Efficacy of Bluetooth-Operated Heart Rate Monitors for Use in Construction

Abstract

In the construction industry, workers are constantly exposed to different environmental and other hazards that pose risks to their health. Bluetooth-connected devices host the potential to reduce health risks to workers by tracking heart rate (HR), particularly upon implementation into an Internet of Things (IoT) framework. An Internet of Things (IoT) system is one in which multiple devices are connected to transmit information to each other in real-time. A literature and industry review has been conducted to determine which devices would be most applicable to monitor HR in an IoT system to accurately portray real-time worker conditions. Experimentally, the most applicable devices found were then put under field tests imitating traditional work conditions through the performance of specific activities. The performance and accuracy of the devices under these conditions were then evaluated from the data collected. The study has been designed to determine whether chest, finger, and wrist devices could be used to actively track HR.  The devices used included the Viatom Wellue O2Ring finger monitor, Polar Ignite GPS Fitness Watch wrist monitor, and the Polar H10 chest monitor, serving as test cases to see if and by how much the location of the device on the body differed with the HR found. All three devices could connect to the IoT system and transmit data within a specific timeframe correctly. Covariance and standard deviations measured by the Viatom Wellue O2Ring finger monitor and the Polar Ignite GPS Fitness Watch trials among participants were above the normal thresholds, indicating non-negligible differences around the mean and showing disparities in the accuracy of these devices. Furthermore, the results were found to be too inaccurate for widespread commercial deployment for tracking mid to high HR levels while performing construction-related labor. Overall, the use of Bluetooth-connected devices to track workers’ HR and other vitals has the potential applicability to improve safety in hazardous environments. However, future technological development must occur before implementing predictive safety systems into real-time monitoring to effectively monitor laborers performing strenuous tasks in harsh environments.