How HR Professionals Can Use Technology to Improve Workplace Safety

Technology has become an essential part of our daily lives, facilitating efficiency in dealing with dynamic aspects of life, including workplaces. One of the ways HR professionals can utilize technology at their workplace is by enhancing the safety and health of workers.

Gone are the days when technology in the workplace was all about generating more accurate data and boosting employee productivity. HR professionals now use technology to improve the safety conditions of the workplace. 

Let’s dig into how technology has taken the corporate space by storm and how you can use them to boost workplace safety.

How Can Technology Improve Workplace Safety?

Whenever you think of the use of technology in the corporate world, the first thing that lingers is improving communication channels and worker productivity. But technology is gaining traction in enhancing workplace safety because HR professionals emphasize complying with OSHA regulations.

Various technologies have mitigated employee injuries and fatalities. Still, the emergence of increasingly complex tools and gadgets gives HR professionals a new viewpoint on improving workplace safety. 

HR professionals can use technology to streamline various operations processes in the workplace, including worker safety training, monitoring, and reporting, to improve safety. Also, technology allows for prompt communication, assisting remote personnel to be safer on the job.

Technologies That Can Help HR Professionals Improve Workplace Safety

Below are seven technologies that HR professionals can employ to bolster safety at the workplace.

EHS Management Software

EHS (environment, health, and safety) management system is a collection of methods organizations may use to protect the environment and their employees’ safety. It might be challenging to keep up with all of the industry standards and policies for environmental safety and avoid crossing the line. To monitor trends, identify task hazards, and comply with rules, you must be in regular contact with data.

Having a single software to handle EHS in your organization will help HR professionals to store and manage all essential safety information in one place. EHS management software is available in various options, each focusing on specific duties.

Some of the fundamental functions of am EHS management software include the following:

• Analyzing trends based on data
• Optimizing workflow
• Complying with health and safety rules
• Reporting Accidents
• Managing inspection

You can budget for a tailored EHS solution that fits your organization’s safety needs. 

3D Visualization Technology

The 3D visualization software technology can assist workers in being more aware of their workplace environment and potential risk. This software creates lifelike visuals by capturing the image from two viewpoints. 

HR professionals can use this tool in worker training in any workplace environment. 3D visualization software can replicate workplace settings and surroundings, allowing employees to anticipate potential threats and hazards. It can also alert management to what safety equipment and supplies workers need to avoid accidents.

Drones

Drones can help with workplace management and take over duties likely to endanger employees. Drones, with their capacity to operate in harsh conditions, have found their way into a variety of occupational industries to assist in reducing worker injuries and fatalities

You can use drones to monitor and inspect job sites and locations for potential risks, especially in the mining and construction sector. 

Consider equipping drones with cameras, laser scanners, and sensors to ensure that the worksite is safe for humans and free of possible hazards. You can significantly reduce the likelihood of employees facing dangerous conditions by incorporating drones.

Virtual Reality

Proper training is essential to preventing unpleasant scenarios, especially in professions like mining that demands working in potentially hazardous settings. Virtual reality and other interactive training technologies can provide employees with real-time training, ensuring they’re better equipped for the workplace and can stay safe.

This technology helps HR professionals with employee onboarding and offers new workers simulated real-life experiences. Therefore, employing VR technology comes in handy in helping HR departments to create the most skilled, secure workforce possible.

Panic Buttons

Unlike other workplace safety technologies focusing on preventive measures, wearable devices like wireless panic buttons offer a response solution in a safety hazard emergency. They allow an individual to call for help promptly, only a push of a button away.

These alarm systems are standard in workplaces where employees are exposed to violence or intimidation and where workers typically work alone, such as in hospitals. Recent technological developments allow them to connect via Bluetooth or WI-FI to offer a more flexible discrete option.

Robotics

Forget the negative portrayal of robots in sci-fi films; these tools play important roles, especially in manufacturing industries. Various industries use robots and AI to perform risky and repetitive tasks. Robots replace human labor in carrying out entirely hazardous tasks or those that can cause injury.

For instance, automakers use robots to assemble vehicles to minimize the possibility of human error or harm in the production line. To increase safety and reduce the possibility of human error, HR professionals can adopt human-robot collaboration by assigning potentially dangerous duties to robots.

Wearable Technology

Many types of wearable technology devices range from basic smartwatches to intricate tech-improved exoskeletons. While they may seem like typical daily accessories, wearables are essential to HR professionals in helping to avoid workplace injuries and compliance issues.

Some of the most common wearable tech options include the following:

• Body monitors – track the employee’s heart rate, oxygen levels, and temperature and alert them if anything goes amiss.  
• Environmental monitors – used in chemical industries and help check the levels of pollutants and harmful fumes in the environment.

Wearable tech options are a perfect fit for HR personnel that oversee a high-risk workplace with many workers. The technology provides emergency alerts which makes everyone and the overall workplace safer.

Go Beyond Traditional Workplace Safety

How safe is your employee data? Do you know who has access to information about things like salary, promotion schedules, training scores, and more? All of this information is sensitive and if it gets out, can create a legal mess. When you use software to help manage talent development, you have to ensure that the technology you choose is safe and secure.

That’s why Trakstar has gone above and beyond to ensure that all of the data collected within our performance management system, applicant tracking system, and learning management system is secured. You can visit our security page to learn more about how far we’ve gone.

Adopt Technology to Improve Employee Safety

Although workers are partially responsible for their safety, the primary liability burden lies with the employer. So, creating a safe workplace should be a top priority for HR professionals using technology.

However, developing an influential workplace safety culture is a challenging endeavor. Your technology choices can greatly influence workplace safety.