How Technology Is Enhancing the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Environmental Health and Safety
By Mia Barnes, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Body+Mind Magazine.
Global warming and rapidly advancing technologies are two defining factors in worldwide change. Workplaces are adapting to those evolving influences by merging advanced tech tools with environmental health and safety strategies. Learning more about those efforts and the technology supporting them could help you better understand how people create positive environmental impacts in professional fields.
What Is Environmental Health and Safety?
Environmental health and safety is a discipline that protects people in any given space from hazards around them. EHS policies may prevent workplace injuries while simultaneously addressing climate concerns. The United Nations Development Programme’s 2024 global found that 80% of people worldwide want their countries to do a better job of addressing climate change. Adding EHS policies to the workplace can protect workers and make them feel more involved in helping the planet.
Photo by LYCS Architecture on Unsplash
Who Participates in EHS Efforts?
Businesses in any industry can participate in EHS programs or create one. The specific efforts depend on each team’s unique work setting. A construction crew minimizing their on-site pollution would take different EHS steps than a team working in a small office space.
However, many companies hire professional EHS trainers to inform everyone about upcoming changes. They likely have polished presentations and training materials, getting every employee up to speed so the transition is as seamless as possible.
Technology Making EHS Strategies More Effective
Once you set an EHS goal, you’ll need tools to put it in motion. Industry leaders invest in the latest technological developments to make a positive difference in the environment and their employees’ safety.
1. Telehealth Software
Research shows that 85% of health care systems budget for technology like more secure telehealth appointments. Meeting with patients online is a modernized EHS strategy. Up to 64% of registered nurses get assaulted at work, and virtual appointments can reduce that risk.
If fewer patients drive into health clinics to see their doctors in person, they’ll also keep extra carbon emissions out of the atmosphere. Telehealth software is a tool that can help workplaces meet EHS goals if they invest in the office upgrade.
2. Hazard Communication QR Codes
Any worksites with hazardous materials must label them appropriately to abide by Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards. Tech advancements like widespread usage of QR codes, smartphones and worksite tools that can read QR codes make hazard communication easier.
When someone scans the code, they can immediately see what’s inside and how to safely use it. The instructions can also include guidance on how to dispose of the material in the most environmentally friendly way possible. Reducing the chances of miscommunication about harmful pollutants protects workers and the planet.
3. Emergency Action VR Modules
Every workplace needs response plans for emergency events. Intensified weather will make those crises more frequent, so practicing how to respond to storms and flooding is crucial for everyone’s safety. Teams can use virtual reality equipment to complete their training.
Setting up disaster situations within VR modules can formulate action plan rollouts better than running through tabletop scenarios. Everyone can immerse themselves in a virtual hazardous environment without risking their safety, playing out things like where to evacuate or shelter in place.
Meanwhile, your team will reduce its planetary impact by using fewer printed materials to practice emergency preparedness. You might not need to print anything if you have a headset and the module software ready for use.
4. Photocatalytic Oxidizing Air Cleaners
Pollution feeds into global warming, especially airborne contaminants. Carbon dioxide emissions warm the atmosphere as humans burn fossil fuels. People can also get sick by breathing floating particles and gases. Workplace leaders can tackle both issues with technologically advanced air cleaners.
Purifying machines process bacteria, viruses and other contaminants so everyone nearby breathes cleaner air. While there are many ways to make people love their jobs, helping everyone stay healthy and reducing airborne pollution is an excellent way to do that and help the planet. Photocatalytic oxidizing air cleaners are some of the most advanced tools to accomplish this EHS strategy.
Photocatalytic purifiers mimic the earth’s ability to destroy pollutants by turning them into nontoxic forms through artificial solar light. They’re among the most eco-friendly air cleaner models available, too. You could invest in a green resource for your workplace that keeps people healthier, protects them from pollutants and purifies the air for the planet.
5. Data Tracking Training Tools
People benefit from professional development opportunities. These educational events can improve team knowledge and skills if everyone remembers what happened during their training session. However, training is more effective when supervisors evaluate how much their teams remember from their lessons.
Data tracking within instructional software makes it easier to evaluate specific employee information retention. The program logs user activity and compares their correct quiz answers with their results from previous training sessions. You can refine your educational tools from there to improve your EHS results, especially if you’re instructing people on workplace safety tips.
Integrating a data tracking tool into professional development opportunities can also benefit the environment. You won’t waste limited natural resources preparing additional instructional materials like paper and single-use booklets. Depending on the training instructions, your team can also reduce their planetary impact if they learn things like minimizing pollution on worksites.
6. Waste Management Appliances
Garbage cans might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you picture EHS strategies, but waste management is a useful part of the workplace to refine. Internet-connected waste receptacle sensors are already active within citywide applications because they make garbage collection more efficient and keep populated areas cleaner.
Workplaces could benefit from the same sensors in numerous ways. Preventing trash from lingering will minimize hazardous bacterial growth. People will also be physically safer if fewer pieces of trash overflow from wastebaskets and create trip hazards.
You may even reduce your environmental footprint by using fewer chemical-based cleaning sprays. Your workplace will remain much cleaner with efficient garbage management, reducing airborne contaminants from spray products and your office’s chemical runoff into local waterways.
Potential Future Developments
The best part about using technology to enhance EHS strategies is that it will continue improving long after you implement workplace updates. Understanding what may be available someday soon will keep you and your team members safer while continuing to support the planet.
1. AI Risk Assessment
Pinpointing the best EHS ideas is easier if you know which areas of your workplace present the most safety risks. Artificial intelligence may help with that assessment. AI programs can improve the accuracy of risk assessments by tailoring predictions to each respondent.
Input each person’s responsibilities, typical worksites and injury history. The algorithm will identify patterns in accident reports and assess workers’ behavior over time. You can modify your EHS strategies based on the people who are most at risk, which makes your efforts more worthwhile.
Targeted approaches also eliminate resource waste. You won’t spend time and supplies on training sessions without being conficent that they will address the most pressing concerns. Everyone will get the instructions they need to stay safer on the job while your workplace better supports the planet.
2. Smart Personal Protective Equipment
PPE is merging with sensor technology and AI. Updated helmets, wristbands and vests streamline team communication for people doing manual labor. Leadership teams and individual workers can quickly pinpoint who needs breaks, extra water, a snack or a break to calm their heart rate.
The technology reduces wearers’ exposure to hazards in numerous environments, so it’s worth exploring as an EHS strategy if you have team members in similar conditions. For example, if someone’s body temperature gets too high while working in extreme heat, your manager could immediately guide them to a rest area for a break.
3. Predictive Maintenance
Most equipment needs long-term maintenance to remain efficient. AI programs streamline those efforts with predictive maintenance tips.
Instead of waiting for a vehicle to tell you it needs an oil change, an AI sensor within the engine could alert you to bring it to the mechanic for an oil change within the next week. Proactively preventing equipment breakdowns will keep everyone safer while operating equipment.
Improved maintenance strategies also reduce fuel consumption because machinery won’t have to work as hard to compensate for struggling parts. If your team relies on AI notifications to stay ahead of repairs, it could reduce your fuel usage by 15% to 20%, depending on how quickly everyone responds to the maintenance recommendations. You’ll create fewer carbon emissions, rely less on fossil fuels and keep everyone safer on the job as predictive maintenance programs gain widespread adoption.
Understand How Technology Is Improving the Environment and Safety Standards
Learning about the latest tech advancements supporting EHS ideas could make your team safer while improving your planetary impact. Consider whether your co-workers would benefit from cleaner air or better training methods. You’ll pinpoint the tools you can use to accomplish those goals and simultaneously minimize your workplace’s environmental footprint.