Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management, 2025, 15(5), 2025-179
Evidence-to-Decision: Making Informed Decisions in Construction Safety Research
1
Assistant Professor, Elite Program of Engineering College, National
Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Douliu, Taiwan, 123
University Rd Douliu, Yunlin County, Taiwan, E-mail: hewmerrett@yuntech.edu.tw
(corresponding author).
2 Ph.D. student, Graduate School of Engineering Science and
Technology (Construction Engineering), National Yunlin University of
Science and Technology, Douliu, Taiwan, 123 University Rd Douliu, Yunlin
County, Taiwan, E-mail: d11310226@yuntech.edu.tw
3 Distinguished Professor, Dean College of Engineering,
National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Douliu, Taiwan,
E-mail: chenwt@yuntech.edu.tw
Project Management
Received April 30, 2025; revised June 16, 2025; August 24, 2025; accepted August 24, 2025
Available online November 25, 2025
Abstract: The construction industry remains one of the most hazardous sectors worldwide, contributing disproportionately to occupational injuries and fatalities. This study aims to bridge the persistent gap between academic research and evidence-informed industry practice by evaluating technology-based safety interventions. This study focuses specifically on automated systems for monitoring compliance with personal protective equipment (PPE) as an example case study. To develop the evidence base this study applies the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) Evidence to Decision (EtD) framework, adapted from public health research, to assess the quality and applicability of current evidence in the context of practical application. This approach helps identify key enabling factors, limitations, and research gaps, particularly concerning effectiveness, cost, and feasibility. The results show that while automated PPE compliance systems show strong potential, findings reveal that the existing evidence base remains limited, especially regarding their real-world applicability and scalability. The review highlights that while automated PPE compliance systems demonstrate promising accuracy levels (88% to 96%), the existing evidence base is fragmented and incomplete, particularly regarding comparative effectiveness, implementation resource requirements, and scalability across varied construction settings. Therefore, the findings of the review are conditional with further research needed to ensure a complete and accurate assessment. The study concludes that structured research translation frameworks like GRADE EtD has potential to significantly improve evidence-informed decision-making for adopting emerging safety technologies in construction. Moreover, this approach offers a replicable model for accelerating the translation of safety research into practical applications across other construction safety applications.
Keywords: Construction safety, evidence to decision, PPE, research translation, Taiwan.
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Citation: Merrett, H. C., Selly, D. N., and Chen, W. T. (2025). Evidence-to-Decision: Making Informed Decisions in Construction Safety Research. Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management, 15(5), 2025-179.
DOI:
10.32738/JEPPM-2025-179
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