In 2020, the total cost of preventable work-related injuries reached over $163.9 billion (The National Safety Council). Industrial workforces are inherently exposed to risk, however the majority of workplace incidents can be avoided. With the evolution of technology there are more effective and easy to use tools that significantly enhance safety practices in the industrial sector.
Bodytrak, a smart safety solution, continuously monitors each person’s individual response to environmental and physiological stress during shifts to prevent incidents caused by heat stress, fatigue and more. This means safety monitoring no longer needs to be a one-size-fits-all indirect approach.
From a wearable earpiece with multiple sensors, Bodytrak is able to capture physiological data in real-time and continuously. Once the data is measured via the in-ear sensors, it is analysed by proprietary algorithms that are specifically designed for the Bodytrak device. Using a combination of machine-learning algorithms on the device and in the cloud, critical automated insights are sent to both the user (via audio prompts) and supervisor (via the real-time Dashboard) so that intervention can be enabled, and incidents prevented.
Designed with usability and comfort as a focus, Bodytrak is the only non-invasive product of its kind on the market. From a technology standpoint, wearables have become smaller, smarter and easier to implement. Due to its proximity to the hypothalamus (the temperature control centre of the body), and since the eardrum receives its blood supply from the carotid artery, the ear is an excellent site to measure core body temperature and heart rate. As a result, Bodytrak has been developed as an ergonomic ear-based solution to ensure it is extremely effective and accurate for industrial use, shifting away from the wrist and other skin-based sites used by other wearable solutions. Combined with a communications pack (“CommPack”) that has a smaller footprint, is lighter than a regular smartphone and can be conveniently clipped to a belt, ensures overall comfort and wearability.
Using advanced software algorithms teams can be alerted via the Bodytrak Platform when preset physiological thresholds are exceeded. These provide critical insights on the below:
Bodytrak is committed to enhancing safety practices across a wide range of sectors. Alongside real-time physiological monitoring, additional features such as geolocation, geofencing and SOS add extra levels to safeguard teams. This is extremely beneficial for lone workers providing peace of mind for both the employee and employer when team members are isolated. Whenever a threshold is reached, an alert is generated and Bodytrak instantly identifies where the user is located whether they are indoors or outdoors, allowing rapid assistance to be deployed when every second counts. Similarly the SOS feature is an easy-to-use user activated alarm that can be triggered on the dashboard and via SMS and email when urgent support is required.
Consider a lone worker who is out in the field working in temperatures of 40°C/104°F and beyond. Temperatures at this level create a large physiological burden. With the Bodytrak device the user will receive an audio prompt if their core body temperature (CBT) exceeds the preset threshold so they know they are at risk of serious injury and are prompted to take the necessary precautions to cool down. Simultaneously, the control centre/supervisor will also receive an alert via the Dashboard (and SMS and email if configured) to alert them that one of their team members requires assistance. With the geolocation feature, the exact location of the worker can be shared so that immediate assistance can be dispatched. Alternatively, if they are working in an isolated area with valuable goods and vulnerable to theft (ie. truck drivers at risk of hijackings etc) the user can trigger an SOS alarm via the device so that support can be sent as rapidly as possible using their geolocation as key information.
65 million work days were lost due to preventable incidents in 2020, almost double the previous year (National Safety Council). Adopting Bodytrak in the workplace is fundamentally about proactively and unobtrusively preventing incidents, injury and illness; however, there are secondary benefits too. There’s reduced downtime and increased productivity. Data can be anonymised and used to inform more optimal shift timetables, worker policies and health and safety strategies. Better-managed shift patterns result in happier and more productive staff and hence greater output. Associated legal, medical, administrative and other costs are significantly reduced. All of these feed the business case and contribute to the ROI on adoption.
There is no wonder why the ability to monitor heat stress and fatigue with a smart safety solution from Bodytrak is gaining more traction and helping organisations protect their teams from risk factors that are often overlooked until it’s too late. With people living longer, the age of retirement increasing and people working longer hours to combat the cost of living crisis, Bodytrak keeps workers safe through its real-time data analytics regardless of their demographic and location, while improving productivity and efficiency. Bodytrak has now been implemented across several sectors and territories to provide precise data to employers so they can prevent incidents in training or out in the field.
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