Wearable technologies are clothes and accessories equipped with advanced electronic technologies. Their examples are the commonly used smartwatches that measure the pulse and count the steps. They are also solutions aimed at improving the safety of employees.

New technologies, such as machine learning or artificial intelligence, are more and more boldly entering the development of various industries, including OSH. From year to year, more companies use smartwatches and applications that can detect when an employee feels sleepy, has an increased heart rate or an elevated temperature. Data sent to the employer in real time allows time to react and provide assistance when needed.

“Smart technology can also prevent injuries. Many suppliers have started developing wearable technologies to prevent accidents such as warehouse collisions or injuries caused by falling objects” says Ewa Gawrysiak, Sales and End User Marketing Manager, Eastern Europe & Russia at TenCate Protective Fabrics, Coalition expert. Safe at Work.

New technologies increase the safety of remote employees, those working in the office or warehouse, but also those who work in the field.

“An example may be a special system which, for example, sends a signal to the control panel in response to, for example, a loss of heart rate. It can be connected with GPS, which sends the employee’s location immediately, and thus help can reach the injured person in a shorter time. They are used, among others in the case of employees servicing high-voltage lines in the event of electrocution” says Elżbieta Rogowska, Vice President of the Management Board for Operations, expert of the Safe at Work Coalition.

„Wearable technologies” are not only bands and watches, applications or accessories for clothes, but as the name suggests – clothes themselves. An example is heated clothing.

“It is a good solution in the current rapidly changing weather and milder winter. We are also working on activity sensors, which can be the basis for determining the level of movement or immobility of an employee and the impact of such a mode of work on health” – says Elżbieta Rogowska. “Unfortunately, while working on a new product, we encountered a legal loophole”.

There is currently no standardization or regulation yet for protective clothing and collecting this type of data from workers in order to increase their safety.

“It turns out that this is a much wider problem and does not only concern „wearable technology”. Unfortunately, regulations often do not keep up with the latest technologies also in other industries. This is of great importance for the safety of employees who, using outdated and inadequate solutions, often risk their health and even their lives. Sometimes it is also the case that the law is dead, and the reality somehow forces the introduction of new technologies” – says Ewa Gawrysiak. “You can see here the enormous task facing the legislator”.

Source: https://kadry.infor.pl/kadry/bhp/profilaktyczna_ochrona_zdrowia/5346679,Odziez-inteligentna-bhp.html

Projekt otrzymał dofinansowanie z Norwegii poprzez Fundusze Norweskie 2014-2021, w ramach programu „Dialog społeczny – godna praca”.