Health and safety have come a long way in the workplace as businesses recognise that they have a duty of care to their employees. New technology has played an essential role in this improvement and is continuing to transform how the staff is kept safe in the workplace.
Preventing accidents and illness is a priority for any conscientious business and your employees will be all the better for it. Here are some examples of how business technology is used to maintain good health and safety standards in the workplace.
PPE
The UK has seen a massive increase in the production and use of PPE with over 35 billion items produced in 2020 alone. This is largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the responsibility that management had to employees to keep them safe during work.
PPE is equipment worn to reduce exposure to hazards in the workplace that cause illness or injury. It comes in many forms, including safety helmets, gloves, eye coverings, and face masks.
Disease control
Pandemics like COVID-19 have also pushed innovations in tracking and preventing the spread of illness and disease in the workplace. The Track and Trace app is just one example of how technology kept a dangerous disease out of the workplace by notifying people if they had been in contact with somebody positive for the virus.
Physical disease control measures are also in place like plastic sheets that were used to separate workspaces. This was essential during the pandemic to keep businesses running within government guidelines and ensure employee safety.
Safer tools
Injuries in the UK construction industry cost up to £16.2bn per year so it makes perfect sense that tools and equipment are being adapted to improve safety when handling. Failsafes have been installed in power tools and heavy machinery, meaning that if a malfunction occurs, the handler isn’t at risk of losing a limb or worse.
Similar technology has been developed in handheld power tools that make them safer for employees to use, such as SawStop. Electrical signals are monitored so that when a different material is detected the blade will stop before any damage can be done.
Check-in technology
As hybrid working becomes more and more popular, checking-in technology is quickly becoming part of the norm. This has been a game-changer for employees as it can be used to easily track who is in the office and who is working from home.
Desk booking systems also fall under this branch and allow employees to book desks at any time on-site. This then provides employers with an accurate log of where people are and this is helpful in the case of a fire and aiding track and trace efforts.
