Over 200 years, workplace safety has seen dramatic gains. Concerns about workers in their environment were born in Europe with the labour movement during the Industrial Revolution. Through this revolutionary period, workers organized and demanded improvements in working conditions. Governments responded and added regulations to force safer work practices.
Improvements occurred across so many dimensions of the workplace. From ventilation improvements in production facilities, application of technology like air brakes in transportation, chemical labeling in agriculture all represent just a few innovations that led to the increased safety for workers and lower risk for businesses.
Then along came the smartphone…
Can you imagine trying to ensure the safety of workers in this photo if they all had iOS and Android devices in their hands?
The Digital Revolution over the last 10 years is triggering the next generation of workplace safety and the need for innovations to solve the problems created by mobile devices for workers. If you look just at distracted driving, the smartphone is the culprit in many serious incidents. Motor vehicle accidents remain the number one cause of fatalities in the workplace.
Starting with policies prohibiting the use of these devices in the vehicle is the right place to start. Training and education of workers is also necessary and governments are passing increasing regulations to protect its citizens from the dramatic consequences of operating a mobile device while driving.
The real solution that can serve to eliminate the negative outcomes of distracted driving comes from using technology to solve this business problem. Using a robust platform to enforce the policies, lock down the phones and inform drivers of safe driving behavior is surely the answer in this next generation of workplace safety. In a world that is increasingly tech-savvy, there is a bright future ahead for workplace safety.