Work-Rest Scheduling Considering Workers’ Live Fitbit Physiological Data

Construction workers undertake physically demanding tasks for long periods. Such work environment adversely affects their health and impedes their productivity on the long run. While the current practice relies on a pre-set rest period (e.g., one-hour lunch break), this may not suit the workers who suffer from strenuous physical exertion and exposes them to potential injuries, and adverse health effects. To reduce work-related stress on workers, this paper proposes a framework to design optimum work-rest schedules based on consistent monitoring of worker’s cardiovascular stress and energy exertion with minimal delays to the schedule. The framework relies on hourly data gathering of each worker’s location, heart rate, and energy expenditure using ubiquitous wrist wearables (e.g., Fitbit). The framework then uses this data to design an optimum work-rest schedule for the workers on site. The optimization minimizes project duration while not exceeding the allowable physiological strain on the laborers. The proposed framework could help project managers efficiently manage construction workers and mitigate psychological stress and the risk of site injuries.