How Smart PPE Can Accelerate Digital Transformation and Improve Facility Safety
By Christian Connolly
Itβs 6:30 a.m., and Michael arrives at the facility, walks through the door and enters the manufacturing floor. Like every day at the facility, before he starts his day on the job, he tugs off his hard hat, grabs his credentials tucked in the webbing of his helmet, and hands them to the safety officer at the facilityβs check-in counter. The typical hard copy credentials, training cards, and certificates prove he can operate certain equipment and handle certain materials that may not be safe for the untrained. Today, those documents are in his helmet, but on previous days, they were missing, forcing him to run back to his car and sometimes his house to find or replace them before starting a day on the line.
As Michael is cleared, the siteβs safety manager checks a clipboard with a list of workers who need updated personal protective equipment (PPE). Thereβs a stack of records waiting inside a wire basket behind him, each one needing to be logged by hand and filed in nearby metal cabinets that, after all these years, are starting to rust at the hinges. A few weeks ago, a crew was delayed starting their shift because the safety manager misplaced an inventory sheet.
Many facilities have operated this way for decades, but digital transformation is helping to reshape the approach today. Manufacturers operating plants are now streamlining these processes through digital tools, helping safety managers manage credentials, issue PPE, and track worker compliance with just a few taps on a smartphone or tablet. The evolution creates safer, smarter, more efficient job sites that protect people and their organizations.
Reimagining Operations with Smart PPE
Today, manufacturing organizations ultimately bear the responsibility for worker safety. U.S. OSHA regulations require companies to provide PPE to safeguard employees in the workplace. Depending on a workerβs role and the specific areas of the job site, items like helmets, harnesses, safety vests, eye wear, and chemical-resistant coverall suits are required daily.
Today, cutting-edge smart PPE with next-generation near-field communication (NFC) technology transforms plant safety practices. Initially developed for outdoor action sports like biking and skiing, the technology has been successfully adapted for industrial and commercial applications. By embedding technology directly into safety equipment, companies empower workers and safety managers to store vital information about the people wearing the equipment. When needed, safety managers use a smartphone app to access the information for routine checks or during emergencies, helping to improve operational efficiency and potentially saving lives or reducing the severity of workplace injuries.
Empowering Colleagues, First Responders with Digitized Medical Information
Injury risks are inherent to manufacturing facilities, making it essential for companies to explore ways to improve response when accidents happen. No matter the location, environment, or size of a facilityβeach with its unique challengesβquick access to information can help during an emergency and mean the difference between life and death.
When accidents occur inside a facility, employees or safety managers are frequently first to assist. If the injured worker is unconscious or unable to communicate, having medical information about the injured worker readily accessible becomes vital. With access to it via their PPE and a quick smartphone scan, employees can immediately alert first responders and safety managers of their location and obtain crucial personal information to provide first responders when they arrive.
Key medical details, such as pre-existing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart problems, or severe allergies to certain medications such as penicillin, along with emergency contacts and other vital information, can enable first responders to act more quickly and precisely. By equipping workers and bystanders with tools, such as the ability to scan articles of PPE with their phone to quickly locate and identify an injured colleague and alert emergency services, everyone at a plant is empowered to provide more effective support. Helping first responders with timely, accurate information can save lives and improve recovery outcomes.
Inspections and Inventory Management Transformed
While safety is always a shared responsibility, companies are responsible for establishing a culture of worksite safety. Employers must train their employees how to wear and inspect equipment properly. They must also communicate with employees to remind them to inspect their PPE regularly. With smart PPE, employers connect their safety management software to automate safety inspection checks. They can schedule and send reminders to employee smartphones via apps where they follow a structured inspection process to check their respective PPE and submit confirmation of a completed self-check inspection. Safety managers then review to ensure workers complete inspections and identify those employees who are out of compliance.
Some facilities still use pen and paper to track PPE inventory, filing paper copies or manually transferring data to their safety and inventory management software, assuming they use software. Other companies scan and track the equipment using QR codes. However, manually adding stickers and scanning PPE individually can be tedious and time-consuming at large facilities with thousands of workers to track. With smart PPE pre-installed into equipment, employers automate the process. When the equipment reaches its end of life, safety teams proactively schedule and send employees reminders to be issued new PPE.
Technology is a powerful enabler across industries, and digitizing safety within industrial facilities through smart PPE can help companies reinforce a culture of safety. Leaders must prioritize purchasing smart PPE, enforce its use, and train employees to maximize its potential. Instant access to critical data can revolutionize a companyβs approach to safety, fostering a culture of proactivity and continual improvement. Though organizational change can be challenging, embracing digital transformation is proven to advance productivity, accountability, and operational efficiency. Using smart PPE will also demonstrate a companyβs commitment to worker welfare, making safety a cornerstone of excellence in facility operations.
Christian Connolly is CEO of Twiceme, a company dedicated to creating technology solutions that empower bystanders to become helpers. With Twiceme sensors integrated directly into protective equipment and clothing, users connect using a smartphone to communicate valuable information, leading to faster response times, improved communication during emergencies, and safer experiences. Today, millions of individual protective equipment worldwide include Twiceme technology made by leading outdoor and professional equipment brands.
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