A safe and healthy workplace is essential for several reasons. Not only does it protect employees from injury and illness, but it can also reduce costs. However, keeping employees safe isn’t as easy as it sounds. There’s so much to consider regarding employee safety that it can be hard to know where to begin. Thankfully, several technologies have been introduced to help business owners keep their employees safe. To find out what they are, keep reading below:
1. Wearables
wearable devices icon CC: Freepik
One of the most recent technological developments that has been proven to improve workplace safety is wearables. Wearable technology falls into four categories:
- Environmental monitoring –Environmental monitoring wearables can alert employees of unsafe temperature or air quality within a space. This helps to prevent injuries from occurring.
- Physiological monitoring –These devices track heart rate, respiration, body temperature, and other physiological measurements. When a worker wears one of these, employers can use the information they receive to determine when a worker is stressed, tired, or unwell and, therefore, at greater risk of injury or illness.
- Proximity detection –This type of wearable is often embedded in PPE equipment such as hard hats. It can be used to prevent workers from entering dangerous areas or getting too close to unsafe machinery.
- Exoskeletons and Exosuits –This final example of a wearable can be used to provide assistive force for physical tasks. For example, they can be worn to help lift heavy objects. On top of this, they can enable employees to return to work more quickly after an injury.
2. Smartphone Safety Apps
If you’re looking for a cheaper, more straightforward piece of technology to improve workplace safety, smartphone safety apps are it. These apps can be used to assess, observe, and improve workplace safety. They allow workers to evaluate working conditions and tasks by, for example, providing guidance on handling hazardous materials, measuring noise hazards, and promoting safe lifting and ladder safety.
On top of this, some apps can help workplace safety by helping businesses stay compliant with regulations. And the great news is that many of these apps are free, so all businesses can afford to use them. We have previously written about the best Antivirus apps for Android which are also known as good security apps.
3. Robots
Robots have been used in manufacturing businesses for many years now. They are used to perform lifting and repetitive tasks, which in turn has helped improve workplace safety. However, technology is continually evolving, and these robots are getting much better. With the help of drones, robots can now be used by manufacturing businesses to complete higher-risk tasks in a business.
4. VR Headsets
VR Headset CC: Business Insider
VR can be used to offer safety training programs for employees. Once the training is complete, employees can use the VR headset to practice using dangerous equipment. The headset simulates the working environment so that employees can learn how to use the equipment safely before using it for real. There are a lot of good VR Headsets that you can use for this.
5. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Okay, so PPE isn’t exactly technology, but it is an essential part of workplace safety. PPE helps to protect employees from serious injuries and illnesses. It gives you and your employees a layer of protection in case of an accident or against the elements.
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As you can see, some brilliant technologies are available that can help improve employee safety. If you haven’t done so already, why not give them a go in your business?
Besides all the tools available in the market, employees should be provided with soft safety skills as well so they can make informed decisions about their safety because no equipment can protect them if you don’t use them sensibility and appropriately as required.