OCTOBER 21, 2020 — UTSA construction science students will contribute to making the steel industry safer through an experiential learning project funded with a $10,000 grant. Ibukun Gabriel Awolusi, an assistant professor of construction science in the College of Architecture, Construction and Planning, received the 2020–2021 Don B. Daily Safety Grant from the Association for Iron & Steel Technology Foundation and the Steel Manufacturers Association.
This grant, which promotes safety in the steel manufacturing industry is awarded to commemorate the life and industry service of Don B. Daily, who focused on the safety of employees working in the steel industry. The grant will help to foster a strong working relationship between faculty, students and employees in the industry.
“This project will enable our students to have first-hand experience and deep-seated knowledge about the steel manufacturing process.”
Awolusi and his students will use the grant for the project “Wearable Sensing Devices and the Internet of Things for Worker Safety and Health Management in the Steel Manufacturing Industry.” The team plans to evaluate the applications of Internet of Things–based wearable sensing devices and develop a framework for implementing the technologies for worker safety and health management in the steel manufacturing industry.
“This project will enable our students to have first-hand experience and deep-seated knowledge about the steel manufacturing process and also allow them to contribute to the development of innovative strategies for improving worker safety and health management,” Awolusi said.
According to Awolusi, improvements in safety and health management in steel manufacturing can be achieved by deploying emerging safety technologies, such as wearable sensing devices and IoT to detect potential hazards, sense dangerous working conditions and provide warning alerts to workers to predict and prevent illnesses, injuries and fatalities.
“Solving society’s grand challenges and providing high-quality learning and research to students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels is a priority for UTSA. We strive to improve the learning experience of our students by exposing them to industry best practices and preparing them for a successful career,” said Awolousi.
He says the work conducted through the grant supports the research and learning experiences UTSA strives to provide to all its students.
“I sincerely appreciate the AIST Foundation and SMA for the plethora of opportunities they have made available to our students and for promoting research in safety and health at the highest level,” said Awolusi.
