Use of Building Information Modeling systems to enhance occupational safety in construction

Abstract

The article examines the impact of Building Information Modeling(BIM) systems on reducing occupational injuries in construction and sets the objective as obtaining quantitative estimates of the effectiveness of proactive risk management based on 3D/4D modeling. Using an empirical base of 68 capital construction projects in the Russian Federation(2018-2023), divided into control(traditional 2D approaches, n=34) and experimental groups(full-cycle BIM implementation, n=34), aggregate safety indicators were compared: LTIFR per 1 million person-hours and TRIR per 200 thousand person-hours; additionally, severe and fatal cases, the influence of model level of development(LOD), and the effect of 4D planning for high-risk work were examined. The methodology includes normalization by labor input, correlation-regression analysis of the relationship between the depth of BIM implementation and incident dynamics, and a case-based evaluation of the effectiveness of automated model checks in Autodesk Revit/Navisworks, Renga, and Solibri software. The results show statistically significant reductions in LTIFR by 29.45% and TRIR by 31.16% when transitioning to BIM, with severe and fatal cases decreasing by more than 55% and 59%, respectively; the effectiveness of preemptive identification of critical risks at the design stage increases two- to threefold, especially for intersections of crane operating zones, evacuation routes, and edge protection at height. A positive but nonlinear dependence of the safety effect on LOD is identified: the cost-benefit optimum is achieved at LOD 350, while further detailing to LOD 400 yields diminishing returns. Integration of the work schedule with the model(4D) reduces incident frequency during erection/dismantling of tower cranes and other dynamically hazardous operations by 60–73% due to sequence visualization, spatiotemporal coordination, and the prior elimination of clashes. A multifactor model explains about 65% of the variation in TRIR by factors of BIM application depth, with the largest contributions from 4D planning and the scope of automated checks. It is concluded that embedding occupational safety requirements into BIM processes and prioritizing LOD 350 and 4D is appropriate to maximize impact, with prospects for coupling with IoT, AI analytics, and AR/VR for immersive inductions.