A Linked Data and Ontology-Based Framework for Enhanced Sharing of Safety Training Materials in the Construction Industry

The provision of suitable training materials is crucial in preparing construction workers for the safety risks inherent in their work environments. However, retrieving relevant training resources for specific work tasks and worksites poses challenges due to the dispersed, unstructured, and multifarious nature of available content. This paper proposes a linked data and ontology-based system framework for effectively sharing and accessing educational safety contents from heterogeneous sources in a standardized way. The main technical solutions in the framework include an ontology that leverages the Resource Description Framework and Ontology Web Language to structure and publish educational safety training contents based on the linked data principles, and a content retrieval method which leverages the SPARQL protocol and RDF query language. Experimental results confirm that the proposed approach outperforms existing repositories in terms of search time, search result precision, and accuracy. It is envisaged that the framework would aid safety trainers in sharing, searching, and retrieving didactically appropriate materials to prepare workers for the unique safety challenges of their jobsite environments.