Smart Innovators: Industrial Wearables

Published 22 August 2018 by Steve Bolton

EHS Analytics EHS Software Incident Management Industrial Wearables Occupational Health Process Safety Worker Safety Smart Innovators

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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

Table of figures

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

Organisations mentioned

Airsweb, Amazon, Atheer, Boeing, Carré Technologies, Cartreﬁ Conwy, Chevron Corporation, DAQRI, dorsaVi, Duke Energy, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Equivital, Extronics, ExxonMobil, Gensuite, Gilbane Building Company, Honeywell International, Humantech, IBM, Intelex, Intellinium, International ThermoDyne, Kenzen, Kinetic, Logical Safety, M3SH Technology, MacDonald-Miller Facility Solutions, MākuSafe, Modjoul, Optalert, Porsche, Reactec, RealWear, S3-ID, Skanska UK, SolePower, SoloProtect, Soter Analytics, Triax Technologies, Upskill, Vale, Vault Intelligence, Vigo Technologies, VINCI Construction UK, XOi Technologies.

About the author

Steve Bolton

Research Director

Steve recently joined Verdantix as a Research Director, based out of our New York office. He has over 20 years of experience advising on sustainability, EHS, energy management, corporate reputation, and other business value topics, creating and deploying innovative programs across diverse corporate cultures, enhancing operational excellence, messaging initiatives to various stakeholders, and measuring and reporting tangible achievements. Previously, Steve worked for the research firm Trucost in natural capital analysis and client engagement, the investment association CFA Institute spearheading the organization's global sustainability activities, and the consulting firm MBDC implementing cradle-to-cradle change across client companies, among other roles. He received a dual environmental science and public policy Bachelor's degree from The College of William and Mary, a Master of Environmental Management degree from Duke University, and an MBA degree from James Madison University.