (COBiE), Industry Foundation Classes (IFC), dynamo-bim, energy plus software and BIM laser scanning innovations. The possibility of these innovations solving some current BIM challenges were also discussed. Originality/value The study provides an insight into the BIM research trends globally while identifying existing challenges. The study uses text mining of unstructured abstracts, which has not been reported in BIM research.

Purpose This paper aims to present a meta-analysis and scientometric review to explore the intellectual evolution of research on the health and safety of women in construction, identify trends and research patterns and workplace stressors and hazards encountered by women in the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach A combination of scientometric analysis and meta-analysis was adopted to systematically review 32 relevant studies from 1984 to 2020, to provide a holistic review of research on women’s health and safety in construction aimed to identify the trend of research development. Techniques such as co-authorship, keyword co-occurring and cluster analysis were adopted. Findings Five main themes summarized by clustering focusing on Workplace Psychological Health, HIV/AIDS and Construction Work, Occupational Health and Safety Injuries, Gender Inclusivity and Sexism in Construction and Gender-specific Health and Safety Analysis. Findings revealed a slow growth in women’s health and safety research with the USA, South Africa, Australia and Japan leading research development. Additionally, the major stressors or hazards faced by women in construction were found to be biological related hazards. Research limitations/implications The findings of the study are limited, resulting from the use of one abstract and citation database. Practical implications Findings from the study provide insights to the health and safety challenges of women in construction and identifies of knowledge gaps in the existing literature could provide researchers and industry practitioners with a comprehensive insight into intellectual landscapes, potential research frontiers on technologies for women’s construction health and safety. Originality/value While numerous studies have focused on the health and safety of workers in the construction industry, research on women’s health and safety is lacking. The study adopted a scientometric and meta-analysis approach to explore the intellectual evolution and reflect the research status on the subject.

Purpose Security, safety, environment and health have become an integral part of facility management (FM). Therefore, FM departments within organisations are required to put measures in place to safeguard facility users. This paper thus aims to investigate and compare the safety and security measures that are provided in the student housing of two universities in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach A mixed method approach was adopted; interview was used to collect qualitative data, whereas a questionnaire was used as an instrument to collect quantitative data. Content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data, whereas both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the quantitative data. Findings It became evident that university B had a better provision of safety and security measures in the student housing than university A. The study also found that both universities had some lapses in the safety and security measures provided in the student housing. Measures that were lacking in both universities were weapon detector, closed-circuit television (CCTV), water sprinkler system, burglar bars on the doors, lift for disabled students, disabled toilet facility, traffic light, tags for vehicles, first aid box, accident book and medically trained personnel. Research limitations/implications Data were collected from only two universities, making it difficult to generalise the findings of the research. For a broader perspective, a study that expands the number of participating universities is recommended. Practical implications The facility management and safety department in the universities can use the recommendations to improve on the safety and security measures required in the student housing. Moreover, the recommendations can contribute to the development of policy frameworks for student housing safety. Originality/value There is a paucity of studies on student housing safety/security worldwide, and South Africa in particular. With this study, the authors contribute to the body of knowledge in this area of research.

The construction industry has been known for many decades as a high-risk industry with low levels of innovation and reluctance to adopt change. Common causes of construction accidents are associated with human error, hazardous work activities, defective equipment and dangerous working environments. However, to provide a better and safe working environment, the industry can exploit the benefits of emerging health and safety technologies. The purpose of this study is to explore the application of various emerging technologies and how they can be used to improve construction health and safety management. The paper reviewed extensive literature from previous studies on emerging technologies and interventions for construction job site safety such as; Virtual Reality (VR), online databases, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Building Information Modelling (BIM), Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), 4D Computer-Aided Design (4D CAD), wearables, robotics, laser scanning, photogrammetry and sensor-based technologies. Furthermore, these technologies were grouped into three categories; people technologies, process technologies and environmental technologies for better analysis. Keywords such as 'construction health and safety technologies', 'digital technologies' and 'emerging technologies' were used to search online databases. This study identified emerging technologies and their application in the construction industry to improve health and safety.