Authors - Oluwaranti A. Omowami Abstract - Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are among the most prevalent occupational injuries in construction, driven by heavy lifting, awkward postures, repetitive motion, and whole-body vibration. Traditional ergonomic risk assessment methods are retrospective and unable to capture the dynamic conditions of construction sites. Wearable sensor technologies offer a real-time, objective alternative. This structured narrative review examines the implementation, accuracy, and occupational health outcomes of wearable sensor systems applied to ergonomic risk monitoring among construction workers. A structured review of peer-reviewed literature from 2017 to 2024 identified six sensor categories: inertial measurement units (IMUs), wearable insole pressure systems, surface electromyography (sEMG), electrodermal activity (EDA) sensors, heart rate monitors, and smartphone embedded sensors. Reported posture classification accuracy reached up to 99.01% under controlled conditions using deep learning classifiers. Key implementation barriers include sensor discomfort, motion artifacts, worker acceptance, data privacy and cybersecurity concerns, and the multi-employer structure of construction. A consistent gap exists between laboratory validation accuracy and real-world field performance. Occupational health outcome studies remain limited. Future priorities include longitudinal field validation and integration with behavior-based safety frameworks.
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