Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important, often overlooked information that EHS professionals need to know. This week we look at wearables and smart PPE and their potential impact on the lives and work of safety professionals.
The EHS industry is now at the forefront of all sorts of new technologies, from new artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms that help collect data to devices that monitor employee vital signs. Wearables and smart PPE are entering the field, along with EHS experts, and it’s important for employers to understand their uses and how they can help improve worker safety. .
definition
According to the NIOSH Science Blog, wearable technology includes accessories and clothing that incorporate advanced electronic technology, often using smartphones and “Internet of Things” (IoT) connectivity, to improve occupational safety and health. It is used to monitor health risk factors.
According to Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), smart PPE is “a wearable device, such as a helmet, that connects to the Internet or Bluetooth and provides safety information to the wearer or others in the field.” , the user can collect data, adapt to the conditions of the working environment and warn the user of hazards.
Benefits and uses
As wearables grow in popularity, people are finding more benefits and uses, especially in safety. According to NIOSH, many of the devices used to aid personal fitness can also be used to monitor workplace health and safety risk factors.
One of the benefits of wearables is fatigue monitoring. According to the National Security Council (NSC), there are three common types of surveillance functions:
- An electroencephalogram (EEG) sensor for monitoring fatigue-related brain activity
- Visual cues and microsleep monitoring
- Calculate your fatigue risk level using sleep and activity data
NSC also implemented safety techniques in a workplace survey. As a result, 56% of miners said wearable monitors used to track fatigue and health risks were the industry’s most relevant technology for reducing serious injuries and deaths. I understand that In that same survey, “51% of utility workers said wearable monitors used to track fatigue and health risks were the industry’s most relevant technology for reducing serious injuries and deaths.” I also understand that there is.
According to EKU, smart PPE also has several different uses on the shop floor. Earmuffs and face masks can improve communication in loud noise and poor visibility. Smart technology sensors can be connected to cooling and heating elements and adjusted for both internal and external temperatures. Lockout devices can prevent equipment damage with laser-enabled stopping devices, and clothing sensors can monitor environmental elements such as gases, chemicals, heat, sound, and shock.
According to EKU, many of these devices can notify supervisors when employees are in danger, collect data by Bluetooth, and connect to other devices in real time. There are smart his tech helmets with GPS chips that allow supervisors to track employees on large work sites, and smart safety glasses that can show data on a display in the corner of the lens. There are also smart safety gloves with embedded Near Field Communication (NFC) chips that allow users to connect to information on their phones and tablets.
construction
Construction sites are highly dynamic workplaces with ever-changing hazards, and nearly 20% of all work-related fatalities in any given year occur on construction sites, according to NIOSH. Wearables are now being developed, tested and used in a variety of ways on construction sites to prevent injuries and deaths.
According to NIOSH, when used as a wearable technology, proximity detection and alert systems are reliable and effective for manipulating ground personnel and equipment when moving hazards and heavy construction equipment are nearby. may alert workers who are A physiological status monitor can reliably collect outdoor worker data and warn of potential heat stress. Environmental sensors can also be used to monitor air quality, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, gas leaks, temperature, humidity, and noise.
Construction workers are also at increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), and exoskeletons can prevent them. According to NIOSH, an exoskeleton is an assistive device that can be classified as active or passive. Active exoskeletons contain elements that generate power and torque, while passive exoskeletons use unpowered mechanisms to support posture and movement.
Exoskeletons can serve a role similar to PPE in situations where no fixed engineering controls are possible, and their cost, portability, and potential effectiveness in preventing work-related MSDs have reduced past numbers of Over the years, many employers have expressed interest in exoskeletons.
standard
OSHA does not have specific standards for wearables or smart PPE, but employers are responsible for ensuring that equipment used on site complies with existing standards. Standards that apply to wearables and smart PPE include OSHA’s general standards for PPE, eye and face protection, respiratory protection, head, foot, and hand protection, and other standards related to safety equipment.
Employers must remain compliant at all times while reporting required data and providing required documentation within these standards. Wearables and smart PPE also raise data and worker privacy concerns, so employers should also consider his OSHA standards for worker privacy when introducing new technology into the workplace.
