Lighter fabrics and special textiles that enable clothing to meet protective standards while still providing style, comfort, and higher employee satisfaction.Seamless, fine-knit gloves that provide increased comfort.Looser-fitting respirators that allow workers to wear facial hair.PPE that reflects workers’ personal preferencesĪlong with technological advances that enable “smart” PPE, there are also protective items that respect workers’ personal preferences. While there are some privacy concerns about how this data is collected and used by employers, monitoring factors that could contribute to accidents may significantly reduce the number of workplace accidents. Next-generation smart PPE is expected to monitor workers’ fatigue and alertness, which may help managers determine who needs a break and when. Some products may even detect changes in environmental conditions. This equipment also tracks advanced metrics like the user’s blood alcohol content, blood oxygen levels, sweat levels, and vital signs. This “smart” equipment collects the same data as wearable devices, including the user’s heart rate, calories burned, steps walked, and blood pressure.

In fact, the annual global EHS survey revealed that high priorities for 2020 were improving incident management (51% of respondents), achieving environmental compliance (46% of respondents), and enhancing occupational health, industrial hygiene and ergonomics (34% of respondents). The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and worksite clothing with sensors that monitor, collect, and record biometric, location, and movement data in real time is on the rise. So where are EHS professionals focusing those funds? Let’s take a look. In fact, survey data shows that Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) directors in those three industries increased their budgets in 2020. Improving worker safety continues to be a major focus in 2021, particularly in the construction, engineering, and manufacturing industries.

Safety moments 2020