Industrial Wearables Survey 2019: Budgets, Priorities & Tech Preferences
Steve Bolton
Access this research
Access all EHSQ Corporate Leaders content with a strategic subscription or buy this single report
Need help or have a question about this report? Contact us for assistance
Executive Summary
This report helps EHS executives benchmark their budgets and technology preferences in relation to industrial wearables, relative to their global peer group. The data collected through this Verdantix survey also supports strategic decision-making and business planning among executives at EHS consulting providers and industrial wearable technology vendors. The inaugural Verdantix industrial wearables survey spanned firms across23 countries in five geographical regions and 13 industries. Interviews were conducted with 102 senior EHS decision-makers with direct responsibility for firm-wide EHS management strategies, technology selection and related initiatives. Of the 102 EHS managers interviewed, 80% belong to firms with revenues greater than $1 billion. Additionally, 19% of respondents are from firms with revenues greater than $20 billion. This survey finds strong appetites and investment trends for various wearable devices and use cases ranging from safe driving to hazardous environment monitoring. Furthermore, respondents expounded on various technical and regulatory barriers to wearables selection and implementation.
Global Survey Of EHS Decision-Makers Delivers Granular Insights
Decision-Makers Perceive Wearables’ Value For EHS Programmes
EHS Decision-Makers Are Adopting A Diverse Range Of Industrial Wearables
Firms Plan To Progressively Adopt Wearables For High-Risk Use Cases
Appetites Are High For Wearable Technologies Covering Various Use Cases
Firms Face Budget, Buy-In and Infrastructure Barriers To Uptake
Current Generation Of Wearables Suffer From Cost And Capability Barriers
Infrastructure And Technical Issues Create Barriers For Implementation Success
Firms Desire Rugged And Safe Wearables For Frontline Workers
Firms Want Wearables Geared Towards Empowering Frontline Workers
Rugged, Safe and Long-Lasting Wearable Devices Are Essential
Equal Interest In Using IoT Platforms Or Analysing Data Via Existing Software
Industrial Wearable Devices Will See Sizeable Spend Growth In 2020
Growing Spend For Lone Workers, Safe Driving And Hazardous Environments
Figure 2. Geographic Locations Of Respondents
Figure 3. Wearable Device Adoption
Figure 4. Wearable Device Use Case Adoption
Figure 5. Desired Use Cases For Wearable Devices
Figure 6. Perceived Deficiencies Of Wearable Devices
Figure 7. Barriers To Implementation Of Wearable Devices
Figure 8. Important Business Criteria When Selecting Wearable Devices
Figure 9. Important Operational Criteria When Selecting Wearable Devices
Figure 10. Preferred Method Of Wearable Device Deployment
Figure 11. Expectations Of Wearable Device Data Management Structures
Figure 12. Optimal Data Management Structure For Wearable Devices
Figure 13. 2020 Investment Plans For Wearable Device Use Cases
About the Authors
Steve Bolton
Research Director
Steve leads the Verdantix EHS research practice, based out of our New York office. He has 25 years of experience advising on sustainability, EHS, circular economy, corporate s...
Bill Pennington
VP Research
Bill is VP Research at Verdantix, where he leads analysis on the evolving and interconnected landscapes of EHS, quality, AI and enterprise risk management. His research helps ...
View ProfileOther related content
The quality management software market is dominated by enterprise platforms built for the world's largest manufacturers, but most companies aren't them. This webinar cuts through t...
Upcoming / 11 June, 2026
Most EHS executives can point to a set of technologies they have deployed. Far fewer can demonstrate that those technologies, taken together, form a coherent and defensible program...
Upcoming / 01 June, 2026
Effective EHS management is decided in the field. The most critical safety judgements – from stopping work to applying controls to escalating emergencies – are made in real operati...
12 May, 2026
In today’s business environment, organizations are under pressure to achieve clear, holistic visibility of risk across operations so they can manage safety, quality, compliance and...
12 May, 2026
A single global rulebook no longer governs chemical management. Instead, regulatory divergence across Europe, the US and APAC is forcing organizations to rethink how they select an...
28 April, 2026
On March 30, 2026, 3E launched its AI platform and solution suite, signalling a shift in product compliance software. AI is moving beyond bolt-on assistance towards a platform-...
21 April, 2026