How connected worker solutions can make manufacturers safer, more productive

Jorge Juan Fernandez, a senior manager of business development for Honeywell, talks about connected worker solutions and how they can help make companies safer and more productive in a video interview fromHoneywell Users Group (HUG) 2023in Orlando.

In a presentation during HUG, Fernandez explained companies face many business challenges such as increased safety, security and compliance requirements coupled with a need for greater efficiency. On an operational level, companies face challenge such as a distributed and isolated workforce and there are limited resources to manage safety and productivity. Companies often lack real-time visibility of their workers and don’t know what they’re doing and if they’re being compliant. This can lead to increased downtime if a worker gets hurt in a facility and the danger increases if companies don’t know where they are. While this is a problem for many companies, the danger increases in industries such as chemical, oil and gas and other processing facilities because the worker may be in a hazardous environment.

“Your safety is most important,” Fernandez said.

He described the safety watch real-time location system (RTLS) solution, which is designed to mitigate these dangers by giving companies a bird’s-eye view of what is happening in their facility. It also helps companies determine who should be where and if they have the correct clearance or credentials.

The safety watch goes beyond worker location and position. It also can help determine if workers are exerting themselves too much by working too many hours and potentially endangering themselves in the process.

Fernandez admitted there are privacy issues. He explained the safety watch isn’t designed to identify workers specifically and their personal information is kept private. Operators in the control room only know there are workers in their facility and what they can and cannot do.

“The safer people you have in your plant, you reduce risk and costs from an injury,” Fernandez said. “Any incident affects not only your company, but your workforce.”

Chris Vavra, web content manager, CFE Media and Technology,cvavra@cfemedia.com.

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