Tech Fusion: Future of health, safety, and well-being is now

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May 23, 2022 - Technologies are emerging at a rapid pace and are having a direct impact on nearly every industry. As a result, the use of drones, smart glasses, wearables, artificial intelligence (AI), 3D printing, robotics, and other smart technologies requires us to rethink our environmental, health, safety (EHS) programs and adapt quickly to a rapidly changing work environment.

EHS professionals are at a crossroads. We must understand if and how to best incorporate these technologies and update our programs, or continue what we’re doing and risk being left behind, or worse, not address new risks to our workforce.

So how can EHS professionals leverage current and future technologies to better equip their organization to face the more complex challenges ahead? The questions we need to ask ourselves are these:

1. What role will technology play in the evolution of our workplace and our profession?
2. Are workers being considered as an important stakeholder in the adoption of new technologies?
3. Are we doing enough to safely integrate new technology into our profession?

Productivity and cost-savings are the primary drivers motivating development and adoption of emerging technologies. However, there are many unanswered questions on how new technologies such as AI and machine learning will integrate “virtual guard rails” to ensure that these systems do not create unanticipated EHS risks. What’s more is that there are few regulatory requirements on many of this new tech and consensus standards are also slow to develop.

Conversely, new tech is also contributing to improved EHS delivery. Mobile apps, once used just to report incidents or capture basic data, have evolved significantly and are beginning to digitize the safety industry. Mobile interactions with an organization’s workforce can promote a culture of safety, trust, and engagement when person-to-person interactions are not always feasible. These interactions can streamline and further automate tasks to create a more efficient workflow.

Additionally, corporate budgets for emerging technology and software tools are increasing across the industry. And what’s most interesting is companies are now funding innovation through their EHS department’s budget. Some of the current immersive technological solutions being incorporated into EHS practices, especially after the pandemic, are smart glasses and virtual reality headsets.

Smart watches are a commonplace accessory now worn to track personal fitness and health data. But wearables are far more than just watches. Smart glasses and other augmented reality (AR) applications are considered the next big breakthrough for wearable technology. This eyewear is equipped with technology to merge what you see in the real world with virtual environments which mimic an actual workplace to improve the effectiveness of safety training. Furthermore, smart glasses can be used to perform remote risk assessments and EHS audits by subject matter experts through the perspective of onsite personnel transmitting real-time images from half-way across the world.

The advantages of workforce-worn wearables are limitless. New wearable devices with sensor technology can monitor for chemicals, heat stress, radiation, and even ergonomic stressors. These devices record the data and can report to EHS when certain safety thresholds are exceeded.

But there are still hurdles to overcome. The technology to support these devices is still evolving and there are concerns with security and privacy of the data. Additional policy, research, and best practices need to be established to ensure safety, efficiency, and transparency. This is not to discourage use of new tech but to ensure proper assessment and contingency planning is included in the integration process. Understanding the benefits, risks, and challenges of new technologies and making smart decisions accordingly will not only enhance your operations but will place your organization at the forefront of your business and the EHS profession.

Follow along with our Heath, Safety and Well-Being (HSW) series where we’ll address the future of HSW and the topics that should be at the top of your list.