Now is the Time: Connectivity, Training & Industrial Safety

© littlewolf1989 – stock.adobe.com

By: Mike Brown, Contributor

Have you ever left home without your cellphone and felt a sense of panic because you were disconnected? Has your phone battery ever died with no way to recharge for hours, leaving you feeling insecure?

We don’t necessarily think of our phones as safety devices, but when we lose the peace of mind that comes with knowing we can connect with someone when we need to, we feel vulnerable.

It’s mindboggling to think that every day, millions of North American workers enter critically dangerous situations with no emergency backup aside from a simple device that beeps when a hazard is detected. If they were to be unexpectedly exposed to higher than permissible levels of toxic gas and pass out—or lose consciousness after a fall—no one would know until their next scheduled check-in was missed.

This is the reality of most industrial jobs today. Nearly 95% of personal gas detectors in use remain standalone or, at best, rely on cellular service to communicate.

A 2023 workplace safety survey by Verkada found that only about a third of workers (37%) feel safe at their workplace, and more than half of frontline workers who feel their physical safety isn’t a priority plan to quit if their employer doesn’t take action to improve safety.

Now is the time to boost industrial safety. The technology exists, and it’s up to organizations to embrace the power of connectivity and do a better job of anticipating, recognizing, evaluating and controlling workplace hazards.

As a global leader in connected safety, Blackline Safety’s technology—including the award-winning G7 personal gas detector—is helping tens of thousands of users stay safe. (photo courtesy Blackline Safety, www.blacklinesafety.com)

Connected Safety Devices and AI

Cloud-connected safety devices, for example, are already linking lone workers to 24-hour monitoring, enabling real-time information sharing; collecting vital location data; supporting better decision-making; and facilitating faster emergency response.

Heading into 2025 and beyond, we can expect to see even more advances in connected safety, as artificial intelligence (AI) solutions rapidly evolve. This includes new capabilities, such as predictive analytics, unified device management and real-time decision support based on collected data.

The more AI solutions evolve, the more industries are thinking about how they can do things differently. One of the most exciting developments in connected safety is the possibility of using an intelligent AI assistant to monitor large safety data sets in real time and identify potential risks, a task that currently requires a team of data scientists and is reactive, at best.

An intelligent assistant could analyze historical sensor failure data and then constantly monitor working gas detection sensors in the background to predict when they are nearing end-of-life and need to be replaced. AI could also help with exposure reporting, using location data to pinpoint where low gas alerts are frequently occurring—so they can be investigated before they become a serious problem. The first step in achieving either of these scenarios is connectivity.

Reaping the Benefits of Connectivity

Automated, near-miss reporting allows managers to take proper corrective action before people or property are harmed. If a series of falls occur in the same place, for example, further investigation might be needed to establish the cause. © Summer Paradive – stock.adobe.com

Many oil and gas companies and other large industrial organizations require their employees to calibrate their wearable gas detectors daily. When those devices are connected to the cloud, industrial hygienists can easily identify any that weren’t tested and take immediate remedial action against non-compliance, such as issuing a reminder to the employee involved or having their supervisor call them back from the job site.

Similarly, instead of relying on workers to report near misses like potential falls or low gas alerts —which is time consuming and ad hoc—connected safety devices automatically collect reliable data, allowing safety professionals to pinpoint exact near-miss occurrences and locations. As one of the most important tools used by safety professionals, automated near-miss reporting allows managers to take proper corrective action before people or property are harmed.

If a series of falls occur in the same place, for example, further investigation might indicate a build-up of grease or oil in the area, which can be mitigated by changing to a more absorbent cleaner or installing grip flooring. If data shows the falls only happen in winter, the problem could be due to ice buildup, which can be prevented by introducing de-icing measures.

Liberty Utilities—a major provider of electricity, water and natural gas services in North America, Bermuda and Chile—recently deployed 300 connected safety devices following a successful pilot. All are monitored around-the-clock and provide lone worker protection features, such as no motion, fall detection and missed check-in alerts.

The technology rollout required a new lone worker policy and a mandate that employees wear their connected device, regardless of division or region, a shift that fostered a deeper culture of safety excellence.

“The world has changed; people have changed. If we don’t change with it, if we don’t outfit our folks with whatever we can to succeed or to fail safely, then you know we haven’t done our job, especially as a health and safety team,” said Kevin Spottiswood, Director, EHS (East Region) of Liberty Utilities.

COORDINATED APPROACH TO TRAINING

Implementing a connected safety program can seem like a daunting task, especially when employees are hesitant and feel uncomfortable being monitored. To help employees feel prepared, equipped and supported during the transition to connected devices, it’s important to launch a coordinated change-management program in tandem with the new technology rollout.

Start by ensuring workers understand why the change is happening and then keep them updated regularly, announcing small wins as they happen. When they voice concerns, bring them to the forefront and demonstrate a willingness to listen. Once the devices are deployed in the field, follow up with post-training evaluations, employee engagement surveys and post-implementation meetings to gauge adoption and acceptance.

Beyond employee peace of mind, it’s important to recognize that addressing hazards in the workplace can greatly reduce costly injuries and safety incidents. The Liberty Mutual Safety Index states that every $1 invested in a safety program yields a $4 return on investment.

The benefits of connected safety for both workers and organizations are proven. The real success, however, will be when all industrial workers feel as comfortable and safe with their connected technology as they do with their cellphones. IHW

Mike Brown is Director of Product Management at Blackline Safety, a global leader in connected safety technology.