Page 10 - OHS, May 2022

WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY
a worker to a live monitoring team—meaning real-time help is always available, while GPS location monitoring pinpoints where your workers are in emergency situations.
Wearable technology portals like these provide insightful data analytics with visualization dashboards, real-time visibility into incidents, and drill-down capabilities so you can monitor the safety of each employee.4
The portal could also facilitate remote device configuration, alert profiles and emergency response procedures; time-stamped GPS locations (including floorplan-based monitoring) and flexible integration with other enterprise software products such as SAP to make a fully connected workplace.
Six Top Benefits of Cloud-Connected
Wearable Safety Technology
Real-time visibility into the safety status of all workers. Whether in a busy facility or in a lone worker situation at a remote site, with connected wearable devices and data-driven dashboards, you can monitor the safety status of every single employee, anywhere in the world. With this kind of technology, workers are protected by built-in cellular or satellite connectivity, keeping them always within reach, even when out of sight or sound. Full visibility into your entire worksite can also help to view and manage worksite evacuations and mustering operations in real time.
Leading indicators in the data allow for predictive, proactive safety. By using predictive models on specific accumulated historical data across a range of IoT devices, you’re able to identify patterns and, thus, key indicators to forecast where and when incidents are more likely to occur. Proactive analysis allows you to change procedures, behaviors and responses quickly to avoid incidents. This reduces downtime in the case of planned events like turnarounds and shutdowns—and unforeseen events like gas leaks.
Streamline safety processes. Cloud-connected wearables constantly stream data direct-to-cloud. By eliminating manual uploads and through automated reporting, there is no delay in accessing data and no human-fallible link in the measuring and reporting process. With real-time data, help can be dispatched with full awareness of what risks are present, so responders arrive prepared to handle every situation.
Compliance reporting in real time. Industry regulatory compliance in safety and audits can cause nervous headaches for managers. With connected safety technology, you gain full confidence that you are always compliant. For example, analytic programs give you sight of workers using noncompliant devices based on your organization’s bump and calibration procedures, allowing corrective action to ensure they stay safe. Since IoT device firmware and settings are automatically updated without needing to dock devices, this means they are always up-to-date and up-to-code, with no downtime required.
Worksite efficiency. With wearable technology, jobsite activity can now be monitored remotely, decreasing the number of employees needed on-site and, in turn, significantly lowering safety risks across the board.
Some IoT cloud-connected devices are GPS-location enabled, so you can identify worker time and location, seeing where safety and efficiency improvements can be made. Custom reporting using your data can identify patterns, insights and opportunities for facility layout improvements, changes in shift management,
contractor behaviors and resource scheduling.
Data-driven analysis ensures site operators make informed
and insightful decisions to translate patterns into effifficiency and digitally transform the workplace.
Layers of communication. It’s important to understand the value of communication when it comes to safety. The ability to communicate no matter where a worker is and under any critical circumstance could save that worker’s life. Wearable safety devices can offer flexible communication solutions that fit the unique needs of your industrial worksite to protect those at risk.
For example, some wearables have built-in layers of communication and, when paired with live monitoring, provide a critical lifeline between your people and the help they need during an emergency, health event, dangerous situation, poor weather conditions and more:5
■ Manual SOS latch so workers can send an emergency call for help
■ Automated no motion, fall detection and missed check-in capabilities let the device send an alert when your people can’t
■ Two-way voice communication so first responders can connect directly with workers during an emergency to best assist
■ Optional push-to-talk function
This combination of features allows workers to be connected, protected from hazardous gases and to communicate, all while carrying less equipment throughout the workday.
Real-World Case Study Demonstrates
Benefits of Wearable Technology
A project with a major construction contractor in the UK used a connected safety device to understand worker locations and time spent on site, including time in specific locations. The data generated allowed the company to identify how long each task or element of it was taking each worker. This data was then compared with the original work plan. The company was able to identify productivity gains in terms of both worker efficiency, planning and task design. Ultimately the project proved that better visibility into what was happening could lead to significant ROI benefits on future projects. Add in worker safety capabilities, and you’ve got a proven solution to drive efficiency, reduce risk and better protect people.
Blackline Safety is a globally connected safety leader that helps to ensure every worker gets their job done and returns home safely each day. Blackline provides wearable safety technology, personal and area gas monitoring, cloud-connected software, and data analytics to meet demanding safety challenges and increase the productivity of organizations with coverage in more than 100 countries.
REFERENCES
1. https://www.ilo.org/moscow/areas-of-work/occupational-safety-and- health/WCMS_249278/lang--en/index.htm
2. https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/connected- worker-market
3. https://www.blacklinesafety.com/g7c-wireless-gas-detector
4. https://www.blacklinesafety.com/blackline-live-safety-monitoring-portal/
5. https://www.blacklinesafety.com/solutions/personal-gas- detection?hsLang=en-us
10 Occupational Health & Safety | MAY 2022 www.ohsonline.com