Wearable technologies are an increasingly popular consumer electronic for a variety of applications at home and at work. In general, these devices include accessories and clothing that incorporate advanced electronic technologies, often with smartphone or ‘internet of things’ (IoT) connectivity. While wearables are increasingly being used to improve health and well-being by aiding in personal fitness, innovative applications for monitoring occupational safety and health risk factors are becoming more common.
Traditionally, safety departments get opinions and guesses thrown at them, says Stinson. There may be a hazard. Equipment doesn’t seem to be working. “Now you have objective data all mapped out. It’s very important that this is objective data, so you know for a fact that a part of plant is leaking. It’s a fact, not a suspicion,” he says.
Breathing hazards such as hazardous gasses can be a danger to all types of workers, including those in the oil and gas, water treatment plants, metals refining and processing, and chemical plants. To keep safe working in these environments, workers need to carry a range of personal protective equipment.
Optical flame detectors are proven performers to help protect people and equipment in high value, high-hazard areas and processes. We often hear the question “Where do I start in deciding the type of flame detection system we need for 24/7 protection?”.
Over the past decade, Light Emitted Diode (LED) lighting has proven to be a simple, cost-saving method for businesses to reduce their long-term impact on the environment and promote a healthier, safer work environment for employees.
It only takes a cursory examination of a welding torch to understand there are some real safety concerns with this craft. Welding is a 100-plus-year-old practice that's still a fundamental component of machine work and industry today.
About 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses were reported by private industry employers in 2017. That’s over 100,000,000 production days lost due to work-related injuries. Because of this, safety training is a very important part of the onboarding process for a new hire - especially for those working in an environment with many machines or hazardous materials.
Safety in Amazon warehouses has been scrutinized by the media in recent years, particularly for interactions between humans and robots. TechCrunch reports that the online retail giant has been introducing a new worker safety wearable to 25+ sites to prevent accidents involving robotic systems in their warehouses.
A study reveals 83% of manufacturing leaders see increased productivity from safety programs. Improving worker safety with IoT in manufacturing is one of the best ways manufacturing companies can deal with safety concerns and risks.
Initial research focuses on enabling real-time monitoring of field technicians to ensure their safety and to provide audiovisual assistance to perform asset maintenance, with the hope of adopting lightweight yet robust wearable devices, GlobalData noted.
These features of wearable technology encourage oil and gas companies to adopt helmets, smart glasses, wristbands and other devices that incorporate technologies such as wireless connectivity, artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR).