Personal Safety Technology as PPE
A McKinsey study found that companies accelerated the digitisation of their internal operations by three to four years during the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, many organisations are now re-evaluating their safety measures, with lone worker technology more often being classified as part of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to reflect its essential role in safeguarding employees.
In a survey conducted with more than 120 health and safety specialists, 78% felt that personal safety technology could be better embedded into an organisation by re-classifying it as PPE.
Giving it this categorisation would have a three-fold impact:
1 The technology would be viewed as more important (or even a requirement) by senior management.
2 Workers would be more likely to adopt the technology.
3 Procuring the technology would be easier through a PPE budget.
Companies accelerated internal digitisation by 3-4 years during the pandemic
78% felt re-classifying personal safety technology as PPE would better embed it within organisations
Some firms are already recognising this and have begun classifying lone worker devices as PPE, making them an essential part of the safety toolkit. When fully integrated into safety systems, technology is becoming essential for managing personal safety risks effectively.
As technology continues to evolve, businesses will continue to rely on smarter solutions and greater connectivity, exploring how the Internet of Things (IoT) can help gather data and insights to inform safety strategies. This data can be used to identify trends, prevent incidents, and improve processes, enabling organisations to put better protection measures in place. How companies implement these technologies will be crucial to their success.
This evolution suggests that PPE is expanding into a far broader category than the traditional definition suggests. Personal safety technology is helping to prevent, manage and respond to risks, providing a smarter and cost-effective way to protect employees.
“A pair of safety boots can only ever offer limited protection unless you always wear them. Personal safety technology is the same. You may have never had an incident before, but you could in the future and that’s the point.”
Nick Kendrick, Corporate Health & Safety Advisor, Breckland Council
We decided to make the personal safety technology PPE. Our staff will pick up their bag with all their equipment and everything else that they need to see their patients, their patient list and their Peoplesafe device - it’s part of the everyday equipment.
It’s making people understand that this technology - although it doesn’t look like a piece of PPE - is actually a life-saving device.
For our people out in the community, carrying this type of device is the same as a police officer having a radio. It’s essential.
