The uptake of technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) and smartphones, as well as better data collection methods in all areas of business, are now impacting workplace health and safety. Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) is consistently improving with the adoption of these new technologies and better practices, enabling businesses to spot areas where they can improve safety at work and mitigate dangers of many kinds.

Work-related accidents and deaths have fallen consistently since the 1970s. In 2016, workplace deaths and injuries in America averaged at 14 and 2.9 each day per one hundred workers. This is a great reduction from the 38 deaths per day and 10.9 injuries and illnesses in 1970.

Clearly, workplace health and safety practices are working. However, there is still room for improvement. If a company has multiple employees a year that are injured on the job, they put themselves at risk. As one workers compensation attorney in Philadelphia points out, a company could be responsible for paying up to 500 weeks of compensation to an injured party.

Not only does this impact a firm’s bottom line, but workplace injuries can affect retention and productivity rates as well. The adoption of the technologies noted above is bound to result in a continued reduction of workplace incidents and a happier workforce.

There are three main areas in which technology can be used to improve workplace health and safety: OHS training and education, tracking and recording risks, and monitoring inspections and adhering to safety policies.

 

Workplace Health and Safety Training

All employers need to be aware of OHS regulations, policies, and legislations in order to create a safer place of work for employees. Numerous studies have shown that employees being well-versed in OHS policies and practices also increases workplace safety.

However, classroom-based training is often less effective than on-site or practical training. When an employee is immersed in the appropriate environment for understanding how to work safely, they’re much more likely to retain the information.

VR is providing one answer to this challenge. The technology enables workers to train and gain skills for typically dangerous work without any of the risks associated with the real life situations. Construction, mining, and other trades are all making use of VR to give new and old recruits experience in working in dangerous conditions without any risk to their person.

The skills gained in these simulations are invaluable in terms of keeping employees safe. They provide the necessary skills to act safely in both extreme and everyday circumstances.

 

Recording and Tracking Risks in the Workplace

Identifying and mitigating risks in the workplace is one of the main areas of focus for employers aiming to create safer working conditions for employees. Luckily, modern data collection methods have improved far beyond simple paper checklists.

Approaches that allow businesses to digitize, and in some instances, automate OHS checks and identify and mitigate risks are growing. Mobile devices and software for OHS management are helping businesses of all kinds stay on top of checklists and gain a better understanding of the risks present in their work environments. This gives managers the opportunity to address them, preventing future issues.

 

Monitoring Safe Workplace Practices

The final area for ensuring a focus on OHS practices within your business is to monitor progress and adherence to safe work practices. Digitalization and data collection methods have improved to make this far easier than it was just a decade ago.

Systems are now able to provide regular updates with insights that give a better understanding of OHS practices within a business. Drones, CCTV, and routine automated reports on incidents and divergence from safe workplace practices and policies are all tools that businesses should use. This technology now make it easier for employers to address incidents and ensure employees are adhering to policies and safe working practices at all times.

In the near future, new technologies are expected to continue enhancing safety in the workplace. Advancements like monitors incorporated into personal protective equipment, technologies concerned with ergonomics, and even sensors to alert employees to toxicity levels in the air around them will further emphasize workplace safety and reduce incidents of work-related injury, illness, and death.