The technologies helping to reduce accidents at work

According to the UK Health and Safety executive there were over 400,000 workplace injuries over the last 12 months. Industries using heavy machinery and equipment are, of course, potentially the most dangerous (Agriculture, Construction and Manufacturing). The situations considered most hazardous are working at heights, with electricity, or operating heavy machinery. However, these factors alone often don’t cause accidents. Secondary hazards, such as human error or fatigue, neglect of safety procedures, and inadequate training all play a big role too.

This is where technology can help. Health & Safety professionals see three technologies in particular as having the most potential – AR/VR, AI & big data, and wearables. All three of these technologies can be made more effective when coupled with a rugged tablet, particularly when used in challenging industrial or outdoor work environments.

1. AR/VR : Contrary to what many think, augmented reality (AR) doesn’t require a head-mounted device (HMD) to work effectively. It can be done via an overlay on a tablet screen at less cost. If you do use an HMD for either augmented or virtual reality (VR), having at least some of the computing work done in a rugged tablet instead of the HMD, or some other piece of specialised wearable tech, is likely to be more cost-effective. It is also less likely to create apprehension in those facing the prospect of having a computer strapped to their head while they work.
2. AI & Big Data: Advanced robotics enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) and big data has tremendous potential to improve worker safety over the next few years. The move from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0 will further accelerate this with increasingly widespread deployment of collaborative robots (cobots), which are more functionally flexible than the typical industrial automatons used today. Combining these with a rugged tablet for control will prove an effective way to maintain worker safety in even the most challenging environments.
3. Wearables:Wearables can be used to monitor a worker’s health and vital information, including signs of fatigue or waning attention – secondary hazards that quickly lead to accidents. Managers can then use this information to pre-empt potential issues and take workers off dangerous tasks if they aren’t fully alert, preventing accidents and keep employees safe.