On average, most Americans annually spend up to 1,786 hours in their workplaces. This constitutes a huge part of their lives. Like every other place, workplaces hold certain levels of accident risks. Accident risks vary based on the field of work you are involved in.
From seemingly harmless front desk jobs to perilous furnace operations, your workplace is required to put measures in place for your safety. Technology experts today have come up with diverse modern technology that makes the workplace a safer place.
Working in a safe environment gives employees confidence in their safety and prevents unnecessary losses to the company in injury settlements. Here are examples of how modern technology makes the workplace safer.
Examples of Modern Safety Technology Used in Workplaces
Thanks to the daily advancing technology, your workplace can be made relatively safer by employing the following strategies.
1. Robotics
Robotics is hands down the best invention in the corporate world. Not only can they perform tedious tasks without tiring, but they also reduce the risk of employees getting injured by doing perilous tasks. Investing in robotics is sure to increase safety within the workplace.
Manufacturing industries benefit the most from robots. With the daily advancements in the robotics world, robots can now safely work alongside humans since they are equipped with sensors to determine their proximity to human beings hence preventing injuries.
2. Surveillance Drones
Some workplaces require employees to monitor or access dangerous places such as great heights, disaster zones, or uncharted areas. Using drones equipped with high-level sensors and cameras allow them to survey the areas and ensure they are safe for access before they venture into them.
Using drones for this purpose significantly reduces the safety risks involved in such workplaces. An example of companies that benefit from surveillance drones includes construction companies. They may use drones to assess damages on high roofs before trying to fix them.
3. Improved Protective Gear
Protective clothing manufacturers incorporate new technology into the clothing they make for workers in dangerous places. From improved helmets, working clothes, and eyewear to much more comfortable office chairs, technology has made it much easier to reduce workplace safety risks.
In more dangerous professions, protective gear is equipped with sensors to help its wearers detect harmful conditions even as they work there. The use of ergonomics technology also creates equipment and working methods that reduce injury risks as the employees work. Moreover, these technologies increase the employee’s productivity.
4. Wearable Tech Devices
The use of wearable technologies increases the chances of safety in the workplace. It helps monitor employees’ health to ensure that they are well and fit enough for their assigned tasks.
Such devices can track employee’s biometrics, scan codes, and place and receive video calls in case of emergencies. Their most valuable feature is its ability to detect its wearer’s exposure to toxic or harmful situations and elements.
5. Improved Training Software
Many workplace accidents involving machinery occur due to a lack of proper or adequate training for the use of such equipment. Thanks to advanced technology, there now exists improved training software to guide and train employees. Such software is particularly indispensable in dangerous and heavy machinery companies. For instance, in manufacturing industries that use furnaces or huge bulldozers, employers need to invest in training software and ensure their employees are properly trained for the tasks they undertake.
The use of virtual reality or augmented reality for training is also essential. It gives inexperienced employees a feel of the real work without putting them in the way of unnecessary danger.
6. Equipment Monitoring Software
Faulty equipment has often been cited as the cause of many workplace-related accidents. When dealing with huge, complex machinery, it can be almost impossible to tell whether they are in their perfect functional state. It is even harder if you lack a background in engineering or such related fields. So how do you ensure that faulty equipment is instantly spotted before it causes damage or injuries that may result in losses?
Software engineers have come up with various software that helps to do this. Such software regularly troubleshoots your equipment and ensures that all functions are in place and the equipment is safe for use. This way, you can repair your equipment as soon as it is damaged.
7. Better Communication in the Workplace
Numerous people fail to understand the huge impact of communication (or the lack of it) has in the workplace. Many work accident victims admit that their safety was compromised due to miscommunication or a total lack of communication.
With new technology, however, employers and employees can easily communicate. Managers and supervisors can pass crucial safety information to their juniors much easily on various organizational platforms. This goes a long way in reducing and even eliminating security risks.
What to Do if You Get Injured at Your Workplace
Despite using the advanced security measures and strategies listed above, accidents may still occur when you least expect them. Here are some of the things you should do if that happens.
1. Inform Your Employer
Depending on your organization’s communications channels, inform the relevant authority at work. This could be your supervisor, the manager, or any person assigned to deal with such injuries.
It is wise to do this as soon as possible after the accident to give you an easier time dealing with workers compensation coverage claims. Many workers have lost compensation claims for not reporting their injuries at all or reporting them too late.
2. Seek Legal Counsel
When dealing with your workers compensation claims, you need to seek the help of a work comp attorney. It would help if you remembered that each case is unique, and there is no standard way of dealing with work comp claims. That is why you need a seasoned lawyer on your side.
Your Efforts Matter
Much as your employer may incorporate any or all of these measures, always remember that you are responsible for your safety. Keep yourself out of the way of unnecessary harm.