Technology is doing amazing things for businesses across all industries. So many processes are becoming faster and more efficient, and occupational safety is no different. It’s all about knowing what technology to use and how to manage devices that can help get better results when it comes to occupational health and safety.
Obviously, different types of businesses will have different safety needs and priorities. Nevertheless, let’s take a closer look at some of the technologies that will be able to help most businesses create a safer workplace.
Machine Guarding
In manufacturing and other industries that require heavy machinery and large equipment, machine guarding is a huge part of safety. Recent technology has changed the way that employees are staying safe. There are lasers, light curtains, and pressure-sensitive mats that help workers to do their job while staying safe.
Ergonomic Improvements
In less hands-on work environments, there have been strides in ergonomic technology to help prevent long-term health and safety concerns. Workstations have become adjustable while chairs, keyboards, and computer equipment have become more ergonomically friendly. In fact, there are health benefits to sit-stand workstations and other types of workstations that have been designed with employee health in mind.
Training Technology
Training is an inherent part of safety in any industry, as well as another element that technology has helped to improve. Virtual reality and artificial intelligence have helped to make safety training more interactive and interesting, helping employees stay focused and retain more. It’s all about keeping employees engaged during training sessions, and technology has helped to do that, ultimately keeping workers safer.
Voice Data Collectors
Most people are likely aware of voice data collection technology by now. The use of headsets and other hands-free devices doesn’t even seem that advanced. However, this technology can help workers to collect important data without needing to write everything down. This helps to keep them more focused on their job, making them safer in the process. It can also make it easier to perform routine safety checks, ensuring that every item on the safety checklist has been completed.
Wearable Technology
The use of wearable technology is becoming more common in a variety of workplaces, making workers safer in the process. For instance, there are physiological monitors that can track an employee’s respiration, heart rate, and body temperature while they work. This makes it easier to notice employee fatigue or other potential concerns like heat stroke, helping to notify workers when they need to take a break. There are also devices that monitor environmental conditions that could indicate unsafe working conditions. For example, if temperatures are too extreme or the air quality is unsafe, employees can know ahead of time and not be put in harm’s way.
Robots and Drones
We shouldn’t forget the use of robots and drones in the workplace. This technology can help do jobs that previously required employees to take safety risks. Drones can help access information in unsafe terrain while certain robots can perform duties that required dangerous risks to an employee’s safety. Granted, robots and drones can’t mitigate every safety risk, but they can help limit the need for employees to enter dangerous conditions.
Safety Management Software
One final piece of technology that’s applicable to all work environments is safety management software. For example, EHS Insight has comprehensive software that integrates every element of workplace health and safety on the same platform. This keeps everything from communication to compliance to hazard identification connected to one another. That means it’ll be easier for company leaders to monitor and manage safety in the workplace, helping to keep employees better protected and reduce the frequency of accidents.
If you want your company to reduce accidents and injuries as much as possible, contact us anytime and we can talk about all of the ways we can help.
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