Bridging the safety gap: A systematic review of traditional and smart personal protective equipment in construction safety

Construction remains one of the most hazardous sectors worldwide, with high rates of injuries and fatalities despite the longstanding use of traditional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This study systematically reviews the limitations of conventional PPE, evaluates emerging smart PPE technologies, and identifies barriers hindering adoption in construction. Guided by PRISMA 2020 protocols, 33 peer-reviewed journal articles published from 2015 to 2024 were retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science and analyzed through content and scientometric methods, including co-occurrence analysis using VOSviewer. Findings show traditional PPE is limited by human-centered issues (discomfort, improper fit, compliance gaps) and system-centered shortcomings (lack of real-time monitoring, durability problems, quality inconsistencies). In contrast, smart PPE integrating IoT, sensors, AI, and real-time analytics enables enhanced hazard detection, proactive alerts, and improved compliance. The most frequently reported limitation was discomfort and poor ergonomic fit, while IoT-enabled wearables particularly smart helmets and safety-vests were the most commonly evaluated smart PPE types. To address these challenges, a proposed conceptual framework integrates smart PPE adoption with safety culture and behavior, enabling predictive risk management. This study synthesizes current knowledge, identifies gaps, and provides a roadmap for future research involving Bayesian Belief Networks and Systems-Theoretic Process Analysis to advance safety standards.