Evaluating the Drivers of Immersive Technologies Implementation for Health and Safety Management in the Construction Industry

Abstract

Despite immersive technologies having significant potential to enhance health and safety performance in construction, their uptake in developing countries such as Ghana remains slow due to technological, organisational, and contextual limitations. This study investigates the key drivers influencing ImTs adoption to support safer construction practices in resource-constrained settings. A two-phase approach was employed: first, 16 adoption drivers were identified through an extensive literature review and expert consultation; second, a questionnaire survey of 204 construction professionals—selected using purposive and snowball sampling—generated quantitative data for analysis. Factor analysis revealed three underlying dimensions shaping ImTs adoption decisions: Collaborative Safety Enhancement and Organisational Readiness; Technological Performance and Safety Management Capabilities; and Implementation Support and Technological Advancement. Fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE) was then applied to assess the criticality of these categories, identifying Technological Performance and Safety Management Capabilities as the most influential (index = 4.17), followed by Implementation Support and Technological Advancement (3.83) and Collaborative Safety Enhancement and Organisational Readiness (3.78). The study offers empirical, factor-based insights into ImTs implementation and proposes a fuzzy evaluation model for decision-making under uncertainty. The findings contribute to the limited developing-country literature and inform targeted strategies to overcome adoption barriers and strengthen construction safety management.