Design and Evaluation of a Novel Wearable Airbag for Mitigation of Falls from Height Injuries in the Construction Sector
Recent statistics on work-related non-fatal and fatal injuries show that falls from height (FFH) are the leading causes, having a negative impact on socio-economic levels. Among industrial sectors, the construction industry has the highest rate of fatal injuries. Although safety harnesses, personal protective equipment (PPE), and collective protection systems are mandated by national laws, these tools have been insufficient to effectively address the problem. Smart wearable technologies and advanced materials can help predict and react to FFH events. This work proposes the design of a new fallimpact-mitigation wearable airbag to protect the front and back of the user, integrated into a technical vest. The system is activated by a falling-risk-estimation algorithm that can distinguish between voluntary movements and accidental falls. The device meets level-2 protection requirements according to EN1621-4, offering protection to users falling from 1.5 to 4 m. The proposed apparatus naturally extends this to types of falls from the same level.