3 ways individual workplace safety is improved through technology

In what the history books are sure to label The Pandemic Years: A Tale of Lockdowns and Coronavirus, it’s safe to say individual workplace care has taken on a brand new meaning.

Amongst face masks and other PPE, employee safety is emerging as a more pressing concern than ever before -- and with these fresh demands, technology rises to the challenge, providing innovative solutions and a sense of security in an otherwise uncertain environment.

In this article, we explore how tech continues to innovate by coming to our need during times of potential workplace danger. Here are the topics we’ll cover:

• Why VPNs are used to boost online security in the era of remote working
• How fleet managers monitor risk with fuel cards telematics
• Where remote control drones are used to assess workplace dangers

Read on as we celebrate the value of technology and its ability to increase individual workplace safety in the days of coronavirus and beyond.

VPNs deliver privacy in the era of remote work

Everyone who can work from home must do so -- a lockdown order which sees office workers blend their personal and professional lives under one roof in a newfound collective reality.

To make remote working possible, organizations are forced to place their trust in digital technologies such as online messengers, cloud storage, and video conferencing software, in what amounts to a worldwide beta test into the widespread use of these services.

As with any test, some are enjoying the benefits of digital tech with no real downside, while others have uncovered chinks in the armor ripe for exploitation.

Remote working technologies deliver efficiency and team collaboration outside the office, but working predominantly online poses its own set of safety risks: phishing attacks, unsecured networks, computer sharing, and lack of digital hygiene.

We shouldn’t blindly assume it’s safe to jump online, safety measures have to be put in place to sure up security, both to protect your employees and clients’ sensitive information.

What is the most popular form of modern cybersecurity? Virtual private networks, better known as VPNs.

Over recent years VPNs have burst onto the scene as a nifty way to access region-locked content on Netflix, but in the days of the pandemic, companies are falling back on its base purpose: to protect online anonymity and encrypt sensitive information by placing a secure tunnel around your internet connection.

VPNs are big business and there’s a lot of options to choose from. Use this list of best VPN providers to distinguish how to improve remote working safety for your company.

Fleet managers monitor driver safety using fuel card telematics

The rapid development of real-time data technology means it's now possible to monitor the implementation of safety measures far beyond the confines of your workspace.

One such example is the way fleet managers use fuel cards to collect remote information from their drivers out on the open road -- a space that is often blind to managerial oversight and safety enforcement.

Gaining quantitative insight into driver performance means fleet managers possess key information required to make informed decisions around numerous efficiency factors: drive time, route adjustments, and fuel usage spring to mind instantaneously.

However, in terms of workplace safety, such information is more importantly used to evaluate and adapt driver behavior, which directly leads to safety changes like driving awareness courses and regular breaks to alleviate the effects of fatigue behind the wheel.

Where does all this juicy information come from? Managers don’t need to distract their drivers with a whacking great computer, instead, the latest tracking software comes part and parcel with innocuous tech known as a fuel card.

Fuel cards on the face of things are credit cards used by fleet companies to unify fuel costs, but these flimsy bits of plastic can combine with an integrated telematics device and a bespoke fleet management application, in the process, feeding management the data they need to make your role even safer.

Companies need to be aware of which fuel cards to pick up, because telematics is a broad spectrum of technology, encompassing more than just road safety. Using a tool to compare different fuel cards will allow you to find one that will integrate the best with your operation while providing insights that will allow you to improve driver safety.

It’s important to consider that any resulting policy changes made off the back of this data will need to be effectively communicated back to drivers in the form of training, otherwise, there is little use for the information at the manager’s disposal.

Safety inspectors use drones to assess worksite dangers

Workplace safety begins with careful planning and consideration: but what if even this early stage poses a danger to your staff? Worksite safety inspectors face this very problem, with it being their role to evaluate the conditions of an area of land.

In many cases, these unknown environments are far too unspecified to put a team of inspectors at risk, like canaries down a coalmine triggering danger with every step.

The solution: use remote control drones to survey the land.

Drones have evolved far beyond the plastic helicopters you see whirling around your head at the toy store. The latest industrial models are pivotal safety tools used to avoid potential slips, falls and other accidents that occur as human workers traverse difficult terrain.

Worksite drones deliver high-quality imagery from high up in the sky like a robotic safety net, which allows teams to evaluate the environment from a safe and much more predictable location.

The application of improving technology is one of the best ways companies can improve individual safety in the workplace. From small changes like fuel cards and VPNs to the futuristic world of flying drones, tech can be applied across all workplaces -- and times of national emergency -- to make people feel more secure.

Image credit: Pixabay

Stevie Nicks is Digital Editor at Just Another Magazine -- a website that covers the topics you care about. You’ll find articles about lifestyle, travel, business and trends on the site – each of which is written in each writer's unique style.