Three Examples of How Wearable Technology Improves Worker Safety at Amazon and TotalEnergies

Wearable protection has always been an important part of safety. High visibility vests, for instance, make it easier for employees to be seen in risky environments while goggles, hard hats and safety boots can provide additional layers of protection. But clothing and other devices have gone high tech to enable the next level of safety performance.   

Here are a few examples of how wearables are helping Amazon and TotalEnergies improve worker safety: 

#1: Built in sensors can alert users to safe exposure limits  

 Sensors that are built into wearable devices can monitor a variety of factors such as temperature, presence of gases in the environment, noise decibel level, and/or the worker’s physical responses to the work (heart rate, fatigue levels, temperature, etc.). These can be used to generate alerts that warn employees that a safe level has been breached so that mitigating action can be taken. 

For instance, Marla Corson, Director Workplace Health and Safety at Amazon, explains the safety suit that employees must wear when accessing freezers at the retailer’s online grocery arm, Amazon Fresh. First, the freezer will only allow employees that are wearing the suit to enter. Then, once the employee has entered the freezers, embedded technology within the suit alerts both the employee and their manager when the safe limit for cold exposure has been reached.   

 #2: Provide field workers with additional support to ensure hazardous jobs are done correctly and safely 

Wearable technology with remote video cameras and sensors embedded in it can allow companies to provide immediate and live support for workers in hazardous environments. The addition of sensors and video cameras allow remote operators to see actual conditions and monitor essential variables to better understand the situation on the ground. 

At IX Network’s recent Connected Safety event, Francois Germain, Head of Digital Innovation for TOTAL Refining and Chemicals, TotalEnergies describes the company’s Connected Helmet, a device that has a special video camera and microphone embedded within it and connects the operator with headquarters for additional technical assistance.  The operator can do work during a turnaround, for instance, with input from subject matter experts who are offsite.   

During the COVID-19 pandemic, this allowed the company to better understand a situation - such as corrosion risks - and provide live assistance to mitigate them while ensuring physical distancing. While the technology was widely instituted during COVID-19 its utility will last well beyond the pandemic era.  

#3: Controls can automatically trigger a change in machinery 

Many machines have built in safety systems that shut the device down once a certain threshold has been reached (e.g. temperature to avoid the machine overheating). That principle of a “fail-safe” mechanism can apply to wearable technology as well. Employees can wear a device that triggers a change in machinery once certain variable limits have been reached or once employees have entered a specific area.   

As Amazon warehouses move to greater reliance on autonomous robots, for instance, it is critical to ensure that these robots don’t become a source of “struck by” injuries. Amazon’s Corson describes a safety vest the company has developed to reduce these risks. Workers put the vest on when working in areas where robots are present; built in sensors within the vest automatically slows the robot speed. This, coupled with the robot’s own collision avoidance programming, helps to mitigate the risk of accidents. 

Interested in learning more? Download our full report on 6 technologies redefining how companies are managing worker safety. Find out how drones, artificial reality, data analytics and more are leading to the next level of EHS performance.