On the expo floor of Safety 2017, 28 vendors showcased mobile apps (tracking devices, mobile inspections, alarms and signaling devices, etc.). The new buzzword is “connectivity.” Safety pros are now using technology to respond to the exact location of an employee in distress of help while providing tools to account for the wellbeing of every worker.
But the “connected worker” concept goes beyond tracking lone workers and being instantly alerted to “man down” situations – although much of this real-time connectivity started with concerns for lone worker safety. Tech for lone workers now expanding to first responders, shift workers, line workers, transportation drivers, warehouse workers, etc. One vendor predicted that within five years we could see every worker connected via web-based mobile devices, wearables, and information instantly transmitted via the internet “cloud.”