Industrial Wearable Solutions (“wearables” for short) are enabling true innovation in how companies address their EHS challenges. In a recent Verdantix recent report, “Smart Innovators: Industrial Wearables,” Verdantix outline how industrial wearable solutions can provide real-time, two-way communications between frontline workers and EHS managers—sharing hazard information with workers, collecting data about the risks they are facing and helping prevent future safety incidents. As opposed to handheld devices such as mobile phones or tablets, all this functionality is provided via an apparatus that is hands-free, does not interfere with a worker’s existing tasks and often operates in the background without requiring workplace training.
So, can we consider industrial wearable solutions to be a cure for any EHS ailment or challenge facing a firm? The short answer is no. The longer answer is that a firm needs to consider the following steps to better understand whether a wearable can help fill its EHS gaps:
1) Audit your EHS activities for areas where safety objectives aren’t being achieved—for example, is there a need to track workers’ locations, monitor vital signs, provide hands-free communications with colleagues or something else?
2) Explore wearable products on the marketplace to characterize their capabilities and use cases, as well as ask vendors their plans for R&D and enhanced functionality
3) Understand the technological infrastructure within your operations to support specific devices, including Wi-Fi and cellular coverage
4) Determine how collected data will be analysed—whether using your existing enterprise EHS software or the vendor’s software platform, as well as whether the EHS team can readily process the data or outside assistance is needed
5) Discuss optional devices with workers who will wear them for feedback on data privacy concerns, product comfort and ease of use, and incorporation within existing daily tasks
6) Develop a strategy for technology rollout—such as identifying success metrics, conducting pilot tests and evaluating test results, and defining deployment plans to scale implementation
It’s also important to remember that not all firms are ready to implement industrial wearable solutions and not all EHS challenges can be solved with wearables.
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