Smart Innovators: Industrial Wearables

Steve Bolton

Steve Bolton

22 Aug, 2018

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Executive Summary

Workers in dangerous locations have used wearable devices (or “wearables”) for decades to alert them to hazards such as gas leaks. In the last fifteen years, the rise of digital consumer wearables such as augmented reality headsets and watches that monitor heart rates has opened the door to the launch of industrial wearables exploiting these consumer innovations. Concurrently, vendors and firms have diversified the environment, health and safety (EHS) functions in industrial settings to which wearables can be applied. This report provides EHS decision-makers, vendors of industrial wearable solutions, investors and other participants in the EHS technologies ecosystem with an overview of wearable devices applied to EHS functions.
Smart Innovators: Industrial Wearables
A Broad Range Of Wearable Devices Have Relevance To EHS Priorities
EHS Decision-Makers Indicate Early Signs Of Demand For Wearable Technology

Industrial Wearables Being Deployed For EHS Functions
Wearable Functionality Maps To Four Distinct EHS Use Cases

Industrial Wearables Must Overcome Adoption Hurdles To Reach Critical Mass
Vendors Need To Understand Success Factors To Accelerate Growth
Fast Adopting Industries Hold The Key To Wearables Success
Figure 1. Change In Spend Across EHS Categories In 2018 
Figure 2. EHS Budget Allocation Across Four Categories 
Figure 3. Significance Of Industrial Wearables To Operational Risk Management 
Figure 4. Industrial Wearables Support Four EHS Use Cases 
Figure 5-1. Mapping Wearables Vendors To EHS Use Cases 
Figure 5-2. Mapping Wearables Vendors To EHS Use Cases 

About the Author

Steve Bolton

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...

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