The future of workplace safety

Brendon Cook, chief technology officer and co-founder of Blackline Safety, and Alan Lewis, managing member of Trigas Agencies, look at ways in which connected technology is driving the future of workplace safety.

Industrial businesses face numerous safety risks every day. These risks have been amplified by Covid-19 as businesses face stringent social distancing guidelines and the new challenge of preventing, and containing, the spread of the virus among workers. 

Connected technology can help organisations tackle their toughest safety challenges and equip them with reliability, as well as agility, to address the emerging challenges associated with digital transformation and an evolving workforce. 

Some businesses are already on the path to digital transformation, while others are exploring their options. Investing in connected safety wearable technologies is a core component in helping businesses with this transformation, providing the situational awareness that has been missing from safety programmes, for many businesses, in the past. The data generated by connected safety wearables has significant value when combined with other sources of business data. 

Adopting and adhering to safety best practices is also a business sustainability topic. Employees are the heart of every business, and a strong commitment to their well-being, by deploying the best that technology has to offer, can go a long way in attracting and retaining the best team members. 

A new era of gas detection 

Traditionally, gas detection lacked the comprehensive connectivity needed to support digital transformation and keep workers truly connected. This changed with Blackline Safety’s G7 direct-to-cloud wearable safety monitoring device. It integrates cellular connectivity with push-to-talk communications on more than 100 channels for far-ranging connectivity among workers. 

The device’s wireless cloud connectivity also links the worker to a 24/7 live monitoring team, available to respond to any situation instantly. Monitoring personnel can easily view the type and status of an alert the moment it happens, from injuries and health events to gas leaks and evacuations. 

Each alert can be customised according to the emergency response protocols of an organisation, with an escalation process determining who should be contacted during an incident. 

Leveraging data science 

Businesses can instantly gain insight into operational and compliance status, where and how equipment is being used, what hazards are being encountered and how to address those hazards with fact-based solutions. 

Teams can also use workforce movement solutions to identify unproductive activities that divert resources and proactively identify safety threats to address risks before a safety incident even occurs. 

If an incident does take place, Blackline Analytics can also generate an incident report to help teams find out what happened through gas readings and location data. 

Connected devices and data science can also support businesses as they face emerging challenges, such as Covid-19. For example, Blackline Safety offers close contact detection with G7, providing real-time, proactive warning when users enter close proximity with other G7 devices. 

They also offer close-contact and history-view reporting, which uses data to identify locations where employees work in close proximity – enabling an organisation to retrace a worker’s steps should they present Covid-19 symptoms or test positive. 

Connectivity is changing the way businesses operate and how they keep their workers safe. It has redefined the role of personal gas monitors. 

Blackline’s G7 EXO, the industry’s first area monitor with integrated cellular and satellite connectivity, is now ATEX-certified and is shipping across Europe, with plans to expand into other international regions over the next few months.