Feasibility of an Eye-Tracking and EEG-Based Neuroergonomic Framework to Identify Cognitive Hazards in Heavy Equipment Operation

Operating heavy equipment in construction is highly hazardous, with suboptimal cognitive states, such as mind wandering and inattentional blindness, being a key contributor to the 36% of fatalities involving equipment. These states impair hazard recognition and decision-making. While previous studies have used EEG and eye-tracking to monitor cognitive states, they rarely link these fluctuations to specific environmental triggers, limiting their usefulness in designing targeted safety interventions. This study proposes a unified EEG and eye-tracking framework to map suboptimal cognitive states to gaze-based environmental cues. Heatmaps were generated for each state during simulated equipment operation. A pilot test revealed increased mind wandering and disengagement as participants grew familiar with the simulation, particularly when no penalties were imposed. Results highlight the framework’s potential to identify cognitive hazards and inform context-specific safety improvements.