Page 47 - OHS, September 2020

human senses helps build emotional connections between people and the products they experience, adding joy to mundane tasks. This means making PPE that people are eager to engage with.
People are already craving connectivity5 in their working lives, making their days more efficient and safer.6 Smart PPE goes beyond the frontline workers with significant advantages to people who manage those teams. Connection to insights gleaned from connected equipment unlocks better means to monitor and track progress.7 It can give insight to health as well as productivity, and artificial intelligence8 can facilitate incredibly accelerated decision-making, enhancing9 even the most expert workers’ lives.
We need to strive for a future where protective equipment considers a worker’s health and emotional state, constantly communicating with the environment to ensure the worker is prepared for any eventuality. Even more so, we need gear that enhances physical or cognitive abilities.10
A Brighter Tomorrow
As we shake off the stasis of lockdown and prepare to reignite our economies, we should not disregard the moment the world understood the meaning of essential. We need to remember how our essential workers rose to the occasion. Using whatever PPE was available, they stepped up when we needed them most.
We can build a better future for all workers. By considering how we harness technology, we can augment and improve lives. Now is the opportunity to reimagine what PPE can be, and how it can
elevate the unique abilities of our workers to lead safer, happier and more productive lives.
Kevin Mitchell is part of Design Partners’ Professional Design team, who have over 30 years’ expertise in designing industrial, PPE, and rugged equipment for brands like Honeywell, Crown, and Dell.
REFERENCES
1. https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/digital/ai-teamed- physicians-intelligence-could-improve-care
2. https://www.eave.io/focus-lite
3. https://www.vuzix.com/products/blade-smart-glasses-safety-certified
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyv39oie7Io
5. https://ohsonline.com/articles/2020/02/18/why-our-need-for-connectiv- ity-should-include-gas-detection.aspx
6. https://www.designpartners.com/projects/honeywell-sensepoint/
7. https://ohsonline.com/articles/2020/05/25/connected-safety-and-
covid19-what-blackline-safetys-cody-slater-has-to-say.aspx
8. http://news.mit.edu/2019/automating-ai-medical-decisions-0806
9. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/how-ai-is-helping-doctors-diag- nose-and-treat-patients/
10. https://behavioralscientist.org/resistance-futile-embracing-era-augment- ed-worker/
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