The Internet of Things now includes the things your employees can wear to keep them, and your business, safe. By now you’ve probably heard of the Internet of Things (IoT) — how networking capability between objects and devices allows information to be sent to and received between them. Now IoT technology is impacting the workplace in new and innovative ways that can actually reduce accidents. Sensor devices are one of the most important innovations.
Sensors
For years, x-ray technicians and other professionals who work with x-rays and other harmful radiation have worn radiation meters, or dosimeters, which detect the levels of radiation they are exposed to. Sensor devices can detect other harmful exposures as well, and most will warn the wearer if exposure levels approach a danger point. Sensor devices with occupational safety uses include:
• Sound level meters. Useful for workers in the entertainment industry, construction, manufacturing and more. Detects sound levels that could damage human hearing.
• Pressure sensors. Pressure sensors can detect when a load will exceed a shelf’s capacity and warn a forklift operator before collapse occurs.
• Temperature monitors. As you’d guess, a temperature monitor detects ambient temperature and warns a worker (such as someone working in a refrigerated warehouse or cold room) when exposure to cold reaches a certain predetermined level.
• Fitbits. Yes, the ubiquitous Fitbit that people wear to track their steps also has health and safety applications. Certain models of Fitbits and other fitness trackers will prompt the wearer when it’s time to move, in addition to tracking movements. Remaining sedentary for too long can affect attention, as well as health.
• Sleep detectors. Various devices can sense when a wearer is becoming sleepy or falling asleep and sound a warning. Some devices fit over the ear or attach to a hat and detect when a driver’s head is drooping, likely indicating he or she is nodding off.
Of course by the time someone’s head is nodding off, the car may have already veered off the road. Enter new technologies that focus on a driver’s eyes and will sound an alarm when they close; however, wearing glasses, sunglasses and glare can interfere with the sensors. Other anti-sleep technologies use sensors to measure electrodermal activity (electrical impulses through the skin) and alarm when activity indicates a drop in alertness.
One of the simplest and cheapest — though not necessarily most effective — devices is to use a “blue light” smartphone app. When a user keeps the phone in view, the blue light on the screen acts as a stimulant and, theoretically at least, prevents the driver from falling asleep.
Respirators
Respirators protect workers against insufficient oxygen environments, harmful dusts, fogs, smokes, mists, gases, vapors, and sprays. These hazards may cause cancer, lung impairment, diseases, or death. Two types of respirators exist: ones that provide clean, breathable air for low-oxygen or extremely hazardous atmospheres, and ones that filter ambient air for particles, vapors and other harmful substances. You must choose the right type of respirator for the situation, and it must also fit the wearer properly.
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