Help

BI’s Article search uses Boolean search capabilities. If you are not familiar with these principles, here are some quick tips.

To search specifically for more than one word, put the search term in quotation marks. For example, “workers compensation”. This will limit your search to that combination of words.

To search for a combination of terms, use quotations and the & symbol. For example, “hurricane” & “loss”.

Login Register Subscribe

Lack of data, cyber security concerns present hurdles for wearables uptake

Reprints
Lack of data, cyber security concerns present hurdles for wearables uptake

While wearable devices promise to reduce injuries such as falls and vehicle run-overs on busy construction sites, experts say a major hurdle is the lack of data on whether the investment in such technology will pay off.

“It’s hard to show value because there is not a lot of data” on costs savings when it comes to injury prevention, said Mike Fredebeil, Atlanta-based senior vice president and leader of North America Construction Safety and Risk Control with Willis Towers Watson PLC.

“That’s the first question we always get: savings,” said Gary Kaplan, Chicago-based president of construction for Axa XL. “It’s still too soon” to tell. “The results take forever to verify whether we are seeing a change” in injuries, he added.

Another hurdle is getting employees on board because many might ask why they are being required to wear such devices that can track movement, body temperature and more, experts say.

Employers adopting new technologies will need a “cultural shift” in attitudes on a job site, said Bob Kreuzer, Hartford, Connecticut-based vice president of construction risk control at Travelers Cos. Inc. “It’s making sure you are talking about the technology and what it does, and working with the workforce on what you plan to do with the data … regardless of the technology or wearable that the contractor is going to try, we still have to go back to having an effective safety culture.”

The introduction of wearables on a construction site “can get sabotaged if the purpose is not clearly communicated” to workers, said James Boileau, Edina, Minnesota-based construction segment director, risk engineering, for Zurich North America.

Data security is another concern.

“Any type of new program or technology, wearables or something else, being able to fully understand what are you capturing, what can go wrong — as soon as you are collecting data, you have a cyber security issue,” said Mr. Boileau. “What (companies) need to do is protect that information.” Still, many are confident wearables have a future in the construction industry.

“I think it’s exciting,” Mr. Fredebeil said. “It’s in the infancy. If we can get over the cost hurdles and the return on investment hurdles and the privacy issues, it will be good for the industry.” 

 

 

Read Next

  • Construction market flooded with devices seeking to cut injuries in hazardous sector

    Wearable devices can provide construction employers with a ton of valuable information about safety and health risks that their employees are contending with in the workplace, including whether an employee is overheating, slowing down or tired, present in a dangerous location or engaging in risky behavior such as sliding down a banister.