GREATER VISIBILITY FOR A SAFER WORKPLACE.
ON-SITE WORKER SAFETY
Beyond protective equipment, 5G-enabled smart cameras and analytics can expand monitoring, boost compliance, and help prevent injuries.
ON-SITE WORKER SAFETY
Beyond protective equipment, 5G-enabled smart cameras and analytics can expand monitoring, boost compliance, and help prevent injuries.
The minute an employee walks onto a manufacturing floor, enters a hospital, or switches on a forklift, their company must do everything possible to protect that worker’s health and safety.
Companies in manufacturing, construction, healthcare, and other high-risk industries are required by law to maintain worker protection programs, and environmental health and safety (EHS) guidelines are intended to minimize injuries. Still, the U.S. endured 2.3 million workplace injuries in 2022, a 4.5% increase from the previous year.1
Hard hats, safety vests, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) are essential, but not enough. And new investments in worker safety are rarely seen as revenue-generating, so there’s little incentive to boost spending. This helps explain why many EHS programs continue to rely on outdated technologies and processes.
5G-enabled technologies can improve safety in factories and other environments by alerting managers to potential hazards, keeping workers out of harm’s way.
IN WORK-RELATED INJURY COSTS FOR EMPLOYEES2
“Averting a workplace accident often boils down to a matter of seconds. 5G delivers the speed and performance to support thousands of cameras enabled with computer vision.”
Andrea Connington, Sr. Product Manager, Partner Integration at
The business case for investing in worker safety is getting stronger as organizations look for new and better ways to protect and retain employees. Emerging technologies like computer vision—which uses smart cameras, artificial intelligence (AI), and 5G’s advanced connectivity to derive meaningful information from digital images—can help your company meet federal safety requirements while curtailing illness and injuries.
Cameras with 5G connectivity and AI automation can assess, identify, and alert teams to risks in more places and with greater detail than manual inspections.
Computer vision is like an extra set of eyes, identifying risks quickly and constantly. It enables immediate action and can inform and improve long-term best practices.
An accident may result in downtime, insurance costs, or harm to your company’s reputation. 5G-enabled workplace safety leads to fewer unforeseen costs and increased profitability.
Emerging technologies that enable near-real-time processing of video and digital images from the workplace can transform safety practices. The low latency and high bandwidth offered by a private 5G network can drive these capabilities at scale when combined with data processing and smart analytics, the foundation for computer vision. What’s more, 5G works in tandem with existing
Fixed cameras in warehouses, factories, outdoor spaces, and elsewhere can stream video 24x7 and alert your team to potentially dangerous situations in their surroundings.
Video is transmitted via 5G to the network edge, or on-premises edge, or a private cloud for processing in near-real time.
AI provides constant monitoring and sends risk alerts via 5G to a manager’s dashboard so they can quickly take action.
In industries with hazardous or unpredictable environments, having the right technologies, including advanced network connectivity, is essential for worker safety. Timely location and situational data are critical to avoiding accidents and mishaps. To achieve that, network speed and low latency are game changers.
Computer vision can help managers make sure everyone is wearing the proper attire and that construction workers remain safe amid all the heavy machinery moving around a job site.
5G-enabled computer vision can help security staff prevent unauthorized people from entering restricted areas, which could jeopardize patient health.
PPE compliance is essential for workers on loading docks and tarmacs. And now 5G-enabled cameras and computer vision provide a digital safety net across these wide areas.
Every year, millions of workers file compensation claims.3 At an average of $41,353 per claim, costs related to workplace injuries add up quickly.4
By deploying 5G-enabled smart cameras in work areas, you can better protect both your workforce and your bottom line. Cameras and other computer vision technologies can lead to fewer accidents and injuries, reduced medical and insurance costs, fewer regulatory fines, less downtime, and improved productivity. And just as important, investment in these solutions contributes to a healthier and more loyal workforce, boosting talent retention and strengthening your company’s reputation.
AND 19% REDUCTION IN OSHA-RECORDABLE INJURIES WITH COMPUTER VISION5
The CTO of a manufacturing company that provides construction equipment is an early adopter of this kind of innovative approach. The executive, who was interviewed by a researcher on our behalf, recounted how their organization implemented perimeter cameras as part of a workplace safety strategy. The fixed cameras identify if employees are getting too close to heavy equipment, so corrective action can be taken. The company also invested in wearable safety gear to monitor biometrics and provide alerts if a worker experiences a health issue.
Prior to these improvements, some workers expressed concerns that they didn’t have enough safety precautions in place. That prompted discussions with the labor union. “This was a perceived solution that came out of the negotiations—that we needed to put in technology for the people,” the CTO said.
Following a pilot program, perceptions about workplace safety changed. “The workers were pretty happy, and everybody felt safer,” the CTO said. That included the workers’ union, which had pushed for improvements. “So that was the big thing.”
“Safety has to be based on real-time technology, especially on the rigs and in the oil field, where the danger is enhanced. When we implemented 5G, it changed things drastically.”
Vice President with an energy company
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