Refinamento em modelos de integração entre a produção e a segurança com o apoio de tecnologias digitais: um estudo exploratório no contexto da pandemia de Covid-19

Abstract

The construction industry is a sector that involves many work processes that vary according to the context of its projects. In recent decades, efforts to improve the performance of enterprises in this sector have led to the development of Production Planning and Control (PPC) and Safety Control Systems (SCS), including addressing the challenging integration relationship between these aspects based on the principles of the Last Planner System. More recently, the construction industry, like other economic sectors, has been impacted by operational restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic (declared in March/2020) and has had to adapt to new health and safety measures for disease control on construction sites. Consequently, some approaches that can help address this health crisis and assist in the integration of production and safety control actions include the use of digital technologies, with a focus on improving production and safety control. The objective of this research was to propose a refinement in the integration models between PPC and safety with the support of some digital technologies. The employed methodological approach was qualitative, and since the research was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, a diagnostic phase was necessary to aid in understanding the impacts of disease prevention measures on construction sites. The chosen research strategy was Design Science Research, and to assist in refining the model, two empirical studies were conducted in construction companies in Fortaleza, Ceará, in which practices of PPC and SCS were evaluated through interviews, observations, and documentary analysis, and tests were performed with technologies such as UAVs and 360° cameras in the context of production and safety. As a result, a refined SCS model presents more detailed relationships for the integration between PPC and SCS, in which the employed technologies brought improvements targeted at worksite control, progress monitoring, and safety, making them more collaborative, as production and safety must be worked on together. In addition to complementing recent studies on the use of digital technologies in the construction industry, the research also provides insights into the implementation of measures to address COVID-19, which will serve as experience for other disruptions that may affect the construction industry in the future.