How Technology Is Improving Workplace Health and Safety

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Technology has many uses in many areas of life. Currently, technology potential is almost unlimited, and the expansion of capabilities and the increased use and abilities of AI and machine learning mean the boundaries are constantly being pushed and tested to see what is possible. 

There are no aspects of life that currently remain untouched by technology. Whether it is personal care, entertainment services, healthcare, or business practices, there is a piece of tech, software, or product that can deliver the power of technology and make improvements and enhancements.

One such area that is seeing massive benefits from technology is health and safety. Regardless of where you are in the world, being safe in your workplace is paramount, and ensuring you can work safely within your limits without risking your life or your health is vital.

Let’s take a look at some statistics pertaining to health and safety in the workplace.

  • According to the ILO (International Labor Organization), approximately 395 million workers worldwide sustain nonfatal injuries, underscoring the global scale of workplace safety concerns.
  • 2.9 million people die globally from workplace accidents.
  • A Honeywell global survey found that 68% of the workforce doesn’t feel completely safe in their workplace.
  • Bangladesh is often considered to have the poorest workplace health and safety, while Wikipedia cites India, Pakistan, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic as the worst countries for this.
  • The UK, Bahrain, Iceland, Finland, and the Netherlands often come out on top for the best health and safety in the workplace.

This post will examine some of the different ways technology is revolutionizing health and safety in the workplace.

Safety Management

Electronic health and safety devices are commonplace in multiple industries and even for personal use. In fact, many pieces of tech used in this capacity are similar to personal tech people use for their own health at home. They are adapted to incorporate more features for enhanced safety in the wearer. 

There are wearable devices such as smartwatches, glasses, and even vests that can track employees’ locations, monitor their vital signs, and detect hazards. These monitors allow employers to ensure that each employee is working in safe surroundings; they’re traceable, which is ideal for remote workers or those accessing dangerous terrain or working alone, and they allow others to provide help and assistance or mitigate risks and provide support using real-time data. 

Let’s say an employee is working in a dangerous environment. A wearable smartwatch whose data can be seen by supervisors or management can alert others to elevated heart rates or distress that indicate the employee doesn’t feel safe and might need assistance or removal from the environment, thus improving health and safety for everyone involved.

AI

AI, currently in the spotlight, is not entirely new, but its potential applications are vast. In the realm of health and safety, AI’s ability to analyze large volumes of data can identify patterns and behaviors that pose a threat to businesses and individuals, making it a proactive tool in safety management. 

Machine learning, for example, can be trained to identify potential hazards in the workplace, deliver safety figures for the work being carried out, identify risks, and even help to allocate the right staff members for improved results, i.e., using data to analyze work, and outcomes standards, etc. to pinpoint the appropriate person to complete different tasks.

Real-time risk alerts and detection are possible with AI, for example, analyzing footage to ascertain if all employees wear the correct PPE, using proper lifting technologies, and using safety equipment and protocols. AI can be used to analyze employee behavior, alerting you to indicators employees are fatigued, for example, or distracted, which can help you reduce the risk of harm or mistakes occurring by addressing the issue immediately and also assist you in accident analysis to help you learn what went wrong and how and stop the same incident occurring again.

Drones and Robotics

Again, this is not an entirely new aspect, but the use of drones and robotics to take over more precarious or risky tasks to preserve the health and safety of employees has become more common. This is due to the advancement of technology, allowing for more features to be present on drones and robotics to be equipped with greater skills and accuracy.

One way people are noticing robotics is the use of delivery robots, which can help prevent employees from being overworked for deliveries and ensure parcels arrive at their local destination on time. 

Other than this, many businesses use robotics to take over repetitive manual tasks that put additional strain on the body so the human aspect is reduced or eliminated, meaning fewer workplace injuries will occur. These can be tasks such as handling hazardous materials, painting, welding, and lifting heavy objects, to name a few. 

Robotics and drones are now commonly deployed in at-risk areas, such as working at heights or in confined spaces, to move the need for humans to explore the area. Traditionally, hazardous areas include power lines and inaccessible regions such as oceans, rooftops, or atop bridges meant people had to scale them to carry out repairs or identify issues.

These days, drones are equipped with a wealth of technology, such as laser sensors, infrared thermal cameras, and increased zoom capabilities. Many of these are found on the DJI Matrice 4T, which enhances the images and data captured by the drone for improved safety and results for the company and its workers.

Cloud Computing

While not as prominent as robotics or drones, cloud computing is still a significant contributor to health and safety in the workplace. The convenience of recording and storing data that can be easily accessed means an improved way of record keeping for each employee and different aspects of the company. You can keep complete files for training, risk assessment, occupational health records, personal health details, and more. Cloud computing can be accessed by those who need to know information anywhere at any time, making the transfer of important details easier. You can use cloud computing to carry out refresher training and safety updates or log incidents to improve the company’s safety record.

VR for Training

VR is a fun and immersive aspect of technology that enables you to enter a virtual world using a headset and experience different environments without leaving where you are standing. It is frequently used all over the world for entertainment purposes.

However, it also has practical applications that are utilized in health and safety.

VR training allows employees to have an immersive and comprehensive training experience to develop their skills in real-world situations. They can enact hazardous tasks to help them practice to enable them to work safer; they cna learn more about how they respond to different scenarios and environments; this can be coupled with wearable technology to enhance information and accuracy.

VR enables people to be as hands-on as possible without putting themselves in harm’s way before they are ready. This not only benefits the company by reducing injury and accidents, but it also ensures that those tasked with risky jobs are equipped before they are sent into the field.

Health and safety in the workplace is paramount, and as you can see, using technology in different applications can facilitate a safer working environment. A safer working environment makes employers happier clients and improves standards as everyone can manage risk and work out to the best of their abilities regardless of the environment. From wearable tech technology to drones, cloud computing, and more, it’s safe to technology that has adversely impacted the world of health and safety in the workplace.

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