The use of a BIM-based framework to support safe facility management processes

• Facility management staffs are at a high risk for injury, illness, and fatality.
• Safety related information is fragmented and staff is unwilling to retrieve.
• Historically, safety research has focused on design and construction phases.
• Proposed framework classifies, organizes, and consolidates safety information.
• A data processing & rule based system is utilized for safety information interaction and output.

Maintenance personnel in the field of facility management (FM) are at constant risk of electrical shock, falls, crushing, cuts and bruises, and as a result, have a much higher rate of injury and illness than the national average. Case study analysis confirms that many recorded accidents could have been avoided had the victim followed appropriate hazard mitigation steps to safely execute a FM task. Currently, safety information is conveyed through training seminars, documents, and meetings. This information, although comprehensive, often remains fragmented among multiple resources. Research has shown that the more time and effort an individual must spend obtaining information, the less likely they are to retrieve the information and obey the stated warnings, directly relating to injuries and fatalities. This research attempts to mitigate these issues by describing current market trends, available technologies, and limitations. The paper presents a BIM-based framework to support safe maintenance and repair practices during the facility management phase, through safety attribute identification/classification, data processing and rule-based decision making, and a user interface. By developing a BIM-based framework for FM safety, an underutilized/under-researched usage of BIM is being explored.