Health and safety as we know it is moving into the
digital-first era
In the 2024 Global Directors’ and Officers’ Survey Report, health and safety was ranked as the number one risk by company bosses – trumping the risks posed by cybersecurity, regulation breaches, and data loss. From wearable technology and VR training to surgical robots and 5G ambulances, our latest industry spotlight explores it all and at IBA we’re lucky to have clients that are pioneering leading edge solutions in the health and safety space.
Leaders can no longer view health and safety as a tick box exercise and technology is here to save the day! The rise in digital processes in many industries has been met by technological advancements in health and safety, and employees are embracing it. In fact, a recent study found that 4 in 5 employees in the U.S. would be willing to try safety technologies.
Here’s our top four tech-driven changes taking health and safety by storm:
- Wearables gather real-time information to provide real-time health insights
The construction industry is one of the most dangerous industries with over 69,000 workplace injuries recorded between 2022 and 2023. To help reduce the risk involved with working in the construction industry, wearable technology has stepped up to help provide real-time monitoring of fatigue, worker health, and identifying and alerting workers of potential dangers. The demand for these wearable devices is growing with the market currently worth over $4 billion and excepted to grow at a CAGR of over 10% from 2024 to 2032. Not only will wearable technology improve health and safety, but it will also help improve productivity by monitoring employee performance, improve task allocation, and reduce downtime caused by accidents.
But it’s not just the construction industry that are embracing wearable health monitoring technologies. Recently we have witnessed its growth in the aerospace and defense industry, as NATO increase their support of developing new wearable technology to monitor the health of war fighters, identify risks, and alert army forces of injured soldiers – an area where one of our clients is helping to support, so we can’t wait to see what lies next for this technology on the connected battlefield. - A virtual hands-on approach to safety training
As Virtual Reality (VR) technology becomes more advanced, it is starting to make inroads into health and safety. By creating immersive and simulated replica situations, VR allows trainees to experience realistic situations in a virtual reality environment. This helps them gain an understanding of the risks they may face and help to refine their safety skills by learning practices and procedure – all without the real-life risk!
The Life Science industry is experiencing the benefits of this technology first-hand thanks to specific VR programmes. These are being designed specifically for workplace training to help employees within the Pharma, Bio, and Chem space learn about dangerous machinery and organizational practices and procedures in the event of an accident. - Introducing the next generation of robotic surgical assistants
Everyone knows the increasing pressure the healthcare industry is under to reduce wait times for appointments and procedures. In 2023, the average wait time for a GP appointment was three weeks, but this demand simply cannot be matched by the healthcare industry – an industry that is predicted to be short by 100,000 critical health care workers by 2028. So, what can the healthcare industry do to match increasing demand with less workers?
Enter surgical robots such as Texoma’s DV5! Recent advancements in robotic technology can help the healthcare industry shorten their wait times as surgical robots are already being introduced into theatre for minimally invasive surgeries. These robots are being extensively tested before they enter the operating theatre to make surgery safer and provide medical professionals with better insights when carrying out procedures – these devices will be used to assist not replace medical surgeons. - Telemedicine and 5G ambulances are leading the race to a more connected future
The drive for a better connected future between paramedics out on call in ambulances and doctors waiting for patients to arrive at hospital is being answered with the introduction of 5G-enabled emergency care. New smart connected ambulances enable real-time data transfer between vehicles and hospitals by integrating advanced emergency management systems with ERS and telemedicine capabilities, ensuring doctors can make informed decisions and prepare for their arrival while the patient is still in transit. Medulance is one company leading the way in this field, already seeing a significant improvement in treatment outcomes with response times dropping from 45 to 11 minutes.
And if you can’t get the patient to the treatment center, why not take it to them? One of IBA’s client base is a leading U.S. Air Ambulance service helping bring vital medical services to remote communities across the nation. Its fleet of helicopters carry key equipment such as balloon pumps, whole blood on board, and a range of neo-natal support such as foetal heart tone monitors and isolettes (a special incubator used for transporting newborns).
From business priority to business practice – how digital technologies are taking health and safety to the next level
Health and safety as we traditionally know it is progressing into the digital-first era. As health and safety becomes more of a top priority for many industries, companies need to start integrating different technologies to help them improve their workplace – from wearable technologies to 5G ambulances. Not only are these new technologies helping to improve health and safety, but they can also help efficiency, productivity, and employee welfare!
Sam Walker is PR Executive at IBA International.
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