THE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT PPE YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOUR WORKERS NEEDED

THE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOUR WORKERS NEEDED

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

Workforce safety should be every industry’s primary concern. We’re sure you prioritize it too. However, is your workers’ safety limited to conventional personal protective equipment only?

Well, it’s about time you explore safety tech. Modern safety wear is a hybrid of personal protective equipment & cutting-edge technology.

Regular PPE is essential to maintaining the physical safety of industrial employees. Personal Protective Equipment like face shields, respirators, gloves, full-body suits, helmets, and work boots play a vital role to ensure workers’ safety. This equipment minimizes exposure to injuries that are caused by workplace hazards.

However, when you throw in safety tech – It maximizes the safety provided by PPE. Here are some ways PPE & Safety Tech can prove to be beneficial together:

Benefits of PPE + Safety TECH

  • Cost-Effective  
  • Time-Saving  
  • Empowers Workforce  
  • Smart Solutions 

Now let’s read about what this new personal protective equipment is & how it evolved. 

Industry 4.0 & Safety Gear

Did you know? The fourth industrial revolution is taking place as we speak. It started with the convergence of IoT, XR, and AI & got kicked off by travel restrictions brought by Covid’19. 

This has made Assisted Reality accessible to workforces around the globe. A modern connected worker in particular is empowered through hands-free & voice-enabled technologies. Truly changing the dynamics of fieldwork & digitalizing workforces from top to bottom. 

Frontline workers can now connect with their team members instantly; without the need for physical touch, through hands-free & voice-enabled devices. They also have access to important data and can capture photos & videos hands-free. This makes up innovative & hassle-free working environments with top-notch safety & improved outputs.  

As the latest technologies are integrated with safety gear – Frontline workers are empowered through smart solutions, boosted productivity & instant access to everything they need.

We have listed below a bunch of standard PPE & how safety tech has improvised it. 

  •     Hard Helmets

The Past:  

Hard helmets are essential personal protective equipment because moving objects, falling tools & low-height beams are common at worksites. This can be highly hazardous until required PPE like hard helmets is worn.

The Problem:  

While hard helmets are crucial at worksites, they also have many setbacks. They’re heavy, aren’t globally compatible, & require to be taken off for certain tasks. This puts the workers at a high risk of injuries & compromises their safety.

The Present Innovation:  

RealWear Navigator™ 500. Hands down, one of the best assisted-reality devices out there. It is voice-enabled & clips onto any standard-issue hard hat. An assisted reality solution that doesn’t require taking off gloves to use touchscreens. It poses almost zero chances of accidents. Smart, right?

·      Eye Protection  

The Past:  

It is common for workers in industrial environments to be in contact with many chemicals, radiological or physical elements that are highly hazardous for their eyesight. In several cases, workers’ eyes have been seen to be compromised due to accidents involving dangerous electrical or mechanical hazards. Therefore, PPE like Goggles, Safety glasses & Shields are essential for industry workers.

The Problem:  

There is a lot of PPE built for eye protection. However, not all of it is compatible with every working environment. Regular smart glasses are not frontline friendly. This creates a loophole in the safety of frontline workers & availability of competitive PPE.

The Present Innovation:  

Assisted Reality comes to the rescue, yet again. RealWear’s Navigator™ 500 – It is compatible with PPE safety glasses, is purpose-built & a head-worn wearable device. The perfect invention to ensure the safety of your workforce.

·      Watches  

The Past:  

The average water & dustproof watch does the job well for frontline workers. It helps them keep track of time.

The Problem:  

Frontline workers are at risk of injuries & accidents through every minute spent on the field. A lot of time, their general physical & mental health deteriorates without notice. This decreases the chances of providing them timely health & care.

The Present Innovation:  

Smartwatches like FitBit & Moodbeam have changed the game for industrial workers. They can be utilized to monitor: Heart rate, step count, abnormal heart rhythms, blood oxygen saturation, or respiratory distress.   

In case of a fall (which is fairly common at industrial worksites): A smartwatch can speed up response time by immediately contacting emergency personnel.  

Managers have also been using wristbands like Moodbeam to track their worker’s mental health throughout their duty.

·      Safety Gloves  

The Past:  

Safety gloves protect industry workers from several hazardous encounters. This includes moving machine parts, hot or sharp objects, and anything rusty or heavy. Incidents involving anything as such could cause electrocution, burns, or cuts. 

The Problem:  

To operate a handheld device, a tethered smart glass, or flip through paper documents – A worker must take off gloves, which exposes him/her to the risk of dangers mentioned previously.

The Present Innovation:  

Another smart solution from RealWear is brought to you through Assisted Reality: The RealWear Navigator™ 500. It is a head-mounted device that can be operated through voice commands. It will keep your workers’ hands free and ensure safety. The wiser & smarter option.  

·      Work Boots  

The Past:  

At industrial worksites, there are many chances of a sharp object piercing through workers’ feet, contact with a hot or hazardous substance, or a heavy object falling on the feet. Not to mention slipping or falling off entirely. Steel-toed work boots prevent all such incidents. Some feet-protection PPE even has steel toes & slip-resistant soles for optimal safety.

The Problem:  

Standard work boots commonly used by frontline workers do a great job at protecting their feet. However, there are still chances of falls/slips which can lead to fatal accidents.

The Present Innovation:  

Boots like SmartBoots by SolePower can prevent falls or small shocks by detecting pressure, immediately reporting the accident & sharing the worker’s exact location.

·      Hearing Protection

The Past:

Dangerously loud sounds are common in industrial work environments due to heavy machinery & tools. This is why PPE like earplugs or over-the-ear hearing protection is essential to protect workers’ hearing from irreversible damage.

The Problem:  

The mentioned equipment does protect frontline workers from permanent hearing damage. However, they make it difficult to manage voice-operated devices.

The Present Innovation:  

Smart innovations like Pro Buds provide in-ear protection in intrinsically safe work zones while you can easily participate in remote video calls or operate voice-enabled devices.   

The RealWear Navigator™ 500 is also a great option in assisted reality devices. It ensures optimal performance even in extremely loud surroundings.

To sum up: The world is changing, the industry is undergoing a revolution & technology is transforming everything – You should initiate change too & upgrade your workforce using PPE integrated with AR solutions. The RealWear HMT-1Z1 & Navigator™ 500 are ideal devices for industrial use and are compliant with industry standards.

Click here to contact us for more information or details.

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